"Your innovation keeps you ahead."


The other day, I was at a Chinese food restaurant and broke open my fortune cookie to find the sentence, "Your innovation keeps you ahead." No joke, that's actually what it said. Of course, I immediately knew I was going to write about it within the context of this class, and it got me thinking about the reasons people look to innovate. Is it simply to make money? Is it an obsession with being "ahead of the game?" Do some just get lucky with a good idea under the right conditions?

During my presentation, I asked the class whether they classed themselves as financially, creatively, or intellectually motivated in their quest to enter the workforce. Many of them responded that they felt their interests were a mixture of the categories, and consequently I've been thinking a lot about what it means, to me personally, to be "ahead." Really, I think that term is something that is different in meaning to every individual and is changing all the time for everyone. It doesn't just refer to some sense of satisfaction gleaned from being ahead of others in your field.

At this moment, I see my own personal drive as motivated by a desire for some kind of creative fulfillment and intellectual challenge. As a fourth year student who is about to graduate, I am very much aware of how sheltered my path has been up until this point, and the thought of going out into the world and pursuing challenging, creative projects is an exciting concept to me. In my mind, being "ahead" means being fulfilled and contributing meaningfully to something.

What does being ahead mean to you? I'd love to read about it.


Comments

  1. Alexandria Deer30 March 2018 at 14:11

    I love this post, Meaghan! I was recently asked to reflect on my university experience and what I found was that my idea of a "dream job" has completely changed since first year.

    When I came to Laurier, I had already completed a journalism diploma and had worked for two years in a very boring and unfulfilling job. After finishing my undergrad, my goal was to work in a communications officer-type role for a form of government. Having come to university from a job that was relatively insecure, offered no benefits, and didn't pay awfully well, I just wanted a job that I could feel confident and secure in. Now, four years later, I've realized that I'm really craving a position that is more creatively and intellectually challenging.

    For me, being "ahead" means challenging myself, always being on top of opportunities that come my way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sara Domaratzki2 April 2018 at 05:52

    Meaghan I really enjoyed this post. You did a great job making connections from your real life experiences to our class!

    Personally, this quotation "your innovation keeps you ahead" I think it has a lot to do with creativity, and just personally stimulating your own minds. I think a lot of people and creative minds get to a point where they need something NEW in their lives, and this hunger grows and grows into finally creating, or innovating. We as humans are CONSTANTLY innovating, even if you look at something as simple as your hairstyle. Humans are always colouring, cutting and highlighting their hair or in other words...innovating themselves.
    I think the truth is, we get bored. Our minds find a plateau every once in a while and innovation is something that wakes us up from our 'funk'.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kristina Kyriakis2 April 2018 at 10:11

    Hello Meaghan! Awesome post but additionally I truly enjoyed your presentation. Like you, I too would fall into the creative category. When I think of innovation, my mind begins to travel down a route of creation. If you are able to create work you are proud of, take leadership in your community etc. then you are innovating in your life.

    "Innovation keeps you ahead" is such a relevant quote for this course. I would interpret this as staying innovative with your goals and personal development. In life and even in your career, I don't think it should be seen as too much of a race with your colleagues or classmates because if you are constantly competing with others then it could lead to a pretty sad outlook on the world. Innovating yourself, on the other hand, making choices or doing something every day that can contribute to turning your goals/dreams into a reality is how I would interpret "Innovation keeps you ahead."

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