Do you have the "spark" of innovation?

Every once in a while, established industries change - all it takes is a spark created by true innovators. Their enthusiasm fuels a blazing switch of mentalities and processes, and what it used to be status quo is no more. It takes true passion and commitment to achieve this kind of spectacular change - but very often, this is exactly what pushes the human race forward.

Just think of what the Walkman did to the portable music industry - it completely revolutionised it. But then again, all it took for the industry to be re-revolutionised whas the spark ignited by another product - the iPod. This kind of change is good. Although Sony, the company behind the Walkman, might disagree, the arrival of the iPod pushed the boundaries even further, and in turn, made listening to music a more pleasant and rewarding experience. This article is not about the iPod, and not even about Steve Jobs - the innovator behind it. It is about that spark that triggers change and outstanding evolution. 

I believe that it all boils down to passionate people, who have the courage to challenge generally accepted truths about the world around them. Back in the day, we used to think that road vehicles are reserved only for the upper class in society. That was the case, and it was accepted as such. But not by Henry Ford - he completely turned the car industry upside down with the introduction of the assembly line. The first car to ever be produced this way, the Ford Model T, was the first wave of what was about to come. The car industry changed, and the human race evolved along with it.

Probably each one of us has a little bit of Steve Jobs or Henry Ford mentality. We need to let this mentality come alive, and actually ask ourselves: how can I make something better? I am particularly sure that most of you thought of a great new way to do/build something, but let it go as the task of implementing it was too cumbersome - apparently impossible. We must shake this off, and let our inner innovators come to light. The "innovators" are still part of the human race, and we are a lot more similar than you might imagine. The accepted innovators are not extraterrestrials, or part of another race - they are human, just like you and me. All they have differently is their mentality. Imagine if more people would think and act like them - where would the human race be in 50 years? I believe it would be skyrocketing towards excellence at a great pace, taking every one of us along for an extraordinary journey.

Think about it, and the next time you have a great idea, don't just let it go. It might be the next "spark" which might detonate massive change and improvement.