“Houston, we have a problem.”
If you saw the movie, Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, I’m sure you remember those famous words relayed to Mission Control when the crew experienced an explosion and they realized they had a very BIG problem, indeed.
A poignant scene was when one of the NASA team members on the ground says, “This could be the worst disaster NASA’s ever faced.” Gene Krantz (played by Ed Harris), the NASA flight leader replies, “With all due respect, sir, I believe this will be our finest hour.”
Of course Apollo 13 eventually made it home, and for sure that rescue is certainly still remembered as one of the finest hours in our space program.
In order to get their crippled ship back to Earth, the entire team had to invent, innovate, devise, develop and fix problem after problem. It was nothing short of extraordinary. And I believe that the dedication to the objective, the attitude and the tireless effort to create a breakthrough made it possible.
Hopefully we’ll never be faced with a challenge so potentially catastrophic as the safe return of spaceship and crew.
Nonetheless, BIG goals and BIG breakthroughs often come from BIG problems.
While most people begin the New Year with a few resolutions and maybe a goal or two, a few people are ready to create a real breakthrough in their lives and/or business. Are you one of them?
What exactly ARE breakthroughs? What causes them? And how can we create more of them in our lives on a regular basis?
If you’re tired of business as usual, if you’re bored with meager incremental growth, if you want more excitement, more passion and more purpose in your life, then you’ll want to learn how to create breakthroughs—breakthroughs that motivate and inspire you to higher and higher levels of productivity and fulfillment.
What would be a breakthrough in your life? Would it be in your marriage? In your business? Your industry? Your health? Your family? If you want breakthroughs to be the norm rather than the exception, you need to become clear on the kind of breakthroughs you want to produce and how you can make them happen.
I don’t think you were put on this earth to simply break even. You’re here to break out, break records and break through.
What is the BIG problem in your life that if you solved it, would make all the difference to you?
When I was a boy, I was fascinated by stories of great explorers, inventors, artists and thinkers. I still am. Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Amelia Erhardt and Albert Einstein were my heroes. They caused me to think differently. They inspired me with what they had done and how they had changed the world. They helped me believe in my own ability to create something special in the world.
The creative process operates in all fields and in all people. You truly can become more innovative and resourceful. You can become more creative than you ever thought possible.
Being average is just plain uninspiring. Average is the best of the worst or the worst of the best. Doing what everyone else has done or is now doing not only doesn’t stimulate us or give us fulfillment; it saps our energy and dulls our senses.
Doing something grand, something important, something special brings out the best in us as well as those around us.
When you’re engaged in something significant, you don’t get bored. You don’t look for unhealthy diversions and distractions.
We live in a world filled with problems—unmet needs and unfulfilled wants. What part will you play in solving these problems? What mark will you leave upon the world?
Lest you be saying to yourself, “But I’m just one little person in a world of six billion, what can I do?” Don’t let that stop you. Remember what Margaret Mead wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
I believe that we are all here at this place and time for a reason. We each have a purpose and it is up to us to discover and fulfill that purpose. You have important breakthroughs to create and you can have an exciting time in the process.
When we’re creating breakthroughs, we feel alive. Our hearts sing. Perhaps being more involved in the creative process, we’re more closely connected to our creator.
It’s starts with the belief that you CAN create breakthroughs.
Recommended Reading
Discover Your Empowering Purpose
Live Your Life with More Meaning, Significance and Fulfillment
Empowering Purpose is a real game changer. If you’re looking for more direction, inspiration, motivation, determination and devotion, read this book, go through the exercises and watch your life catch fire.
