Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

Chapter 9. Change Your World

Changing the World Is Hard

If you say, "I have an idea for something," what you really mean is, "I want to change the world in some way." What is "the world" anyway? It is simply all of the ideas of all of our ancestors. Look around you. Your clothes, language, furniture, house, city, and nation all began as a vision in someone else's mind. Your food, drink, vehicles, books, schools, entertainment, tools, and appliances all came from someone's dissatisfaction with the world as they found it.^[82] Humans love to create. And creating starts with an idea that can change the world.

Staying passionate and tenacious about your idea requires that some part of you be uncomfortable with the status quo. At times, you must have enough resolve to put your reputation on the line for the sake of advancing your idea. It's scary to go out on a limb and approach others with a product, philosophy, or ideal that you passionately support. Some will challenge it, and some will reject it. And that's hard. Society doesn't reward rejects, but it does reward those who have the tenacity to keep going after being rejected. So don't give up.

My husband and I collect large, oversized vintage posters. Once, while on vacation with our kids, we stopped in to see one of the poster dealers. He wore white cotton gloves as he carefully turned over each table-sized poster. When he turned to the poster on the right, both my kids gasped and said, "Oh my gosh, Mom. It's you! You have to buy that ...