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Posted March 18th, 2009
Have you invented something today?
--Mark Lobmier
I have had the enormous pleasure of knowing many remarkable people in my life. Mr. Bill Breeze, the strongest man I have ever known, Kathleen McGuire, the woman without fear, (God rest their souls) and Stu Martell, creative genius. Each left an indelible imprint on my life, and no doubt on many others.
I have a good friend Mark who is remarkable in his wisdom. Wisdom is a quality not often found. I find that many, if not most people are so involved in their own lives or so firmly attached to their own opinions and pronouncements that they have little to offer others. On occasion you might find someone who can listen and comment on what they hear, and the result is a new insight on your own life. That would be Mark.
As an inventor I need to invent things because when we license our inventions we get paid only when they sell to retailers. But as a businessman I need to handle insurance issues, client contacts and sales, office/building and equipment issues, human resources issues, patents and other legal issues. In the course of a day, or week, or even a month, the key work of inventing stuff gets crowded out by all the other tasks demanding attention.
A question he asked me one day cut to the heart of what we are, what I do: “Have you invented something today?” That is the essence of what I do, the headwaters of our business. If I or we don’t invent something today, then all the other activities, legal, HR, Insurance, etc, are for naught. I need to keep reminding myself that I need to invent something today, and yesterday, and tomorrow. Just like in the Hokey Pokey song, “That’s what it’s all about!”
So Mark’s question has become our mantra, on my computer desktop, posted on the walls for all to see. It is the heart and soul, the essence, the headwaters of all our other activities. Have you invented something today?
Perhaps you have some essential task that needs to be done, above and beyond all else, yet it gets crowded out by the rest of life's competing tasks of a more urgent, yet less important nature.
What is it you really need to do today?
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