Think Opposite

Forum Mall on Hosur Road in Bangalore is the new destination for the city dwellers. Overcrowded on weekdays and jam-packed on weekends. You gotta be seen at The Forum.

Amidst the maddening crowd, I saw a little boy sitting on the footpath leading to the mall. He was selling books. My eyes caught on one particular book, "Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite" by the legendary adman Paul Arden. So, I picked up the book and started browsing the pages. Arden points out how counterintuitive thinking can bring sucess. What we think as 'Wrong' can be right. The book is filled with paradoxes and shows how 'Stealing' can lead to authencity. In one such paradox, he mentions "Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination." In another he says "Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable and originality is non-existent. So, Don't bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it."

The book got me thinking, how many times in our life do we actually steal an idea, execute it and celebrate it like the New Year Bash. It really doesn't matter where the idea comes from as long as we can make a Picasso out of it. So, a relevant insight can be used over and over to make an effective communication. If you need to steal the execution, so be it but only and only when you feel for it. Turn the wrongs into rights by asking yourself the question, is it relevant, is it worthy. You'll know the answer by yourself. Go ahead, start stealing!!