Technology and globalization have changed everything. We’re interdependent. Interconnected. Competition is coming from everywhere.

Fresh ideas are today’s coinage. Regardless of the size of your business, they are the life blood of growth. And they are directly related to creativity.

Ah, you may think, but I’m not creative. Think again. Consider these three common myths about creativity:

1. I am not creative. Not true… we are all creative. Some are just more creative than others. We all have creative ideas. It is just that over time, from the time we started out as children and grew into adulthood, we have learned to censor our ideas, fearful of being scorned or ridiculed.
2. Creative people always have good ideas. No they don’t… creative people always have ideas. Some are good, others not so much. Many are good but not practical.
3. Constructive criticism will help you improve on an idea. No it won’t.

Fresh ideas are fragile. Like eggs. They can break easily if they are mishandled. Fresh ideas need nurturing instead of criticism.

If you’re stuck, looking for some truly fresh ideas and inspiration and are in the Toronto area, I invite to attend my new workshop, The Idea Mill. For all the details please visit my web site www.drewsimmie.com. Click on The Idea Mill for all the details.

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You hear and read the expression daily…” the world is changing,” but in reality, it is we who are changing.

Change is not new. It has always been with us; like it or not, the past is history. Life is about savouring today and working on improving tomorrow.

It is about learning, growing and sharing; sharing love, sharing success,sharing knowledge and ideas, making a difference in others’ lives.

Try as you might, there are five thing things that you cannot recover in life:

1. The stone… after it has been thrown.
2. The word… you can never take back after is spoken.
3. The occasion… after it has been missed.
4. The time… after it has gone.
5. A person… after they die.

So let today be the day to break with convention. Unlock your heart. Try something new. Unleash your imagination. Love more. Laugh more. Let yesterday go and grab hold of today.

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From time to time, we all come up against personal or professional challenges. How we deal with them depends totally on our attitude.

“Attitude,” said Charles Swindoll, “is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people say or do. It’s more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.”

In challenging times, it’s your attitude together with your courage that will get you over the rough spots.

Courage always trumps fear.

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Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed up in overalls and looks like work. Vincent Lombardi.

Vince has been gone for many years, but aside from being one of most successful NFL coaches of all time, he was also well known for his quotations.

It doesn’t just apply to football. All this technology we’ve got makes growing a business look so easy. It certainly helps, but at the end of the day, there’s no getting around it.

If you’re going to win the game you have to do the work.

Many are familiar with the concept of a business mission statement. It can have considerable value. Among other things it helps to clarify what the company stands for, its long term goals and objectives, what needs to be done to meet them and to stay focused. It is a must have.

But how many have a personal mission statement?

It is as important to your success and well being as the former and goes a long way to fostering that elusive work/life balance. A personal mission statement is a written expression of your personal vision, values and principles, Among other things, it helps to:

Identify and articulate your own uniqueness; your core beliefs and values, who you are where you are headed. Most importantly, why.

It establishes the criteria by which you measure everything else in your life.

It serves as a reminder of what your life is all about and what you truly value when outside, contrasting forces press against you.

A thoughtful personal mission statement isn’t something written on the back of an envelope, on the fly. It could weeks or even months. Nor is it written in stone. Occasionally It needs to be revisited and revised, according to changing events and circumstances.

Writing one is an act of personal courage. It involves your working with your head and your heart. It asks that you be fully present, aware of your behaviors and habits and how your deeds and actions impact on others.

The work place is a pressure cooker. Staying positive, fighting back the constant stream of demands, negativity and cynicism is a must. A personal mission statement serves to keep you grounded, stay focused on what is really important and fight off meaningless, idle distractions.

It serves as a reality check, something to help you smooth out the road to success, bring more joy and happiness into your life and those whom you love and whom, in turn, love and nurture you.

Have you written yours?