Recycling Ideas

Some of my best current ideas come from things I have already done...at least in a slightly different fashion. The same goes for other people's ideas.
There is no patent on ideas. Truth be told, the creative idea you have heard or read from someone very likely didn't originate with them. They either picked it up from someone entirely or at least they synthesized it from someone.

Like Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." We tend to be far too squeamish about using others' ideas. And when we finally give into plugging into those ideas we fall all over ourselves to overly acknowledge them as the originator of the idea. As an idea person I understand this dynamic.

Let's focus more on ideas that work regardless of their origin. It might be that your best stuff has been done, at least to a degree. Do it again. Tweak it if necessary. Stop trying to be original. Instead be effective.

Article reprinted by permission from SERVE! by Steve Sjogren