According to the Holy Scriptures, King Solomon was considered to be the wisest and richest king who ever lived. He had all the power, riches, wine and women he could ever desire. He pursued the essence of happiness, and his sad conclusion is found in a book called Ecclesiastes. He found only emptiness. His verdict on pursuing happiness? Who needs it!

We conclude that he was searching for happiness in all the wrong places. If that’s so, where do we find happiness? Many have reached the same conclusion as Augustine, a powerful 3rd-century noble, who pursued women and wine. He said, “Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible!”

Walking down one of the streets he had frequented before, a local harlot called out, “Augustine, it is I! It is I!” Augustine responded, “It is not I! It is not I!” Why? He had discovered a new identity for himself!

One of my most important life-experiences came as I was helping Jean, a woman who attended our weekly feeding program. Our local city had issued a notice that she was to clean up her property or they would haul off all her possessions. What was so tragic is that although she owned a beautiful home, she lived on the front porch!  You could not even find a pathway through her home. Though she was a gentle soul with a love for nature and a concern for suffering people, she had a serious mental struggle.

Our local outreach group organized a team to clear her property—not an easy job, since to her, everything seemed valuable. I remember sitting on the street curb, dirty from head to foot, picking up seeds that had just spilled from her pouch.  At that moment, a carload of young people careened by and they shouted, “Look at the street people!” Then I realized—they were talking about me! But as my eyes caught Jean’s, I saw joy—because someone cared enough to help her pick up her little seeds.

I have carried that experience with me to over 60 nations. Why? A well-lived life is a life engaged with serving others! If you are sad or depressed, remember there is always someone else who is sadder and more depressed than you. So go out and get busy interacting with others!

Then, as Jesus said, you will discover there is no greater love than to lay down your life for another! (John 15:13) The Dalai Lama said “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

True human value is not found in serving yourself, but in serving others!

Recently, I was moved by a letter I received from a family whose daughter is seeking higher education. An everyday person just like you, she had lost sight of her dream. In the mundane routine of life, she had lost hope. What do you do when it seems like hope is lost or when it seems that your dream is a thousand miles away?

You can develop CREATIVITY habits essential to cultivating the dream that is in your heart! How?

1. Create Your Own Inspiration Book Using Bright And Beautiful Pictures! Gather pictures from magazines, advertisements or the newspaper. Paste the images on a dream-board or in a book—let them speak new possibilities to your heart. Their symbolism can expand your horizons.
2. Momentarily change your surroundings! If you are facing discouragement on the pathway to your dream you may need inspiration! Use a simple change in environment to stimulate your curiosity and increase productivity in thought. Do this throughout your day!
3. Rely upon the creativity of others! Contrary to popular opinion, most thoughts are not original but they are a conglomeration of all that we have heard, read and seen!
4. Speak out or write out your thoughts! Get into the habit of capturing your thoughts throughout the day! This is one of the best ways to stimulate the creative process!
5. Allow a sense of urgency to motivate your creativity! Don’t wait for tomorrow! Procrastination never brings out the best in life! It simply eats away at your life!

Have you ever felt surrounded by chaos? Most people don’t realize that opposition, problems and chaos are often the seed bed for creativity! Why? Creativity flourishes when need arises and solutions are required.

Living in Russia in the early 90’s, I recall walking down the street and picking up a short piece of wire thinking, ‘this is useful.’ I suddenly realized that someone else’s trash had become my potential solution. Lack had forced me to be constantly on the lookout for solutions! That little piece of wire actually solved a plumbing problem we had!

What is a problem? It’s simply the difference between present and future. It is the gap between what you have and what you want.  Renowned psychiatrist Theodore Rubin said, “The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.”

Face your problems head-on and employ these simple principles of problem-solving in order to cultivate the dream that is in your heart:

First, GET THE FACTS! Ask yourself the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY questions. What is the problem? Where and when did it begin? Why? How can I find out more? And who cares about this situation?

Second, BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS! Remove the following phrase from your vocabulary: “we don’t do it that way in our family, community or in our culture!” Reprogram yourself:  Get someone else’s perspective. Get God’s perspective. Do some simple research. It is likely that someone has solved your problem before!

Third, EMPLOY PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES!  Utilize the P.D.C.A Method – Plan: Identify and analyze the problem. “D,”Do: Develop and test a potential solution. “C,”Check: Measure how effective and how to improve your test solution. “A”, Act: Implement the improved solution.

Fourth, THINK! The importance of using your God-given brain cannot be overemphasized. Regardless of your situation, God has empowered you to THINK! Divinely Inspired Ideas for Life and it’s not just a catchy slogan. It is a principle I live by! …And you CAN TOO!

Fifth, BE PROACTIVE! Don’t spend your time REACTING to problems! Reaction is the easiest emotional response! Power to prevail in life comes when we channel our emotions into true problem-solving. Harness your emotions! A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.  Seek God’s wisdom! “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him, and He will gladly tell you, for He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask Him.

Scripture: James 1:5 TLB.

In Jim Stovall’s famous book, “The Ultimate Gift” we read the story of a man striving to make his billions, who at the end of his life, leaves a broken, miserable family that has become accustomed to living on HIS wealth. His only son who possessed a work-hard–help-others attitude, died in a tragic accident. The “Ultimate Gift” was left to THAT son’s son, who was wasting away on his grandfather’s monthly stipend.

What could this ultimate gift be?  All of the family expected it to be money and lots of it!  But the grandson was given an OPPORTUNITY for a journey where he would discover hard work, purpose, friendship, giving and even stewardship!

Receipt of his inheritance would be based upon his ability to rise above the challenge his grandfather had set for him in a series of tests! This young man discovered the ultimate gift was not in HAVING but in GIVING life, working diligently, using his talents and rising to the challenge at hand! Research shows that individuals who know and exercise their character strengths live happier, more successful lives – they have stronger relationships, more engagement at work, and greater life balance.

How do you perceive adversity? The great sayings of leaders such as Martin Luther King, “I have a dream,” Ronald Reagan, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” or Nelson Mandela, “Quitting is leading too,” were not born in a time of comfort and tranquility but were shaped in adversity!

Perhaps you are like the famed baseball player Jim Abbott. Though born with only one hand, he became a Michigan Hall-of-Famer, an Olympic athlete, and one of the rare major league baseball pitchers to record a no-hitter.

From his earliest years, he wanted to be an athlete. For hours he labored, perfecting a process of clasping his mitt under one arm, throwing a baseball against a wall, instantly grasping his mitt again with his one good hand to catch the return, quickly switching the mitt, retrieving the ball and repeating the process. He practiced for hours moving closer and closer to the wall, becoming so proficient that within a few feet of the wall, he could switch the glove and the ball almost simultaneously. With an indomitable spirit, Jim handled the naysayers with eloquence and overcame his disability with simple well-practiced solutions, inspiring thousands of young people with disabilities to pursue their dreams.

Is pleasure the key to your happiness? As a child, one of my favorite experiences each fall was to go shopping for clothes! It was a special event. I grew up in a town of 1,100 people, so we had to drive to the city, spend the day shopping, and then we would eat at a restaurant! WOW!  And we did this every school year! It is one of the special yearly memories from my childhood.

Why? I was different as a child and choosing clothes made me feel special.  These clothes provided a confidence to parade about when everyone made fun of me for being so tall and lanky! I clearly recall each year as we headed out, Mother would say to me, “Leslie, as a child I only had one dress for school and church. Your father and I want you to have more than we did as children.”

Yet, more than shopping adventures and new clothes, my family gave me the meaning of life through a solid spiritual foundation – with a clear belief in God. They instilled in me a good education, a strong work ethic, and the importance of integrity. They guided my life with values by which I still live today!

I believe that without that spiritual foundation in my life, I would have been adrift in search of pleasure and happiness. Why? My generation, was (and still is) all about fast cars, big houses, high salaries, media toys and the right family! They are thrill seekers and money masters!

Just recently my husband spent a few hours with Jim Stovall, a Global Entrepreneur, film producer and author of over 20 books. I am sure you would never consider that Mr. Stovall was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease at 17 and was blind by the age of 29.

Jim invented “S.A.P,” a special technology that allows the blind to enjoy major film releases. You see, Jim was an avid movie buff. Losing his sight meant he could no longer enjoy his classic collection. One day he determined that someone should solve this problem, and he created his Emmy Award-winning Narrative TV Network that serves over 13 million blind people each year.

Zig Ziglar, world class motivational speaker of 40 years says, “Happiness is a by-product of who you are and what you do. And yes, you CAN set it as a specific goal.”

Today we continue with the last 4 steps to begin initiating your creative process:

The fourth step, wait for it! What do we wait for? Clarity!  The moment when the light suddenly comes on, the darkness disappears and your mind clearly pictures the idea you’ve been searching for. It often occurs when you least expect it…like while you’re sitting in a beautiful garden listening to the birds.

Fifth, test it! Give your idea a try! Confirm it. Your brilliant solution must now be verified. Are you open to evaluation and criticism? Can you sincerely assess possible shortcomings and faults?  Honest assessment is a vital part of the creative process!

Remember, Creativity requires courage! Sir Ken Robinson author of Creative Schools says, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.”

Sixth, get up again! As an inventor, Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts to invent the incandescent light bulb! Edison’s teachers had said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” When asked about his repeated lightbulb failures, he simply said that he had discovered 1000 ways not to build a lightbulb!  Edison’s 1000 attempts were not failure but DISCOVERY!  Learn to celebrate your failures and embrace discovery!

Seventh, remember, you are in it to win it! Now that you’ve refined your idea:  it’s time to plan it; grow it; and build it. This is where the real work begins. Like a long distance runner, you are now launching a journey that will require training, resource, and energy. Keep looking forward! Some of the greatest creativity ever displayed by humanity is a result of thousands of hours of laborious experimentation.