And it’s not what you think, for shame! Although it was good for me…otherwise I wouldn’t be blogging about it here…ahhhh…care for a puff? (Only some of you will get that last quip.)

The phone rang from the front door a few moments ago, and I got caught in the zone of production workin’ in my housecoat, doh. The man announced that he had 2 registered letters for me to sign for and I had 10 minutes to get down to the mailroom to receive them. (The mail contractors don’t have it in their job description to deliver to the individual’s door in a multi-unit building ya’ know?) I actually asked him if I could get it tomorrow,

“Nope.”

My knee-jerk thought: “Well! What kind of customer service is that?”

“Well alright then, I’ll be right down.”

The offence was quickly forgotten in the moment and I immediately got excited because I knew what he had for me! I ran upstairs, threw some clothes on, grabbed the garbage, the recycling, my keys and bopped down to the mail room to pick up my prizes – stopped at the garbage chute on the way of course and yes, almost dropped my keys in!!

When I arrived the mailman was sorting a big stack of letters into some boxes so I said, “Be right back, I’ll drop this recycling in the bin outside while you do that.” “Great” he said.

I returned from the short walk in the gorgeous sun and prepared to wait, and he was ready for me in the mailroom…I thought to myself, “Wow, he’s efficient”!

I eagerly beheld the envelopes with the big red and white stickers on them as he picked them up to hand them to me. I reached out my hand to accept them and suddenly, he pulled them back from me and said,

“Question.” In the moment it was more of a command than a question and he was holding my stuff hostage, he wanted an answer!

It kind of knocked me out of my glory for a second and I replied with a smile as he was very non-threatening and genuinely curious, and asked my own question, “Yes?”

He held up the letter which was addressed from Me to the “care of” Me and pointed at the return address on it and asked,

“I’m curious.”

My thought: “No kiddin’?”

“How come you’re sending a letter from yourself to yourself?”

I replied and asked, “In these envelopes are my winning lottery tickets, they are “intellectual property” for sale or for development, by Me or another. Have you heard of “copyrighting”?”

“Yep.”

“Well, you have noticed the words the letter is addressed to, and underneath C/O me?”

“Yep”

“I just copyrighted THAT phrase. No one else has thought of it before. Not only that, I own the Internet address or the domain, and I have an idea for a concept, I’ll put that little copyright symbol beside the phrase when I publish anything on the web with it. I will develop that into something with the help of a team or sell it to another that wants to do something of value with it.”

“Cool.“

“Isn’t it though?”

“You mean that’s all there is to it?”

“Yep. Most don’t know how easy it is to claim “rights” to their own “intellectual property”, that is the original ideas, inspirations and inventions of your mind that can be used to do something good and something big with.”

“Huh.” (And he actually scratched his head! It was so cute!)

Then and there I left him thinking because there was now a line-up for pick up at the mail room, I thanked him and said see you next time! As I walked away I could see his wheels spinning, this wasn’t the first batch of envelopes he had delivered to me, so he remembered me from before.

I was joined for the trek (in this building it is truly a trek) back, by the last person in line behind me who had been even more inconvenienced than I by the call to accept her books. She had just gotten off work an hour ago and was prepared to go to sleep for a while…I was excited that she got new books, and she was too…she just needed sleep…

I love people! I am observing them differently lately and having so much fun!

My new project is to “play with resistance” and see what shows up, ask more and different questions of others, notice how others “ask”. The exercise so far has had extreme value in it.

The power and value of “original thought” has been skillfully demonstrated to me lately. I have come to realize some of those dreams and innovations locked up in my head, and those heads of others are the stuff of “origin”. I am not sure if others have thought of my ideas before, and I do know, no one has acted upon them if they were first. It seems like me, many others tend to think another has “already done that”, in few cases they have. I have acted on a couple of “strong promptings” which have resulted in registered letters back to myself!

I am excited to be able to create some things anew, to define new terms out of re-purposing old materials – working with what we already have , to add value in new and thoughtful ways.

Have you ever had a brilliant idea out of nowhere? Or thought of something really cool only to have someone else show up with it? Doesn’t it make you wonder how 2 people at opposite ends of the earth from totally diverse situations can have the exact same great idea? I say it’s necessary to guarantee the existence of the idea, few if anyone actually acts on their promptings.

Next time you have a stroke of brilliance, write it down, take the next action step to claiming it as your own, if you don’t know what to do next, don’t worry about it, just start looking for those that can help you with that!

The important thing is that you act upon your ideas, others with like mind and more resources will be along to assist you with whatever comes next if YOU take the first step, you have to, it’s YOURS.

You’re probably not alone with your inspiration, and it’s up to you to take the lead with it, find the others that share your vision. I can guarantee you, your ideas have a financial value to them, it pays very, very well, and in fact, if you set things up “right”, your ideas will continue to pay your grandchildren and contribute to others long after you’re gone!

“Those that think govern those that labor.” – Marshall Sylver

The mailman and I will be connecting again I’m sure, I like his attitude and confidence and his curiosity – tells me he’s “open”. He’s a bold and friendly sort – or in this case “sorter” – and brings me my mailbox money from other ventures too, of course I’m always glad to see him! He always brings good stuff!

Lovin’ my life and the ease with which it is unfolding…

Have you offered another your “value” today?