Great Flames follow little sparks

“A great flame follows a little spark.”

—Dante Alighieri, Late Middle Age Italian Poet

Image of hand flicking a lighter

Image from Flickr by Jeffrey

When was the last time you experienced a spark of genius, or a really good idea?  What happened to this spark once you saw its small but brilliant glow?

Did it go out quickly, or in keeping with today’s quote, did you add more fuel and oxygen until it burst into flame?

EXERCISE:

Examine the projects and the people in your world that represent the sparks of possibility and greater potential.

How can you fan and fuel these projects and people so they can burn brightly and light the way for others?

Well begun is half done

“Well begun is half done.”

—Cited by Aristotle as an ancient proverb

post-it-note with today's quote

Image from Data49

When was the last time you were super satisfied with something you had done or accomplished? Take a few seconds to bask in the joy and pleasure of that event.

What would it be like to feel that way all the time, or at least more often?

What gets in the way?

We all know that putting things off acts like an anchor on our lives. Not only do we not achieve what we deeply desire, but most of us do a good job of beating ourselves up about it. That places an even bigger and darker cloud over our lives.

EXERCISE:

Select at least one personal or professional project you will initiate and follow through on today to experience the satisfaction and exhilaration of Aristotle’s coaching.

“One thought driven home is better than three left on base.”

“One thought driven home is better than three left on base.”

– James Liter

It’s hard not to be a baseball fan if you live in the Detroit area. We love our Tigers. In years past, when the team did not quite have it all together, they stranded many a base runner. Today’s team seems to have a greater confidence and the capacity to bring those runners home.

In a world of business, this quote from James Liter suggests that our ideas and creative solutions may be like these baseball runners – and we often leave them stranded.

Exercise:

Select at least one professional or personal idea, objective or goal that you simply must bring home.

Create a compelling, enthralling vision of this idea so you can get buy-in from your communities. Work with them to achieve it together, celebrating their hard work along the way.