Words of Wisdom
No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.
Robin Williams
The Philosophy of an Idea
What words or ideas of wisdom call upon you? There, you may just find the seedling of a dream looking for illumination.
The foundation of any endeavor begins with an idea. What are these figments of the imagination that take over us like a diamond in the sky? Or should I say like a Daemon from within?
A lightbulb comes to mind when discussing the passion that arises within. Not only was it one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, from which all modern technology owes its lineage, but when viewed symbolically, it also represents the seen and unseen figments of one’s empirical reality and the imagination it can foster. Harnessing the power of electricity in the sphere of an earth-kilned glass bulb must have caused a radical state of artistic excitement in the young Edison. In fact, he sought to change the world through the power of an idea.
Yet, the philosophy of the idea is not a new construct. It goes as far back as we have disciplined thinkers who sought the origins of the spiritual possessions that take over the quiet mind. These possessions kindle the fire of passion within.
Some 2500 years after his death, the lineage of Socrates’ ideas remains present. He listened to his voice of reason to discern possibility and take correct action when faced with personal choice. We know this voice as consciousness. Its toolbox is the conscience, or that inner guide that helps us discern good and bad actions.
For Socrates, he listened to the voice of what not to engage versus what to take on. While he made many enemies in his endeavor to find one wiser than he, in the end, his lineage of thought and the positive change it created stand as a clear building block from which we can learn about ideas and actions. Moreover, we can learn how they can create collective change through the doorway that opens in the individual psyche.
The Power of Ideas
The Role of Ideas in Shaping the World
The power of an idea lies in its capacity to elicit change. While I am conservative in approach, believing every change must have a strong foundation from which it can stand, I attest that the progress possible in these little seeds of germination is infinite. Yet, falling back onto the ideals stated in the Sower and the Seed parable, I know that an idea’s role in shaping the world only occurs when it lands in the right field and is nurtured through hard work to find fruition.
Biblical Wisdom
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!” (Matthew 13: 1-9)
The Power of Ideas
The power of ideas is present in this passage. A seed is germinated and ready to grow. Yet, where on the Earth shall the seed be sown? Some will be eaten. Have you ever told others of an idea to have it stolen and carried out by someone more ready to work its intent?
The soil will choke out some seeds. In this case, the internal ground does not have enough energy to sustain the nurturing nature needed to allow the seedling to flourish. Some seeds fall among thorns. Have you ever felt the sting of criticism, especially that which is not constructive? If you have, you know what it feels like when that gem of an intention falls upon deaf or adversarial ears.
Nurturing and Cultivating Vision through Action
The Symbiosis of Passion and Reality
To nurture your personal passion—that symbiotic relationship between your inner light and the world around you—you must develop techniques to translate mental images into reality. While everyone has ideas, not everyone has exercised their “neural net” to allow creative functions to flourish. To engage in “out-of-the-box” thinking, you must intentionally carve out time for the creative process.
From Freud to Jung: The Power of Active Imagination
Psychoanalysts have long utilized the power of free association to explore the depths of the psyche. While Sigmund Freud focused on the healing power of the internal storyline, Carl Jung expanded this into the concept of active imagination. This is not merely “thinking”; it is a key construct for healing and a primary tool for directing your future.
Priming the Internal Environment
To create, we must nurture the source. Only through action, rather than passive thought, can we prime our internal environment to welcome the seedlings of inspiration. By fostering this ground, we allow our vision to aspire toward its full potential.
Three Pillars for Cultivating the Creative Mind
To help your mind become more accepting of the ideas that prompt growth, consider these three foundational practices:
1. Meditation: Creating Sacred Space
Contemplation and mindfulness exercises, even for just one to five minutes, allow the mind to reach a state of stillness. In this quiet, you aren’t just thinking; you are listening. This stillness creates the “sacred space” necessary for new life to grow.
2. Free Association: Uncovering Hidden Kernels
Free association is a psychological technique used to find the “kernels” of your passion by writing down your stream of consciousness. Journaling is a perfect vessel for this. By examining the storylines present in your dreams and aspirations, you may discover a hidden idea begging to come to fruition.
3. Active Imagination: The Art of Purposeful Daydreaming
Many of us were taught as children that daydreaming was a waste of time. It’s time to unlearn that lesson. While daydreaming during a lecture might be a distraction, practicing it within a dedicated “quiet space” allows your imagination to expand. When you give your dreams permission to flow, your vision gains the clarity needed to become reality.
Ideas need time, place, and space to grow. However, as an ill-advised barrage of doodads and new inventions seems to be buying our precious time, how can we create a little bit of that needed commodity to cultivate, create, and nurture that idea into reality?
Where to Begin?
The Trap of Macro-Focus
Reflecting on the wisdom of Robin Williams, it becomes clear that while our words and actions carry immense weight, we often misdirect our energy. We tend to focus on “macro” changes—the world at large—while ignoring the “micro” realities of our own lives. It is exponentially easier to point out the mess in the world than it is to bend down and clean the dirt beneath our own feet.
The Mother Teresa Principle: Starting at the Source
A common misconception is that change begins with a grand, global gesture. However, as Saint Mother Teresa noted in her Nobel Peace Prize transcript, the natural chain of growth starts much closer to home:
“And so, my prayer for you is that truth will bring prayer in our homes… And we will really believe, we will begin to love. And we will love naturally, we will try to do something. First in our own home, next door neighbor in the country we live, in the whole world.”
This sequence highlights that proper growth is a graduated process. It is a movement from the internal to the external—from the soul to the family, the neighbor, the country, and eventually, the world.
Strengthening the Collective Chain
A community is only as strong as its weakest family, and a family is only as strong as its weakest member. To foster true strength, we must ask ourselves:
- What idea needs to germinate within me to help others in their areas of weakness?
- Once a weakness is overcome, what new strength is born to foster further growth?
From Internal Power to Global Change
The power of an idea starts within. It is a seed that, when harnessed effectively, has the potential to alter the landscape of the world. By focusing on the “micro”—the immediate environment and the internal self—we build a foundation that can eventually sustain “macro” transformation.
May your journey into the world of ideas be filled with fruitful lessons. May you grow wisely and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
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