Small Ideas

"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same. ~Unknown~"

A friend forwarded an inspiring email about how an old man makes money in one of the big shopping complexes in KL. With no close relatives whom he can turn to, he has to work and get some money so he can buy medicines for his diabetic condition. But no company would hire a 65 years old man. With the help of his friend, he got a job to vacuum, throw away the rubbish and wipe the glass of a store in the shopping complex for RM10 per day. It only took him about 15 minutes to complete the job. Soon, more storeowners want him to clean their stores. Now he cleans up to 20 stores and has to turn down request from other stores.

Just imagine RM10 x 20 stores X 7 days = RM1400 per week. How much can he make in a month? Free from income tax an EPF deduction.

It is a simple but very profitable idea. We often heard about thinking big to make a difference. It may work for some. But for others, they may have execution problem even though the big idea is a great idea. I'm also inspired when I read "The Magic of Thinking Big". But it may appear daunting to some people.
And try as hard as I can, I couldn't think of any big ideas that could move my world. Maybe I'm limited with my 'rational' or 'realistic' thought. Many people are. Sometimes success stories of other people seem very far away from our reality.

But small ideas, that sounds workable. It may even become big. But the fact that it started from a small idea did not make it so intimidating. Now, thinking as hard as I can, I still couldn't think of small ideas that could move my world but maybe one day I'll get the inspiration. Big, or small! I just want to condition my mind to be aware of opportunities that may appear out of nowhere. We'll never know.

In fact, when I think back of my previous job, my little request for software enhancements has always pushed the limit of the developer. And one enhancement could lead to another, and another, and another, until a totally new version is required. I've done it before. In my job. Why can't I do it in my personal life? I think our level of awareness and mind conditioning plays a vital role. Just like when we thought that car in gold color looks nice and they are rarely seen on the road. But the moment we bought it, we see it almost everywhere. It is not rare anymore. Why didn't we notice it before? Did people also thought the same thing and bought cars of the same color at about the same time we purchase ours? The truth is, we just did not condition our mind to notice it before.

So don't shun small ideas. Now, if only I can get small ideas that brings in big money. I sit in front of a mirror, pretend my head is a crystal ball and starts chanting "small ideas come to me", "small ideas come to me", with hands going around my head just like how a fortune teller do it to their crystal ball. Hehehe... just kidding.

Interesting read on small ideas:
The Power of Small Ideas
Thinking Small