When you read this clear your mind with everything except what you will read and what I will invite you to do. Don’ worry about your schedule, your business, your family, or your friends. Just focus on this and really open your mind…

In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of loosing, the joy of having known, that radiates form the hearts of the people there.

As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years form today. All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life.

As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program at your hand. There are to be four speakers.

The first one from your family, immediate and also extended – children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend.

The second speakers is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of what you were as a person.

The third speaker is from your work or profession.

And the fourth is from your church or some community organization where you’ve been involved in service.

Now think deeply. what would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of associate?

What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?

Take few minutes to jot down your impressions. It will greatly increase your personal understanding.

1. Relax And Take A Deep Breath

Breathe deeply through your nose for a few minutes and let the tension release from your neck and shoulders. There is some evidence that tensed-up shoulders and neck can reduce blood flow to the brain. There is a lot of evidence that creativity increases when we are relaxed.

2. Examine Your Assumptions

Anytime you approach a problem, take a look at the assumptions you and others are making. Challenge them, to see what you might learn. For example, if you are trying to design a new pet store, you might challenge the idea people have to come to see the animals. Of course they have to come to see them, you assume, but upon challenging the idea, it occurs to you that you might bring the pets into people’s homes, so they can see how they’ll do there. This might even be a great sale’s technique.

3. Ask “What If” Questions

Simple questions that start with “what if” can be a powerful way to generate new and creative ideas. For example, the question “What if books were free?” could lead to a series of books that have paid advertising in them, and are given away. Many free newspapers are profitable in this way, so it is a natural thought to try it with books. The idea is to ask many “what if” questions, and let anything come to mind to be explored for a moment.

4. Assume You’ll Have A Good Idea

Make the assumption that you’ll have a good idea. This is a powerful way to stimulate your brain, and a great habit to have. I have to assume that I’ll come up with plausible examples for these techniques as I write this article, and I am convinced that this assumption keeps the ideas coming.

5. Look For Another Approach

What other ways can you approach this problem? This is a question you should be in the habit of asking yourself. Suppose you are a landlord, and you have a problem getting non-paying tenants evicted. They stay forever, and you keep trying new legal strategies. Then you ask yourself what other approaches might work, and it occurs to you that you can pay them to leave. You still make more money because you get new tenants (who pay) in more quickly. Always look for other approaches.

6. Look For Humor In The Situation

The neighbors dog barks when you’re trying to sleep, despite your many complaints. You look for the humor in the situation, and find yourself wanting to bark at your neighbor. That gives you the idea to record his own dogs barking and play the recording very loud when HE is sleeping. Humor can sometimes lead to new creative ideas and solutions, but laughing is also a great way to relax, which helps you think better.

7. Play With Other’s Ideas

Albert Einstein once said, “The secret of creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Most ideas are not truly “new.” Don’t be afraid to look around at how others have solved a problem. Take the creative ideas of other people and adapt them to your purposes. While trying to spot a plain suitcase among a hundred similar ones on an airport luggage carousel, I saw a suitcase that had been painted bright colors. Someone needs to steal that idea and produce a line of bright, easy-to-locate luggage.