Where they all came from

Dr. Denis Waitley is considered as one of the most effective and popular speakers and authors of the “motivation” genre.

I have read his books, listened to his audio materials and learned so much from him.

The day he came and he allowed me to share the speaker’s platform with him was one of the highlights of my early speaking career. I will always treasure that moment.

Dr. Waitley is a very kind man. He also has a wealth of materials that, although recorded many years ago, still manages to inspire people all over the world today.

This material I am presenting belongs to him. I hope it inspires you as it inspired me...

Years ago, a young mother about to go out with her husband prepared to feed their baby before they left. The husband became impatient as she started her daily routine of mashing vegetables through a strainer.

Tired of him standing over her with the car keys in one hand and the other hand on the door knob, she turned the task over to him. Within a few minutes, the strainer, peas, carrots, and bowl ended up in his lap.

As he changed clothes, he reasoned there must be a better way to prepare baby food and that there must be a lot of frustrated parents who didn’t enjoy the monotony of straining fruit and vegetables three times a day.

Soon, they began discussing the idea of designing machinery to strain the food in a factory and sell it already prepared.

Fortunately, the young father and his dad owned a small canning plant, but it was difficult to sell the older man on the concept. One mistake that harmed a child would destroy everything it had taken them a lifetime to build.

And what about the expense of marketing surveys, developing and financing new machinery, packaging, getting stores to accept the products, and getting parents to buy something totally new at a price that would be both affordable and profitable?

You’ve been through this in your own organization or family when someone comes up with an idea that colors outside the lines! I see you’re nodding affirmatively.

The risk was enormous, but in the end, they went forward with their idea because it filled a need they understood firsthand. They had the skills and experience. And the market was so vast that the positive benefits far outweighed the negative factors.

One year after Dan Gerber dumped the strainer of cooked vegetables into his lap, the

Gerber Products Company introduced its first five baby foods to the market. The point of the story is that, so often, an idea becomes a goal when we realize it meets a need in our own lives and the lives of others.

Our motivation to achieve this goal is dependent upon how strong our need is and whether or not we have the determination, optimism and toughness to follow through our ideas to fruition.

Consider the following:

- The outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude because he couldn’t row the boat fast enough on a Wisconsin lake to keep his girlfriend’s ice cream from melting.

- The Automatic Dishwasher was invented by a woman whose housekeeper kept breaking her fine china when she washed it by hand.

- The ice cream cone was invented by a waffle vendor who ran out of plates to serve his waffles.

- The Polaroid camera was invented by Edwin Land because his daughter wanted to see the pictures she took with her camera right away, rather than wait.

- And the hot dog was invented by a German immigrant whose silk gloves used to serve bratwurst in his restaurant were taken home by his patrons. His solution was to split a bun, and serve the bratwurst that way. Yes, necessity is the mother of invention.

End of material.

A problem, a disturbance, a crisis and a need is always an opportunity for invention or reinvention. I have always believed this and it has worked for me. Given the right perspective, I am dead sure it will work for you too.

(Connect with Francis Kong in www.facebook.com/franciskong2. or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8:00a.m. And 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)