There is nothing new under the sun. But there is value in discovering a new implementation of a timeless idea. All of us are capable of innovation. But innovation requires internal drivers that will overcome our current environment. Most of us are not motivated to innovate because in most environments (work, recreation, citizenship) we are intentionally rewarded for compliance.
I spent some time listening to a conference speaker talk about innovation recently. We were also given free signed copies of his latest book. What his book didn't say was that innovation on a large scale (changing something quite unreceptive to change) requires a rare tenacity few of us have. If you are young enough to have the energy to sustain a fight for change long enough to see it happen, you may also need a long attention span...a quality I do not see in many people. Most of us would not be able to say,"my life's work"... Instead we would need to say, "my toil for the last 36 months" to which there would be oohs and ahs... I mean, weren't you afraid of stalling your career staying in one job for 3 years?!
Tenacity in itself is also not sufficient. Seems those who buck innovation have tenacity aplenty. I see quite a number of people being forced out because they fail to see that their inertia is far more expensive to keep than their experience is worth.
If tenacity is required to see innovation come to fruition, faith is required to keep tenacity from turning into stubbornness. (Stubbornness has a sort of "blinders on" connotation...I prefer the quality of steadfastness...which is fed by faith).
And because faith is a gift of God, true innovation comes from Him with a side order of the faith required to see it come to pass (or at least see my part through to the finish).
Lastly, innovation requires relationship. You might come up with the inspiration all by yourself, but the very nature of innovation means you are changing something quite public. Someone else is required to see the innovation implemented. And, a certain amount of diversity of thought will help take something that is "ALMOST innovation" all the way to that amazing, brilliant and functional "new" thing.
I spent some time listening to a conference speaker talk about innovation recently. We were also given free signed copies of his latest book. What his book didn't say was that innovation on a large scale (changing something quite unreceptive to change) requires a rare tenacity few of us have. If you are young enough to have the energy to sustain a fight for change long enough to see it happen, you may also need a long attention span...a quality I do not see in many people. Most of us would not be able to say,"my life's work"... Instead we would need to say, "my toil for the last 36 months" to which there would be oohs and ahs... I mean, weren't you afraid of stalling your career staying in one job for 3 years?!
Tenacity in itself is also not sufficient. Seems those who buck innovation have tenacity aplenty. I see quite a number of people being forced out because they fail to see that their inertia is far more expensive to keep than their experience is worth.
If tenacity is required to see innovation come to fruition, faith is required to keep tenacity from turning into stubbornness. (Stubbornness has a sort of "blinders on" connotation...I prefer the quality of steadfastness...which is fed by faith).
And because faith is a gift of God, true innovation comes from Him with a side order of the faith required to see it come to pass (or at least see my part through to the finish).
Lastly, innovation requires relationship. You might come up with the inspiration all by yourself, but the very nature of innovation means you are changing something quite public. Someone else is required to see the innovation implemented. And, a certain amount of diversity of thought will help take something that is "ALMOST innovation" all the way to that amazing, brilliant and functional "new" thing.
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