Steal from Life

German Writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, "We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." The trouble is many of us don't believe what we love would be very interesting to others. 

I remember taking an acting on camera class many years ago when the teacher made the observation many of the actors in the room were simply "doing too much." In his words, we had a hard time believing that we alone were enough. 

What he wanted us to understand was that everyone has something compelling to say or share. It's just a matter of trusting that our unique experiences and take on the world will resonate with others. 

If your voice is coming from an honest and genuine place, chances are, it will.

Having Ideas is Not Unique

It's estimated that we have between 35 - 50 thoughts a minute. Needless to say, thoughts are not unique, not even good ones.

We probably all have a relative, friend, or colleague who's been pitching his or her idea for the next great screenplay, book, or film to us for years. You may have even silently concluded, I'd see that movie, or buy that book.

What IS unique is the ability to execute on those ideas. It's the quality that separates those who succeed and make meaningful creative contributions from those who simply go on talking about it wondering what might have been.

As, German philosopher Friedrich Engels once noted, "An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory."