Treat Ideas Like Chocolate!

The other day, I opened a tin of sweetriot (chocolate’s answer to the Tic Tac) and pulled out a little slip of paper. I love that cracker jacks and fortune cookies are no longer the only treats that give you a surprise inside! Looking up at me was a quote from Thomas Edison.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”

One could also argue that the value of a piece of chocolate lies in the eating of it! That aside, this magical quote reminded me of the responsibility I have as a volunteer for Sigma Kappa to put to good use the ideas of our members.

Sometimes it’s tough. I’ve got scraps of paper scattered around my desk, taped to the wall, lists on various apps on my iPad, and a number of flagged emails in my inbox. I am both thankful for all of the input and at the same time overwhelmed with the responsibility. Yes, receiving someone else’s idea is a responsibility. Sometimes they are more like a gift (like when I can send an email and boom, awesome idea implemented) and other times they are a duty. These are the ones that have great potential, but require hard work and the commitment to see them though.

Over the years, I’ve learned to spot a good idea and figured out when it’s time to trash one.  Sometimes ideas can be like chocolate. It might look delicious on the outside and then you bite in and realize it’s the one with the orange mystery goo inside (I head to the trash and spit that one out – not willing to waste the calories!). The point is to give everything a fair shot as soon as possible. There isn’t much good you can say about stale chocolate or stale ideas. They both should have been used when they were fresh!

I challenge all of us to take responsibility for the ideas that are sent our way – to weigh each one, make a decision, and bite in!

In Sigma Kappa,

Janel Reedy

National Vice President for Communications