The power of a truly great idea can’t be understated. With one great idea, you could build a multi-million dollar business. You could solve the world’s problems. One great idea could change your life.

Having the ability to come up with great ideas is a highly prized skill. But how exactly do people come up with them? Some people seem to think it’s all about inspiration – the kind that just strikes whenever it wants.

It’s like the story of Isaac Newton. This is something we’ve all heard before.

Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell and bumped him on the head.

Immediately Newton was struck with a brilliant idea – the theory of gravity. In an instant, he changed how people see the world.

The big problem with this story is that it’s not true. Newton didn’t come up with his idea of gravity in an instant. It took a long time of thinking and working out the math.

But this instance is how many people look at generating ideas. They think it happens at a single moment when inspiration comes to them.

The problem with this way of seeing ideas is that it’s passive. Ideas come to you.

That’s not how ideas work. You have to actively be seeking them out; it takes some work to get there. If you just wait for them, a truly creative idea will probably never come to you.

If you want your life to change with a brilliant new idea, you have to be on the lookout for them. They don’t just happen out of thin air.

Be active, not passive.

Do things that mentally stimulate your brain so that ideas can be born.

Things like:

1. Surrounding yourself with brilliant thinkers

Great ideas don’t usually form alone. They often come from interactions with have with others. A small idea gets bounced back and forth in conversation until something extraordinary comes out of it.

Read the rest here:  http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/7-ways-to-inspire-truly-great-ideas/