Whose Idea Was That?

There’s a quote –

“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality”

which has been attributed to a number of authors including Steven Covey and Robin Sharma in the current era.

However, in the latter half of the nineteenth century the ‘New Thought’ (‘new’ thought is now over 200 years old now by the way) writer Wallace Wattles in his book ‘The Science of Getting Rich’ wrote:

“There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.

A thought, in this substance, produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.

Man can form things in his thought, and, by impressing his thought upon formless substance, can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.”

This is probably the modern origin of this thinking, although there are probably precedents in Greco-Roman philosophy.

(There usually are – to most things that people think up ‘today’)

Now let’s you and I examine this.

I had the idea (on Monday) to write something about this concept. Today I’m writing, or ‘creating’ it. But before I started to write, I had already created the idea.

Back in the late 60’s, Gene Roddenberry, the ‘creator’ of Start Trek’ had the idea to create what has become a massive TV and Film franchise. He created it (twice) and other people have gone on to extend the implementation of his idea.

Roddenberry was also probably responsible for the creation of the mobile phone – remember that flip-open ‘communicator’ used in the first series?

Nothing remotely like that existed at the time, but now everyone has one, or two – or even something not too far off the tri-corder measuring and detecting device – it’s amazing what some ‘smart phones’ can do now.

I just wish someone would hurry up and get the ‘transporter’ into production!

But getting back to Wallace Wattles.

The concept is that you and I think up an ‘idea’ or in other words ‘create’ something in our minds.

Then we put it into practice and create something ‘physical’.

An object, a written work, a piece of music, an artwork, a process, a speech, a seminar – the list is endless.

So you and I create ‘it’ twice.

The thing is . . .

Where did that ‘idea’ come from?

“There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made” says Wallace before he goes on to say that this ‘stuff’ pervades the Universe.

Some people call this the ‘infinite presence’ others may call it ‘God’ (known by many names) or ‘the Force’ and other descriptions which I apologise for omitting.

There are only a few people who absolutely deny even the possibility of the existence of an intelligence outside or beyond humanity.

You see

It’s quite a common occurrence that two or more people will ‘get’ the ‘same’ idea at around the same time.

This often leads to accusations of plagiarism or copying, even theft, of ideas.

Yes, that does exist – and I’ve marked enough student assignments to know that for sure!

But probably more often than not, and more often that you and I are aware, two or more people will bring the same idea into creation around the same time.

Usually the outcomes, or ‘products’ of their creative process aren’t quite the same but they may serve the same purpose.

My theory, shared with many others, is that these ‘ideas’ are received (from the ‘thinking stuff’) by several people around the word at the same time.

An ‘insurance policy’ taken out by the ‘ultimate creator’ to make sure that someone will put that idea into practice, even though it may take some time.

So I don’t think it’s twice but three times (or in older language – thrice) that everything is created.

But

‘Stuff’ doesn’t just happen.

You and I need to act on those ideas that we gratefully receive, and we need to act quickly.

The responsibility for putting ‘our’ ideas into practice is yours and mine – and the bonus for acting is that you and I, not the ‘universe’, get the ‘credit!

How good is that?

So next time you get a ‘great idea’ just crack on and do it – before someone else does; because you can be sure that ‘someone else’ has been given the idea too.

I’m off to take action.

You too?