Daily Inspiration: “Every great idea was once a crazy concept!”

“Every great idea was once a crazy concept!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

If you want to get ahead of the future and discover opportunity, you’ve got to be creative, innovative, and imagine that your crazy concept might become reality one day.

But be prepared for ridicule – because you’ll get laughed at along the way. It’s almost guaranteed!

People tend to ridicule that which they don’t understand. Thomas Edison’s light bulb was dismissed by many as impractical; some people thought the automobile was a ridiculous concept; it is said that Western Union executives laughed at the invention from Alexander Graham-Bell of the telephone, dismissing it as “hardly more than a toy.”

The story even goes that the first British man to bring an umbrella back to England from France was ridiculed in the streets for such a silly device. Um, London, rain.

Egg freckles! I was at a satellite location for the launch event for the Apple Newton device in 1993, and actually had one for a time. (I wish I had kept it!)

It was obviously not ready for prime time, and was the subject of much laughter at the time. The cartoon series Doonesbury poked fun at it for weeks; it was a device featured as a comedy prop for late night comedians; it was featured within a Simpsons episode.

Yet many of the great concepts that were initially laughed at went on to become an integral part of our lives. Light bulbs, cars, umbrellas ….. The Newton itself would help to lead Apple to the path fo development of the iPhone and iPad.

Multi-billion dollar industries everywhere were initially but a joke.

In today’s world, if you are trying to push new ideas, concepts and initiatives, be prepared for ridicule – your skin needs to be thicker than thick!

Why does this happen?

People are fearful of that which they do not understand; they demean that which they fear; they fight the things that make them feel threatened; they dismiss the future because the present time is far too comfortable; they resist change because the alternative involves effort.

Simple fact: when you change the status the quo battles back.

Be prepared for it!