I was going to entitle this blog, “What’s It All About Alfie?” but when I googled the title to confirm that it was written and composed by Hal David and Burt Bacharach (and sung so beautifully by Dionne Warwick), I found that several people had already written on the topic including someone who just posted an article TODAY with the very same title. Hence my decision to change the title.  The good news about being in tune with the song is that I’m paying attention on an intuitive level and connecting into something larger than me. Now the mystery is to unravel the puzzle if what I’ve tapped into and why. 

 Yes, it could mean that there is now physical evidence that I am just a mundane thinker and that, of course, many people are going to be using that familiar 40 year old song to elaborate about the meaning of life AND it could also be my own little reminder to myself that if we are all connected then most likely when I come up with an idea someone, somewhere out there has either come up with it before or perhaps there are clusters of us that have tapped into the genius that stimulates our idea centers to go in the same direction. 

 What sets us apart, are the ones who are willing to take action on their ideas to bring it into reality. In other words, to follow through with their idea and bring it into the world so that it can be seen, felt and heard. 

I come up with lots of great ideas, my friend Nettie Hartsock can vouch that fifteen years ago I had a vision about how the Austin Palmer Auditorium could be remodeled. Today, it stands completely redone almost to the nail of what I “saw”.  During that time I also had a “vision” for transforming one of the funky Regal Cinemas into a movie theater where people could have food and be waited on AND watch their movie. I even went so far as to send this idea to the head people of the Regal Theaters.  Today, Austin sports at least four Alamo Draft Houses which are the cinemas from my vision. 

I suspect that in these two instances, I tapped into a larger brain pool, and was eavesdropping in on these ideas simultaneously with others.  What’s the difference between me and them? I’m sitting here writing you that I had these ideas, and some of those folks took action and made it happen. 

I had a great idea yesterday for a solution for transportation in Austin.  We live on the outskirts of town with burgeoning pods of homes being built all over the Texas Hill Country to the south and west of us.  “They” are talking about building a huge mix-master overpass highway (toll way?) through the “Y” in Oak Hill (which is where two highways intersect and split off into a ….”Y”….).  I dread the traffic congestion and the beautiful Oak and Cottonwood Trees being chopped down.  One of the “ideas” that came to me as a solution would be to have a light rail system that is made especially groovy and hip. Meaning, that it would be the first of many evolutions of what will eventually be humanity’s next transportation method.  This first rung will have “Cars” that run on a rail (solar powered?) that only hold 25 people max.  They will be shaped like big bubbles, almost like how a Man-of-War Jelly Fish looks on top of the water.  There will also be “attendants” dressed in uniforms reminiscent from the 20’s who will serve various kinds of specialized coffee and tea drinks.  There will be “Depots” built along the route where people can park and where “boutiques” and special stores can be built.  All of this would be landscaped beautifully with xeriscaped plants and flowers. It will be a groovy-hip thing to choose this mode of transportation instead of taking your own car.  How will it be paid? A combination of City, State and private payments.  In Texas, a car is considered to many as being as close to them as their pet dog.  I believe hitting Texans where their egos sit, will encourage them to consider other modes of transport. That and convenience. 

 So there’s my idea. Now we’ll have to see if I’ve tapped into something bigger than me and other people either have this same idea or take it and run with it because I guarantee, I’m not going to put my energy into designing, engineering, politicking and making this happen. Where I am going to put my action and energy is into coaching people like you who are reading this, into making your dreams (ideas) come true. When your dreams come true, mine do as well. 

What are three steps you can take towards making your great idea come alive today?