How is starting a fire a perfect illustration for "igniting the flame of a new idea?" In order to start a physical fire you need three basic elements. Those elements are fuel, oxygen or oxidizing agent, and heat. When considering the parallel to new ideas, fuel could represent the new idea itself, oxygen could represent allowing this new idea to be or stay "uncovered" to the environment around it vs. hiding this idea, and heat from friction could represent the tension between this new idea and the present reality.
New ideas have been the fuel for change all throughout history. However, before new ideas, there needs to be imagination. One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution...." As we look down the corridor of history, we see the effects past ideas have had on people and the earth we live in. Just as fire can destroy through burning or save life through warmth, ideas can have a variety of consequences once unleashed in the world abroad.
A spark can never become a large fire without oxygen. And so a new idea can never catch if it is kept to oneself and not shared with the world. This first starts locally and then the idea can spread further just like a fire. A light hid under a bushel cannot be seen just as a spark buried under debri will probably not become a flame. Many times in the history of humanity ideas have been in conflict with present reality or human tradition, etc. The usual effect of this disparity is that a new idea is carried into reality
by a few initially while the majority ignore, ridicule, or keep a distance from "this strange new thinking." As time moves forward, gradually a new idea is embraced by more and more people. We don't need to look far back in history to see this occurring. One example is the history of germs which was developed and proven between 1850 and 1920. Previous to this idea, people believed that things like foul odors or evil spirits could be the cause of illnesses. So the friction between old thought processes and new ideas creates the heat that ignites the fire of a new idea.
Ideas have consequences though. Some positive, some negative, and many a combination of both. For example, the discovery of germs as the cause of disease has led to longevity in general as well as better health and medicine. The idea of human slavery in history has led to devaluing of certain groups of people over other groups and resentment of one people group by another.
Bringing It All Together To sum it all up, a new idea catching on in society is similar to a fire: you need the three factors of fuel or the idea, oxygen or exposure, and friction producing heat or the disparity of the present reality from the imagined idea. Ideas also have consequences. Some consequences are positive and some are negative as evidenced by history.
Your Application So do you have an idea, dream, or vision that could have positive effects for the future? Or do
you need to allow yourself to dream or dream bigger? Is your idea clearly envisioned and written down? Do you have a plan to bring it into reality? How do you handle to tension between your present reality and the ideals in your mind? Are you igniting the flame of a new idea in your daily life? This article was written by an SFM affiliate. If you would like more information on how to potentially spark a successful online business, please check out this link: http://connect.thesixfigurementors.com/sp/free -trial-long-vid/sales-pages?id=skmartin