CREATIVE THINKING

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS Series 27

CREATIVE THINKING

The great scientist and inventor, Albert Einstein said, “My mind is my laboratory.” We can understand the depth of that statement if we consider his achievements and the achievements of other inventors like him.

Great things are fashioned in the mind. Einstein is saying, “I generate ideas in my mind and conclude the project before ever going to carry it out in the lab.”

The mind is a tool our Creator put in us to help us create like Him. We were created to create. The use of our mind makes us creative, resourceful and innovative. From the mind came ideas that became inventions we enjoy today. The idea of a flying machine came from the minds of the Wright brothers and they made one. Thomas Edison saw an electric bulb in his mind and he made one. Since then, the mind has generated ideas that have created many other technological devices.

All scientific discoveries began in the mind. Scientists believed it was possible and so we have those discoveries today. You too can use your mind to fashion an idea and get something done that will benefit humanity. You were created to create. If what you want is not available, create one. You have the ability to bring things to being. You can create solution to problems. You can create something out of nothing. You can use your mind to make things happen. Go and do it.

Somebody said, “Small minds discuss people. Ordinary minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.” Which kind of mind is yours? What do you think about all day? Fill your mind with new healthy and creative thoughts. Think fresh legitimate ideas. Generate ideas on how to do new things, or new ways to do old things. Think creatively.

Use your mind. The use of your mind makes people mind you. Noting passes through your life that does not pass through your mind. Your success in life depends on how much you use your mind.

You may be carrying a bigger head but your brain is not bigger than another person’s brain. Nobody is carrying a bigger brain. Scientists tell us that we all have the same number of cells in our brains. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is the use of their brains.

Your ability to produce depends on productive use of your mind. Think productively. Productive thinking implies thinking increase, thinking success, thinking profit, thinking excellence. You’re a person of great value but your worth is tied to productive use of your mind. The quality of your life depends on the quality of your thinking. Therefore, think quality.

Put your mind to work. That is, provoke the ability of your mind. The treasure of the mind is worked out through use. Men are useless because they don’t use what they have. The mind remains useless because of disuse. But it is developed through continual use. Exercise your mind. Exercise is extra work that releases extra energy for extraordinary performance. So, put your mind to work in order to release its potential. Use your mind so you don’t become useless.

At any time, your mind must be functioning positively. Mental attitude is one of the things over which we have control. You may not be able to determine the kind of thoughts that fly across your mind, but you sure can decide the thoughts that stay and take roots. Since you have control over your mental attitude, then use it to make your life better. You can use your mind to take charge of your life and control what you do per time. Self-discipline and self-control take place in the mind.  Self-discipline is the use of the mind to do what should be done and keep doing it until it is done. Self-control is the use of the mind to take charge of your life. You can use your mind to take charge and make your life better. Here’s how.

1. Renew your mind.Flush out old dirty negative thoughts. And then fill your mind with fresh positive thoughts. This prepares your mind for the challenge of positive mental attitude.

You can either use your mind to conform to prevailing circumstances around you or transform them to your favor. Conforming implies mentally doing nothing to change the situation. You merely flow along with the current like a pebble flowing down a river. Conformity is a mark of laziness and cowardice. On the other hand, you can work to transform the circumstances. Transformation – the opposite of conformity – requires hard work and courage. And that’s what it takes to renew your mind, to change for the better. It takes courage and hard work to move against the current. It takes courage to think differently from what everybody thinks. It takes courage to be different.

2. Stir up your mind.Your mind remains dormant until you stir it up. Make your mind do what it should do. You can stir your mind through  a process of reasoning, concentrated thinking on a piece of information. Think deep. Think wide. Think long. But think conclusively.

You get information upon which to think from studying, a process of collecting facts, comparing facts, and authenticating facts. Through study you know the past in order to project to the future. Through study you rub your mind with better and brighter minds. Through study, you engage your mind with quality information. You gain understanding and wisdom through study.

Like a computer system, the mind processes and produces information from facts fed into it. If you feed your mind with rubbish, then you rubbish your own life. If you feed quality facts into your mind, then you can expect quality lifestyle. Therefore, read quality books. Books don’t leave you where they met you. Be an addicted reader; there’s no better way to develop mentally.

3. Sit and think.It has been discovered that only five percent of people think. Fifteen percent think they are thinking, while the bulk eighty percent never takes time to think. Yet a wise man said, “If you don’t think, you’ll stink.”

Thinking leads to understanding, and understanding makes outstanding. Your great future is locked up in your mind. You can unlock it through creative, productive thinking. You should have a time and a place to think daily. Create around you an atmosphere conducive for mental exploits. The atmosphere should be quiet, peaceful, praiseful, pure and private. You will think successfully.