The Ignite Spot Blog

Think Tank Tuesday : Are You An Author Or A Drifter?

Written by Ann Whittaker | Jun 24, 2014

We scour the Internet every week looking for the very best content for our readers.

The goal? Find everything we can to help you build a profitable business that will change the world.  As we dig, we inevitably run across video, pictures or blog posts that are life-changing. 

Each Tuesday, we share our award-winning content with you.

The Think Tank Tuesday Award For Best Tip Goes To...

Ruth Chang's speech about "How To Make Hard Choices", and why understanding the nature of hard choices will empower you to become the author of your own life rather than a drifter.

The most inspiring tidbit from Ruth:

"When we understand the nature of hard choices...we become supported by reasons created by ourselves, and we become the authors of our own lives."

Our 3 Runners-Up Are:

#1 - KIND's CEO, Daniel Lubetzky, Won't Use the E-Word

In a Busines Insider interview, Lubetzky talks about why he doesn't use the word "employee" in his health food business. 

"I don't use the word 'employee' because it can imply that someone is working for you rather than with you."

Read the full article here.

#2 - Shonda Rhimes Commencement Address : Dreaming Is Crap

Rhimes delivered a hilarious and poignant commencement address to Dartmouth's 2014 graduating class. Our favorite life-changing tips?

"I think a lot of people dream. And while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, engaged, powerful people, are busy doing."

"Shonda, how do you do it all?

The answer is this: I don't.

Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I am failing in another area of my life."

#3 - Sparring Mind: Beethoven's Simple Habit For Creative Breakthroughs

Sparring Mind's Gregory Ciotti gives us a peek into the seemingly mundane daily habits of one of the world's most creative minds of all time: Beethoven.

Our favorite tip:

"Remember to optimize both parts of the creative process; eureka moments be damned, you need a reliable way to think your best ideas through and then execute on them."

 

Think Tank Trivia

  1. Do you agree or disagree with Ruth Chang that "there is no best alternative" to hard choices?
  2. Would you get rid of the word "employee" to create an atmosphere of family and team-building, or do you think that preserving the traditional boss-employee language is useful?
  3. When did you take the plunge from dreaming to doing?
  4. What are the small things you do every day to cultivate creativity? Do you think Beethoven's methods could work for everybody?

Click here for last week's Think Tank Tuesday.