The True Sign of Intelligence is not Knowledge but Imagination

I've never blogged about my hobbies. So you may think, how is that relevant to a business blog? Here's why. One of my hobbies is reading about Physics. It was my science elective in high school, which just goes to show the impact of those electives.

My hobby has brought me into the minds of many great thinkers who were and are good at both the big picture and the small picture. One that has stood the test of time is, of course, Einstein.

Although I've read the book "The Other Einstein" in which his first wife is given credit for some of his ideas, you have to admire a man with a boring patent office job who continued to spend his spare time figuring out how the universe works. Furthermore, his theories have stood the test of time. Like myself, Einstein was no mathematical genius, which reassuringly didn't hinder his thought processes. In fact, he is the source for some of my favorite inspirational quotes.

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."

The take away here is the fact that much of business is challenging and a bit boring. Getting too entrenched in your everyday thoughts can carve a rut sometimes one that feels as deep as the Mariana Trench, which is considered to be the deepest part of the Earth's surface.

Devote more time to free and imaginative thought. It can go a long way toward finding small problem solutions that contribute to your own enterprise's big picture. Or take a wider and wider look at the scope of your entire business field and find creative ways to improve what you offer.