T

he text had been in existence for over 2000 years. In my estimation, millions of people around the world had read it. Multiplied millions had heard someone make reference to it. Others had had discussions about it. For 2000 years plus, the text had just been an inspirational text just like any other text. It is the story of resilience and faith, hope and persistence. It is the story of a woman who had suffered multiple years and was probably an outcast because of something that was not her fault. It was an intimate health issue that cannot be talked about openly.

Just a Day and Everything is Different

One day, I don’t know how or when exactly it happened but it did and changed the view of that story forever. And that is what happens to just about anything worth making ripples in the world today. The concept I am sharing today has been used by Coca-cola, Tesla, Apple, IBM, MTN, M-PESA, and other corporate and business giants. This concept has been used to lift obscure artists, ministers, sports personalities and scholars into prominence. The beauty of it all is that every single person born of a woman has the same privilege and exposure to this concept.

What is it?

The story of the woman with the issue of blood is perhaps the biggest story that Bishop TD Jakes used to catapult his brand from obscurity to international impact and recognition. The moment someone in the Christian circles says “Woman Though Art Loosed”, it goes without saying that TD Jakes and his endeavors and ministry will come to the fore. The unschooled in these matters will be excused to think that “Woman Thou Art Loosed” are original words spoken by TD Jakes.

Follow Your Heart!

The truth of the matter is that TD simply connected in his heart to that story of the woman and ran with it. As he did, he was not looking for prominence; neither was he looking for a quick buck. This is the classic story that gives credence to the now ubiquitous advice, “Follow your heart”.

Folks, it is all about following the ideas that our hearts have connected with. This same thing is what has separated Tony Robbins as the biggest Life Coach and Strategist this world has ever known or seen. What Tony Robbins has done with his craft is what he probably never dreamt of doing when he started. When he challenged a medical doctor that he could heal a phobia in public, one that the doctor had failed to deal with for years, he was simply leaning onto an idea.

The fact is that we all have hearts. The fact is that each day, we are exposed to very many ideas. They are so subtle and can go unnoticed.

• Chances are that Cocacola founders would have ignored that idea that nudged in their hearts to get started. Can you believe a world without Coca-cola?
• Chances are that (in fact it really happened) people would have ignored the power of personal computing altogether and maintained the status quo. Steve Jobs and Wozniak simply followed in idea that mattered to them at that point. Can you believe a world without Personal Computers?
• Chances are that we might not be having cell phones today if nobody dared to follow an idea. Can you believe a world without cell phones?
• Chances are that we would not be having Digital Financial Services that enable us to move cash, make purchases and pay bills using the cell phones I am talking about.

Can you believe a world without all these (just a few) massive inventions? You actually do not need to, because that world once existed until someone somewhere incubated an idea!

The Power of Ideas

My point is that ideas are the creators of everything seen. [ictt-tweet-inline]Each time you look at a human being, you are seeing multiplied Billions in potential all wrapped up and hidden in ideas.[/ictt-tweet-inline] I believe that there is not a single human being who does not have an idea over anything. Deep at our authentic self levels, we have ideas that if we dared enough to explore them, we would be astounded at what we would bring forth in life.

[ictt-tweet-inline]What excites me about ideas is that they could easily lead people to their God-given purpose.[/ictt-tweet-inline] It is intriguing that someone who has been given a business mind and talent with strategic thinking comes up with ideas related to that field. One who is passionate about music comes up with incredible ideas in that department. The one who is gifted with words comes up with a book, a poem, a spoken word—ideas that are solely connected to what they are passionate about!

TD Jakes turned a text that had been “dormant” for over 2000 years into a movement that has inspired multiplied hundreds of thousands of women. Before we knew it, he was already shooting a movie out of the same text…yet people had been seeing it all along.

How To Build Our Lives to Purpose with Ideas

Chances are that you are seeing something today with a keen eye, looking at it differently because it is nudging at your heart. My advice today is simple: follow that idea to its logical conclusion. The following are the ways you can use to build your ideas to life.

1. Document it

[ictt-tweet-inline]The most unfortunate thing about ideas is that people do not ‘harvest’ them on paper.[/ictt-tweet-inline] Ideas can be so fleeting, simply flashing briefly in our hearts and then receding to a submerged state in our minds. Split seconds can determine the life or the abortion of ideas. The reason why we go wrong with documenting ideas is that we are bombarded daily with reality. The cynic in us is more pronounced than the free spirited dreamer. Frankly, there must be a balance. However, at this stage, all you need to do is to write down that idea, however stupid it might be. Capture it. I tend to think that the man or woman who is diligent with capturing ideas gets to become so creative, and ideas tend to flow to them freely because they are faithful in capturing them.

2. Dare it

Don’t shoot it down. Go back to where you documented this idea and dare to see the possibility of its fruition. I can tell you that you might not know the full extent of how this idea will benefit you or the world until you dare to bring it up to life. Start looking at its possibilities. See who needs it. See how many people it could benefit. See exactly how it would make things better or easier. See how it could revolutionize the world. See how difficult it is to bring forth. This so called “second look” is one of the most powerful thing we can do to bring ideas to life.

3. Deal it

Take pen and paper and start to document the numbers involved. Let it start making sense in terms hard numbers of costs, investments, profits, revenues, impact, sustainability, employees, customers and so on. At this point, all these could simply be projections. Even TD Jakes did not know the full extent of what the idea would have done to the world, let alone in his original home town in Virginia.

Probably up to this juncture, you have not spent a single cent on the idea, save the energy in your mind and in your thinking and meditation.

4. Do it

Go all in. Once you have “counted the cost” as Jesus Christ instructed us, pour your heart and soul into it. Probably, you might not need to do that just once, but over and over and over again. It is at this juncture that TD Jakes, after being rejected by several publishers, emptied all his savings into this project. He believed in it and was willing to trade his kid’s future on it. You know, there are always two options to it: either you strike it rich or you strike a miss and go bankrupt. It happened to Peter J. Daniels who lost everything in business the first three times he attempted. But he kept on coming back up again and built one of the largest most unique business empires in the world.

5. Diversify it

Stick with the idea as it starts to gain feet. TD did a book. Then a sermon series. Then a conference. Then other conferences based on the original concept of the conference. Then a movie. The thing with ideas is that they will always grow bigger than we originally thought or imagined. Let the idea morph organically to other things. Never let that mindset of being alert to capture ideas escape you. Let it stay with you. It is the same mindset that you will use to grow this one.

6. Dice It

One thing that kills ideas is haphazard execution that lacks quality and excellence. Many a good idea that was once viable has been killed by the originators choosing not to pursue finesse and excellence. Excellence must be an enduring memento that each idea you have and has executed is diced with.

I tell you there is no other way to build our lives other than leaning in on the ideas that God places on us daily. No one has an excuse here. No one.