Rick’s Idea Photo Credit: Cat Wilson
I believe in tales of passage, people who tried an idea, a journey, or fell into an opportunity, even if a terrible idea that they loved, and made something wonderful.
Try a turnip!
“You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip” you argue. Ah, true. According to The New Dictionary, that means, “You can only get from people what they are willing or able to give.” (The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002). But what about your goals and dreams? Are you willing to try? Are you able to give?
Have you ever tried a big goal, a challenge, and maybe acquired a taste for something that is actually not bad for you. What could you loose? What could you win?
In the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” the picture opens with an author presenting his book at a bookstore. Francis, his teacher (played by Diane Lane) stands by proudly.
The author talks about being in a writing class and having writer’s block. All he has are terrible ideas.
He says that just as he was about to drop the class, his instructor Francis says, “Terrible ideas are like playground scape goats. Given the right encouragement, they grow up to be geniuses. Take one of your terrible ideas and work on it.” He says, “I did it!”
Later in the movie Francis takes the gift of friends – a tour of Tuscany, Italy – to begin writing on one of her own books and to recover from a divorce.
On a stop along the tour, she notices a passionate woman in a big hat, holding a duckling against her cheek as it nibbles her face, totally enjoying the experience. Her aliveness intrigues Francis and she follows the woman, but looses her in a crowd. Along the way Francis is drawn to a “For Sale” listing of estates, noticing the listing for a villa – Bramasole.
A passionate woman (Katherine) walks up behind her, and says, “It’s a nice little villa. Rather rundown, but redeemable. Are you going to buy it?”
Francis laughs and says that would be a terrible idea.
“Oh,” Katherine says, “terrible idea – hmmm. Don’t you just love those?!”
Further along the way, the bus is held back by some sheep, and they are stuck at this unscheduled stop directly in front of Bramasole, the villa for sale. She gets off the bus.
Francis looks at the villa, tours inside as she considers buying it, and a pigeon flies overhead and drops poop on her head. (yuck) Yet, this is the sign the seller needed to know who to sell the villa, which had been in her family for many years.
Sometimes in life we may find that something happens like a sign. The sign helps us make the decision. “This happened, so I CAN do it!”
Francis buys the villa, turning her terrible idea into a beautiful home!
Ideas give us a journey.
When we “introduce ourselves” to an idea, we get to know our idea along the way.
When Francis tells her friends about her goal to repair the villa, they are surprised that she is willing to take on such a project. She doesn’t know anything about repairing a home.
Support does not always come readily from friends and family. Francis faces the journey alone, and gains the joy of a beautiful villa transformed by her dreams and imagination and respect from people after she finishes the project.
This blog is meant to encourage you to take a “terrible idea” that intrigues you and do something with it. Who knows what could happen for you?
One good idea can lead to the next.
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