My Ideas, Networked

The first time I watched this TedTalk I was not fully engaged and I blame my surroundings on this.  Sitting in my three hour, once a week class trying to learn how to become a successful Entrepreneur, in a four story, old brick building, the walls breathing is labored heavily with decades of knowledge, frustration and laughter, still standing but not as tall as each brick once had; the small classroom, comfortable for 40 people standing shoulder to shoulder, yet there are just as many desks and chairs in the room as there are people.

The room stuffy and closed with an asylum feel even with a few ceiling to desk windows on the north side of the classroom; yet these large windows are not allowed to be open and free the stale air, to free the stale lifeless students.  Hard, thick, unmovable plastic make up the chairs sitting sternly on metal legs with the smallest area underneath the seat to place a pencil holder or very small book or a tiny purse on the metal basket which is too easily kicked when the person sitting snug behind changes their leg crossing or begins fidgeting.  The wooden desk attached to the same metal meeting the chair gives little room for a book to lie open and encourage note taking, a wooden armrest on the right side stretching out as if it will help the student be comfortable.  One can only sit erect in these chairs because of their hardend disposition, no slumping or hugging the back of the chair.  Did I mention I am in business attire?  

Now here in the comfort of my large, cushioned, form fitting chair where I can bring my feet up and let my back rest into the contour of the backrest as the chair hugs me and swivels a small amount to the right until my knees gently bump up against my desk, my big desk that holds so many items and still enough room to have two books open!  The leisures of sweatpants and hoodies.  I sink into my chair another inch, type into youtube, "Steve Johnson first coffeehouse and the first result appears "Steve Johnson: Where Good Ideas Come From (Good Ideas)." I press play, click an icon and the video fits snug on my screen.  I lean back into my comfortable chair a little further and begin my second adventure.

This time I am hearing more of Mr. Johnson, hearing him telling me to put down my glass of wine because great ideas come from a fresh mind, a mind not tired.  There are many times when wine assists in my writing and thinking, but maybe he has something here.  Perhaps wine comes into the picture once I have an idea and have been successful of networking my idea with others to make my idea great!  Mr. Johnson says, "An Idea Is A Network", at first hesitant to believe this but thinking more about the process of an idea from infancy and watching it grow to a product or a service does require other minds to say, "Try this," or "Don't use that," or maybe "Do it this way and note the difference from the other?"  Networking is great for individuals excelling in their careers, how can it go wrong for networking your idea.  The tricky part, at least for me, is where are my ideas?    I know they are there, hiding behind the door quietly breathing not to give themselves away too quickly, waiting to yell, "Boo! You found me!"  Funny thing is, I don't find myself being startled, jumping back as I scream, "AUGH!"