Crazy Ideas

Brainpower Newsletter

I have an idea-generating technique to show you. This article is taken from my website, http://www.999ideas.com , and is about business ideas. I am including it here because I think it demonstrates a good technique for generating new ideas in any area of life.

How Crazy Ideas Become Usable

Some business ideas are great because they are simple and immediately usable. Sometimes, though, you just have to let your imagination run wild. However crazy the ideas may seem at first, there is usually a way to bring them down to earth, as in this first example.

Cabins In The Air

I like to start with a crazy thought like, "What if people could rent a cabin for the weekend that was up in the sky?" Immediately, the mind tries to make sense of the idea, and if the over-all goal is to have profitable ideas, it looks for ways to make it into a profitable idea. The first thought that came to my mind was cabins which are suspended under large hot-air or helium balloons.

In the end this doesn't seem practical, as much fun as it might be. Exploring the idea further, though, I wonder if existing balloon-ride businesses could tap into other markets. For example, if the gondolas were outfitted properly, and the balloons tethered, so they could be allowed to float two thousand feet overhead, would meditators pay for a peaceful meditation retreat in the sky?

Renting stationary balloons that could be high in the air, but easily cranked back in on a line, might be simpler and cheaper than traditional rides, which involve chase vehicles and unpredictable landings. Maybe this could just be another way to make money with the balloons, charging a lower rate, and so getting new customers that couldn't afford the usual rides.

That is how a crazy idea comes back to earth. Maybe even the "weekend cabin in the sky" idea could someday be a money making idea, but if not, that's okay. The point is to get the creative flow going, and find more practical ways to channel the output.

Other Crazy Ideas

The following are pure imagination. I leave it to the reader to find a way to make these ones into potential business ideas. Good luck!

- A roller coaster course you pay to take your personal car on.

- Sell advertising in space, perhaps scratched out on the face of the moon.

- Rent out animals at the zoo.

- An underwater school.

- Rent children out to undecided prospective parents.

- Sell pets that are genetically engineered to die young, for those who hate long-term commitments. (Okay, so my darker humor shows through once in a while.)

- Bolt seats to the wings of an airplane and sell rides to thrill seekers.

- Sell marriage insurance policies that cover the cost of a divorce if it happens.

- Have a swimming pool restaurant, where diners sit in floating seats and eat off of floating plates.

Look over the list and stop on any of the crazy ideas that catch your attention. Chances are you can find some way to transform it into a more practical idea. That is the point. This is fun, but it is also a profitable technique for generating business ideas.

(And for generating all sorts of other ideas.)

(Here is another recent article from the "Better Life" section of the website)

Do You Think Motivational Thoughts?

What do motivational thoughts do? They help you take action. This isn't about positive thinking or motivating quotes. Those have their place in shaping your attitude and thinking. However, what motivates each of us is unique, so you need to have your own thoughts - those which are most effective at getting you going.

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" - Albert Einstein

This is a decent quote, and it may help you look at the positive side of a situation, but what if it just doesn't get you excited? Then you need to apply a little brainpower to make the idea your own. You have to make it a truly motivational thought for YOU.

Motivational Thoughts Of Your Own

"Making it your own" means experimenting with a good thought until you find a way to use it in your own recipe for motivation. Suppose, for example, you're in a difficult situation and don't feel like dealing with it. As you sit there, you play around with the idea of opportunity coming from difficulty. Fortunately, you discover that it pulls you out of your slump to think about yourself in the future, explaining to a friend how you turned the difficult situation to your advantage.

This is how you create your own motivational thoughts. Now, it might be more motivating...

This article is continued on the site at:

http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com/motivational-thoughts.html

Antioxidants

One of the best things you can do for the long-term health of your brain is to eat foods that have plenty of anti-oxidants. In laboratory tests on old rats, Doctor James Joseph found he could reverse age-related mental decline by feeding the rats the human-equivalent of 1/2 cup of blueberries daily. Other foods that are rich in antioxidants include the following:

prunes
raisins
blackberries
kale
cranberries
strawberries
raspberries
spinach
green tea
black tea
red wine

Source: "Your Miracle Brain" by Jean Carper

Until next time,

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