“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” ~Napoleon Hill
The world is designed in such a way that whatever our minds can conceive, and believe, we really can achieve. Just think about it, before the first light bulb was created, it must have seemed ludicrous to think that something could glow so bright without being set on fire. Back when people were riding around on horse and carriage, it was inconceivable that one should travel to the moon in a sleek chunk of metal, let alone return to tell us about it.
Remember the days when people used to have to walk outside to get their kids in for supper instead of pressing the kid-tractor button on their biodome's AS-translocator? Of course you don't. That's because someone else's idea, an idea which was conceived long ago and was believed in, became the comfortable reality in which you bask in today.
Our world has been forged on the heals of fresh, innovative ideas that were thought of by ordinary people with an extraordinary ability to persevere around obstacles, past setbacks, and despite criticisms. The way these people, just like you and I, came up with these amazing ideas was by asking themselves these seven powerful questions.
- What's broken here? Throughout our day to day we're bound to run into a product, service, or idea that is clearly broken in some way. We can use our mind to conceive a way of sprinkling some fairy dust here and making it better than the original inventor had intended it to be.
It's a matter of taking an existing idea, putting your special kung-fu chop on it, and transforming it into a sticky, scalable, and useful innovation.
- What's missing in my life? Is there a big void in your life that one new idea, gadget, gizmo, or service could fill and make life a bit easier for you? If there is, then chances are that others, million of others, have this void (whether they know it or not) and are just waiting to discover and fill it.
Be the one to use your life as the perfect example of what needs fixin'. Create the perfect idea to suit you, figure out if it will suit others, and go from there.
- What value can I bring here? Some things don't need changing when looked at by the naked eye. You can however take the back door approach to innovation. Instead of saying what's wrong, or what's missing, just ask how you could contribute to what is.
By using this trojan horse of an entry into the world of ideas you may find a solution that's so poppin' fresh it's better than that small invention originally named arpanet.
- What can I learn here? Many of us go through life like drones, following a series of habits that lead us like a carrot leading a mule. Even if these habits are awesome, it's still important to become conscious of the surroundings and appreciate the current moment in which we're living.
As we plop out of our dreary daydream of a life and get hit smack in the face with reality, we may realize that there is a lesson to learn. This lesson might get you thinking. Before you know it, you've invented trees and moved into a rain forest or a myriad of other fascinating ideas.
- What would enough be? The pyramids were not built by throwing down one square boulder and calling it a day. For the Egyptians enough meant having a majestic structure that ended in a point high in the sky. Are the ideas that we entertain small, safe, and comfortable?
The general rule is that if your idea seems like it's going to be a piece of cake to get underway it's probably a bit too small for the type of person that you are. Thinking in terms of huge, and in terms of, this will take a lot of work but through determination, perseverance, and deliberate action it can be accomplished will open up the flood gates of ideas.
- How can it be simplified? Ever hear the expression that more is less and less is more? Put on your Buddhist monk hat and consider that what the world has is too much of something. Smaller, more mobile, more durable, less parts, easier, lighter, or any other word that has to do with simplicity.
Think about how much easier your life would be if it were simplified. You would have more time to do the things you really love, just as long as you could figure out what that means to you.
- How can this be remarkable? Not everything that we encounter in life will be missing, broken, or contain an onslaught of extra pieces that need removing in order to discover the shiny simple possibility that lives deep inside. Some things suffer from being dull-normal and need someone to ask the right question to turn the service, product, or idea into something more.
Perhaps what's really needed is something that is so damn cool you'll never have to spend a penny on advertising because every single person that hears about it is going to tell everyone they know. Perhaps this is the best question to ask ourselves when living into brilliant ideas.
"Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers." ~Anthony Robbins
If you had the freshest ideas in the land and the get-it-done mentality to bring them to life, what would you discover, create, or cure?
-Alex
译文:
激发灵感的七个超强问题
“任何你所构想并坚信的事情,它都可以成为现实”——Napoleon Hill 
这个世界就是以这样一种形态存在着，任何我们所构想以及坚信的事情，我们真的可以做到。就拿第一支灯泡来说，在那之前，这种不用生火而是物体发出炙热亮光的想法听起来一定很滑稽。若是回到人们还在骑马和坐马车的时代，人类可以乘着光滑的金属大物登陆月球是多么的不可思议，更不要说返程后让我们了解到月球那边的情况。
你是否还记得，人们曾不得不走出去接他们的孩子回来吃晚饭，而不是在他们的生态AS转位分子上轻轻地按动孩子牵引按钮？你当然不会记得，因为某个人的许久前构想出并坚信的想法成为了你今天正在享受的安逸生活。
我们的世界是由新鲜创新的想法构建而成的，这些想法是由有那些具有特殊才能的普通人为了摆脱挫折与障碍，不顾外界的批评而构想出来的。就像你和我一样，这些人能够提出这些令人称奇的想法，就是通过提问自己这七个强大的问题。
这件东西有什么地方破损吗？在我们日复一日的生活中，我们必定会遇到在某方面破损的东西，或许是一个商品，一项服务，或是一个想法。我们可以利用我们的主动性，设想出一个方法，如同挥动仙女的魔棒，把这件破损的事物变得比原物更加完美。
这是采用了已有的想法，然后自己下功夫让它转型为实用，有价值的创新。
我的生活缺少了什么？在你的生活中是否有一个大的空缺等待着一个新思想，机械小发明或是服务的填入以使你的生活更有趣呢？如果你有这样的空缺，那么你的机会就是其他人，上百万的其他人同样有这样的空缺（无论他们有没有发现），以及等待去发现并填补空缺。
做一个把生活看成需要不断修补的完美样本的人。创想出适合你的完美的想法，探究它是不是同样会适合其他人，并避免那种情况的发生。
我能带来什么价值？有些事情不需要改变，即使它接受着挑剔的眼光。然而你可以在创新之路上开下后门。不要问自己有什么地方错了或是什么缺少了，仅仅问自己，你所能作出什么样的贡献。
通过木马计进入思想的国度，你会发现一个有创见性的解决方法比那个原名为美国国防部高级研究计划局网络的小发明要更棒。
我能学到什么？我们中大部分的人都如同雄蜂一般生活着，沿袭着一系列的习惯导致了我们就像是一头被胡萝卜牵引着的驴。即使这些习惯是极好的，但是对周遭的充分意识以及对当下时光的珍惜仍是不可或缺的。
当我们从沉闷的白日梦中突然跌回现实并被现实狠狠地煽了个耳光，我们就会意识到我们还有一门课程要学习，这门课会引发你的思考。在你还未察觉之时，你已经创造了一棵树并把它移入了热带雨林，或是你已经构思出了无数其他有趣的想法。
何为足矣？金字塔不是扔下一大块巨石或是一天就能建成的。对于埃及人来说，“足够”意味着拥有一座高耸入云的宏伟建筑。相比之下，我们怀揣的想法是不是来得渺小，谨慎，安逸无虑了呢？
一般来说，如果你的想法实现起来就是小菜一碟，那它可能对你这样的人来说的确是有点太渺小了。考虑一下更伟大的想法，但这将需要大量的努力，包括你的决心和毅力以及有计划的行动，最终它会被实现，并迸发出思路的泉涌。
如何才能简化？你曾听过“多即少，少即多”这样的说法吗？戴上你的佛家僧帽思考一番，这个世界所包含的是太多太多的东西。更小，更便于移动，更持久，更少的部件，更简易，更轻，或是其他任何与简化有所相关的词。
想一下，如果你的生活变得简化，你将生活得多么简单轻松。你将会有更多的时间去做你真正喜欢做的事情，只要你能指出那件事对你的意义。
如何引人注目？不是每一件我们生活中遇到的事物都会有所缺失，有所损坏，或是包含需要移除的多余突兀部件以发现其被深藏的耀眼又单纯的可能性。一些事物十分的平凡，他们需要某个人提出正确的问题，然后让这项服务，商品或是一个思想转变成不拘泥于原物，变得更丰富。
也许，真正需要的是那些酷毙的东西，你根本不需要花一分钱为其做广告，因为每一个听说过它的人都会告诉给他认识的每一个人。也许，当我们怀有闪光主意的时候，这就是最好的一个用来提问自己的问题。
“优质问题造就优质生活，成功的人士提出更好的问题，同时他也会得到更好的答案。”——Anthony Robbins
如果你有一个务实又创新的想法，也有完成它把它引入生活的精力，你将会发现什么？创造出什么？或是纠正了什么呢？——Alex