Light Bulb Over My Head

Self Improvement / Intellectual

The older I become, the more I think about the power of ideas and where they come from.   Ideas, as everyone knows, have consequences.  Ideas are probably the most powerful things in all the world.  Just look at the power of the idea of freedom in the Middle East that is taking place right now. 

A couple of weeks ago I was watching one of my favorite shows, No Reservations: Anthony Bourdain.  In this episode he was traveling through Cambodia.  Mr. Bourdain, being a chef,  usually talks to locals about their food, how it is prepared, and what ingredients they use.  He will also discuss with them their culture, traditions, and beliefs.  However, during this episode he delved deep into their history.  It was during this segment that I started contemplating the power of ideas. 

In the early to mid 70's Cambodia was ruled by the the Khmer Rouge.  The Khmer Rouge was the ruling party who's beliefs go back to Marx and Communism.  Here is a short history of the Khmer Rouge:

Khmer Rouge (kəmĕr' Roze), name given to native Cambodian Communists. Khmer Rouge soldiers, aided by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, began a large-scale insurgency against government forces in 1970, quickly gaining control over more than two thirds of the country. The strength of the Khmer Rouge rose dramatically from around 3,000 in 1970 to more than 30,000 in 1973, enabling most of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops to withdraw.

In 1975 the movement, led by Pol Pot, overthrew the Cambodian government, establishing "Democratic Kampuchea." The new government carried out a radical program of evacuating cities, closing schools and factories, and herding the population into collective farms. Intellectuals and skilled workers were assassinated, and a total of perhaps as many as 1.5 million died, inclusive of starvation and forced marches. In 1979, after increasing tensions with Vietnam, Vietnamese troops invaded, aiding a rival Communist faction to depose the Khmer Rouge government. The Khmer Rouge, however, continued to field an army of c.30,000 near the Thai border and retained UN recognition as the official Cambodian government.  (source http://www.answers.com/)

What would influence people to kill millions of their countrymen?  What could possibly make them want to radically change the way they lived which is counter to human nature? You guessed it.  It was a terrible, evil, and vile idea that had it's roots back to the 1800's.

Ideas can be the catalyst for national and personal change. We have seen this throughout history.  All it takes is a spark.  Here is what I propose:

 National idea+Balanced budget and paying off the National Debt
In the early 60's President Kennedy issued a proclamation about putting a man on the moon by end of the decade.  What if our country could be inspired to balance the Federal budget and to payoff the National Debt? Yes I know, we are looking at $14 trillion.  In order to do this it would take someone to put forth a clear vision and idea to make it happen. What would make it difficult would be that this leader would be out of office before it would happen.  I think it could happen.  JFK was gone nearly six years after the landing. 

Personal ideas
As I explained in an earlier blog, my family became debt free recently.  That idea came from a book The Millionaire Next Door  and was strengthened by listening to the Dave Ramsey Show. Before reading this book my worldview of personal finance was quite different.  I had a car payment, credit cards, and thought nothing of my net worth.  What's even worse, I focused on my credit score more than my 401k.  Once again, an idea changed the way I saw things. 

My change in thinking in regards to personal finance has me considering the way I think about other areas of my life.  I remember about six years ago my career path took a sudden and wonderful change for the better.  This took place because someone presented me with an idea that I had never considered.  If we can get past the limits that we set upon ourselves, how different things could be. 


A couple of years ago I read a book that has become one of my favorites, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  This is a very interesting book that has absolutely nothing to do with getting rich quick.  Mr. Hill said "the most powerful instrument we have in our hand is the power of our mind."  Therefore, be careful what you think, it just might come true.