Eureka!! Idea-theft vs. Idea revolution?

At various moments in my academic and professional career, I would get eerie warnings about being protective of one’s own ideas. Getting credit is paramount. The notes of caution would often refer to a vague but tragic consequence of the boogeyman by way of your next door neighbor, close colleague, or “trusted” somebody snatching your idea away and gaining universal recognition for it, while you wallow in self-pity. And I have to say, that if you think this way, this consequence feels very very real.

I saw the movie Flash of Genius the other day based on a true story of Robert Kearns, a college professor/part-time inventor who fought for decades before he got the recognition he deserved for his invention of the intermittent windshield wiper. The frustration he and his family felt was palpable but all I could think about was: you basically lost everything else important in your life so that you could say that you created that, that it was your idea? Was it worth the fight?

So with all of this dancing in my mind, and my ideas stashed away safely in my pillow case, it came to me as a surprise when I read an email forward from a Zak Shwarzman asking everyone in socially-conscious Web land to post their brilliant social innovation ideas on his blog with no type of return except that maybe someone would successfully run with it to the promise land. The premise being that ideas are useless without the proper execution.

This got me thinking. Is he right? What is the intrinsic value of an idea, innovation, or invention? Doesn’t that type of creativity have value of its own, or is it still meaningless without implementation? What about the whole dizzying world of intellectual property? Shouldn’t we be sharing our thoughts and ideas freely if ultimately, it is in the name of the betterment of our communities, and maybe even ourselves? Ben Franklin did. Am I smoking something?

As I started reading the steady stream of social ideas and innovations, and the flurry of excited conversation and discussion between bloggers on Zak’s blog, I started getting giddy and energized too. How cool is this? Can I play too? Wouldn’t it be awesome to see someone with the means, make your damn good idea happen? And suddenly I dusted off a throwback thought from childhood which the idea-theft warnings and years of “experience” had suppressed which was: maybe the person is actually more important than the idea. An individual with a good idea is most likely destined for more than just one good idea in their lives. Contrary to the popular world view, the ability to generate original thoughts and ideas is not something incredibly elusive or possessed by a golden few. It’s just a matter of believing that at your core, and knowing that no one can steal that which you have always possessed. Molay steps down from her soap box. Now that’s a good idea!

Are you David?

“Are you David?”  I asked of the man seated at the first table of the tiny coffee shop who resembled the picture I had seen online: A big, athletic-framed, African American man with glasses and a warm smile.  

“Nope.” And he turned away quickly.

As my brown skin including ears turned as pink as possible, I hear a hearty chuckle from the same man and then, “Yes, I’m David.”  To make up for it, he bought my tea and a cupcake.

So started a conversation at a coffee shop that helped shift my day from not wanting to get out of bed in the morning to feeling like “I can do this” as I received a rather surprising giant bear hug that lifted me from the ground before I left the café.

David is one of those people.   He considers himself a “regular guy,” from Philadelphia, although his bike tours across the U.S., Africa, and Asia would offer a different view.  Moved to action after the death of his dear friend on 9/11, David decided to do something with the frustration he was experiencing by riding his bike across the country to honor his friend. From there and even before in some ways, began a journey that took him biking through continents, successes, setbacks, which brought him in touch with many others, including himself.  His story thus far as he told me in a little over an hour, was filled with twists and humor as I sat engaged as if a movie.  But what moved me most was his openness and honesty. In spite of all that he had been through, he was sharing his very personal story with a stranger and putting it all out there, imperfections and all.  I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to overcome: the dying of a father; death of a dear friend; the everyday challenges of being an African-American man amidst everyday ignorance here and in his travels; biking again after a severe car accident, and after all of this, he still has the faith in people, and in life to share it all with me and others without a second thought.    And he shares with a purpose: to motivate and inspire using his life as an example.  Doing better than you did the day before, taking nothing for granted and going after your goals no matter what, believing that you have the power to accomplish what you want in life, are all things that flowed from his mouth with such power and conviction.  What I would have normally considered somewhat cliché, “fluffy,” was infectious coming from David, a near perfect stranger at the time.  And it struck me that this really makes all the difference: not what you say, but the way you say it, the way you believe in it.   That is the magic, and that is why others believe.

For a regular guy, I see David going places on his bike and beyond.  To learn more about David Sylvester, check out www.contribute2.org, a website he created to inspire others to contribute to something in life.  

I’m lucky to have crossed paths with David even just for that first uplifting conversation.  But I have a feeling I’m in store for more.  The last time I met him, he was telling me how I should be so excited to jump into my 30s and how it’s a time when I can either just do what people tell me to or leap head first onto another plane of enjoying and exploring life on my own terms.  30s here I come! Thanks for getting me started David. 

Here Goes!

Everyday people. Everyday inspiration.  Things that make you go hmm, huh, or woah?   I knew that was it when I felt it bubbling somewhere within as I was talking to one of those everyday sources of inspiration that I happened upon that day.  The hundreds of “normal” folks who moved me to think things are and can be better than they seem.  Those who make you rethink who you are and what you stand for.  I want to write about it.  I also want to honor that inspiration, positive energy, and motivation, and play it forward.   So that’s it in a nutshell.  This blog is a humble, imperfect and work-in-progress that very much appreciates your support, and advice.

And as a disclaimer, I would be naïve to suggest that each person that I talk about is a saint or deserve some sort of humanitarian prize.  Possibly, the opposite could be the case.  But in a moment, these people forced me to think, reflect, and realize that there is something more out there.  For that, I am grateful.