When Darth Vader tried to persuade young Skywalker to join the dark side, it wasn’t a very compelling proposition. Who wants to wear black, talk weird, and live like a monster? If the dark side were that unappealing, it would be easy to say no.

But that’s not what modern-day darkness looks like at all. Instead it is shiny, juicy, and tempting. It comes perfectly packaged and marketed directly to our soft spots. That delicious candy bar or cheeseburger that poisons your body and robs your vitality. The expensive handbag that you have to have, but only drives you deeper into debt after momentary pleasure. That relationship that’s all surface and no substance.

In fact, the dark side looks anything but dark. It is appealing in every way and is designed to test you. Anyone can say no to living in a cave. It’s much harder to say no to the illustrious temptations that adeptly lure you in to their evil grips.

It often comes down to small choices. Should you watch trash reality TV or read something inspiring? Should you hit the bar or hit the gym? Should you perpetuate a relationship that provides nothing more than momentary indulgences or seek a partner that helps you reach the next level?

At nearly every turn you’ll face scrumptious temptations. The good news is that you get to make each choice along the way. Momentary pleasure or sustainable fulfillment. The easy thing or the right thing. Darkness or light.

If you think about it, your life becomes simply the product of all the choices you make. How important is it to achieve your full potential? To fulfill your long-term dreams? To make your biggest possible impact?

If you prioritize true fulfillment, you’ll have to make some tough choices along your journey. You’ll need to have the strength to say no to overwhelming temptation in order to say yes to your real calling. Here in 2012, we don’t conquer evil with light sabers. Today your weapon is purpose, passion, and commitment. You’ll win the fight with inner focus rather than outer strength.

The dark side is only getting more alluring. Which means your commitment to excellence is needed more than ever. Don’t be outsmarted by the hollow temptress. Stand firm in your place of power and watch these enticing shams crumble into dust.

As the dark side becomes yummier, it’s time for you to strengthen your resolve.

Master Yoda will be proud.

I recently spent some time laughing hysterically while playing board games with my kids. There’s nothing better than watching a kid unleash an enormous laugh, is there? It got me thinking about the many things we can learn from child’s play that apply directly to our lives today as hard-driving, world-conquering, eat-nails-for-breakfast adults:

1. You Need a Challenge. With nearly every game ending in a tie, the primitive and simple game of tic-tac-toe gets old in about three minutes. That’s because human growth and fulfillment come in the midst of challenge. “A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner”, the English proverb states. We are meant to take on complex challenges, gaining confidence through achievement. If you are feeling stretched, this is a good sign and indicates you are becoming stronger and more powerful. Conversely, if you find yourself punching the clock and mastering your surroundings, it’s time to push yourself to a more challenging game.

2. Listen to Your Instincts. Remember the game “You’re Getting Warmer” where one kid is blindfolded and has to find another. With each step, the other kids chant “you’re getting warmer” or “you’re getting colder.” Try playing this game by yourself. It turns out we have an incredible ability to tap into our own intuition if we simply listen. When you make various choices in life, your instincts tell you if you’re getting warmer or colder. Deep inside, you know if your moves are driving you closer to your life’s vision or if your choices are destructive and luring you away from reaching your potential. Kids listen to their intuition, but we adults often fail to hear.

3. Playing the Game is the Fun Part. Imagine you’re “it” in a game of hide-and-seek, but when you open your eyes everyone is in plain sight. Sure, you “won” the game but it certainly wasn’t enjoyable. As adults, we are often so focused on future outcomes that we fail to savor the moment. In the midst of the game with the rush of uncertainty, we find joy and delight. When the game is over, kids insightfully say, “let’s play again!” It’s time to start enjoying the journey instead of postponing our happiness.

4. It’s Best When It’s Your Turn. Every kid wants to go first because they get to be the active driver of their experience. Knowing this, why do so many of us relinquish our power and allow life to happen “to” us? Studies show that happiness at work is often linked to jobs where individuals have more autonomy. Of course, this same principle goes far beyond our careers. We’re wired to be the architects of our own existence, not the subjects of others. In an era with nearly limitless possibility, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be calling your own shots.

In today’s turbulent times, many of us are in a state of imbalance, stress, or even panic. Yet sometimes the most potent insights are right in front of us. As my 14-year-old son likes to tell me, “get your head in the game, Dad.”

Go ahead. It’s your turn to spin the wheel.

Back in the 60′s when Dr. King gave his world-changing speech in Washington, the movement was centered on a specific desired outcome – legislation to enforce racial equality. In the early 70′s, protesters gathered for a different specific outcome – to get out of Vietnam.

Today we have cities around the world being “occupied” by protestors trying to start a movement. Unlike their predecessors, however, their demands are vague, muddled, and completely inactionable.

I was in San Francisco last week and wandered into “occupied” territory. I spoke to several protesters with an open mind to better understand what they want changed. Rather than clearly articulated demands, I heard a mish-mosh of angry spew.

Here are some actual responses I received when I asked the simple question of “What do you want to happen?”

“It isn’t fair that big companies make a lot of money but we are poor.”

“It’s time we stood up for our rights as citizens. We won’t be silenced!”

I searched the camp, politely asking what specific objectives they were trying to achieve. I could not get a single coherent answer. Did they want Bank of America to start handing out crisp hundreds to anyone who asks? Did they want to change tax policy in a Robin Hood redistribution-of-wealth fashion? Did they want the SEC to restrict companies from profiting or creating jobs?

Industry or government is not taking the Occupy movement seriously, mainly because they are not rallied around a specific mission. Being angry and having a lot of wants doesn’t motivate change. While they profess to represent “the 99%”, they are really just a fringe group of frustrated people that would rather complain than make a real difference. As a result, it is highly unlikely that this “movement” will accomplish much of anything.

If you are an entrepreneur, business executive, marketer, community leader, or any person seeking to drive progress, you need to do two important things that the Occupiers are missing:

1. Create a rational case for change. Just being angry isn’t enough. You need to clearly articulate why the current state is unacceptable in a thoughtful, reasonable way. No one will be moved to action unless they understand why they must act.

2. Make a specific, realistic ask. Demanding a Prius and a high-paying job for every American is a foolish, unattainable request that is completely inactionable. On the other hand, real change can occur when a rational and consistent solution is proposed.

Now I’m all about shattering conventional wisdom and driving meaningful change. There’s simply a way to effectuate progress that can yield actual results and another way that creates only agitation.

As you frame your own passionate case for the things you want in your own life, choose the method that will actually get something done. It’s one thing to “occupy.” It’s another thing to win.

Fact: Creativity has become the most needed skill in business. It’s gone from a nice-to-have to becoming mission-critical.

Fact: Creativity is a learned behavior. All humans have enormous creative potential.

Fact: Most of us don’t feel all that creative. Most of us have radically underdeveloped creativity skills and we hold back our most innovative ideas due to fear and socialization.

Why don’t more of us unleash our true creative potential? Why don’t we let our imagination soar with reckless abandon? Why do we restrict our sense of wonder and possibility? Songwriter Harry Chapin answers these questions far better than I can with the lyrics to his song:

Flowers Are Red, by Harry Chapin

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin’ young man

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.
—

It happens thousands of times a day, and not just to kids. When will we stop shaming each other into following straight lines? When will we realize it is our responsibly to encourage divergent thinking? When will we teach each other that if you follow the rules, think there’s only one “right” answer, and avoid mistakes at all costs, we’re simply resigning ourselves to mediocrity?

Its time to unshackle our imagination and let our creativity come out to play. What color are your flowers?

On Thursday, we lost the popular actor Peter Falk, who was most famous for his role as Lieutenant Colombo.  In 69 episodes from 1968-2003, millions hung on the edge of their seats waiting for each mystery to be solved by our lovable hero.

Colombo’s secret of cracking the case had nothing to do with fancy DNA tests, web searches, or advanced surveillance.  The techniques to bring each “perp” to justice weren’t trained in the police academy, nor were they based on standard operating protocol.

Rather, the disheveled Lt. Colombo solved each case using his most powerful weapon: curiosity.

Just when we thought the case would go cold, Colombo scratched his head and asked his trademark question: “There’s just one more thing I don’t understand….”  The ever-curious character never stopped asking questions; never stopped wondering.  He used his imagination to piece each puzzle together, frequently asking the subjects of his polite interrogations to “Tell me more about that.”

In our own lives, it’s easy to just accept things as they are.  When we hear information that appears credible, we often take it at face value.  We are coaxed into accepting the status quo, while believing we’re helpless to effectuate change.

Colombo took the unconventional route, and so can you.  By awakening your curiosity, you can tune in to the limitless possibilities at your disposal.  It’s time to unleash your creative potential and stick your thumb in the eye of conventional wisdom.

Curiosity is the building block of creativity, innovation, and original thought.  The more curious you become, the more you see the world not for what it is, but what it can be.  The ones that make history -the great inventors, explorers, and leaders of nations – all share an unquenchable sense of wonder.  Their burning curiosity allows them to first see a better future, and then set about making it happen.

The good news is that curiosity is a gift that we all share.  Even those grumpy curmudgeons that claim “I’m not creative”, have incredible potential to see the world from new perspectives.  The research shows that creativity and curiosity are primarily learned behaviors.  The more we use those skills, the sharper they become.

Today, police academies around the world teach the “Colombo Technique” of investigation.  The antiquated and preposterous expression that “curiosity killed the cat” can only apply if the “cat” is referring to outdated ways of leading, winning, and living.

Give yourself and those around you permission to explore the possibilities.  Become enchanted with the blank canvas in front of you.  Liberate your curiosity, and you’ll be well equipped to paint your own masterpiece.

Instead of rising to meet the challenges of the day, our outdated and bureaucratic school systems are busy “teaching to the test.”  Instead of “No Child Left Behind”, they are all being left behind and are ill-prepared to succeed in the new era of business…and life.

Today, we live in a world of dizzying speed, exponential complexity, and ruthless competition.  We can no longer rely on the models of the past in order to win.  Today, we need an entirely new approach.  Unfortunately, the rigid and formulaic educational system is robbing the next generation of their competitive edge.

So what can we do about it?  Most of the problem lives in the system, not in the passionate teachers who desperately want to develop hungry minds.  In fact, we should honor and celebrate teachers, as there isn’t a more noble profession.  Even within the stifling factory system, teachers can break free and liberate the minds of their pupils.  These concepts are top priority, and can be embraced immediately:

1.       Teach creative problem solving over rote memorization. How to reach an answer is far more important than making the right choice on a standardized test and then forgetting the concept the next day.

2.       Teach kids to challenge assumptions instead of accepting things “as is.” Success is no longer about following an operating manual.  It is about imagining the possibilities and real-time innovation.

3.       Teach that mistakes are not evil, and should not be feared. Make sure kids learn that mistakes aren’t fatal – they’re simply the portals of discovery.

4.       Drive diversity of thought over conformity. World progress occurs by challenging conventional wisdom and approaching problems with fresh perspective.  Following the herd is a surefire path to mediocrity.

5.       Forster imagination and curiosity. No longer optional, creativity has become the currency of success for us all.  This applies to CEO’s and soccer-moms.  Musicians and military leaders.  Engineers and educators.

Developing the Creative Class mindset will allow kids to win in the future instead of falling victim to a broken system.  If we don’t make the philosophical shift to teach critical thinking instead of rule-following memorization, our very status as an economic superpower will soon be in jeopardy.

While we’re at it, why stop with kids?  Funny enough, these are the same principles needed for any organization to thrive.  Let’s learn from the deficit facing our children.  It’s time to empower our teams, colleagues and ourselves with the same mission-critical ingredients for success.

In the words of Charles Barkley, “Anything less would be uncivilized.”

It was widely accepted that a computer could never beat a grand master at a game of chess. Until, of course, when IBM’s Deep Blue computer bested the reigning world champion, Gary Kasparov, in 1996. What was once unimaginable had become reality.

A new game from Matel called Mind Flex allows you to use your brain waves to control a ball without any other device (http://bit.ly/jxkSZ ). I’m sure hundreds of people along the way told the engineers that a person could never move an object with only their mind.

There was a time when many of the things we take for granted today were deemed “impossible”. The telephone, electricity, the motor car, airplanes, computers, cell phones, and iPods were all originally criticized as fanciful dreams. In fact, for nearly every major breakthrough, there were herds of doubtful, finger-pointing critics.

And yet, we now enjoy all these things, along with breakthroughs in healthcare, art, science, business, manufacturing and more, due to “fanciful dreamers” that refused to accept the status quo. The nay-sayers are never the ones that make the history books. Instead, we celebrate those with the intellectual curiosity to imagine a better world and then the courage to make it so.

In the words of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” So why do most of us get caught on the first stage and end up throwing in the towel?

Think of all the amazing ideas that were never brought to life due to the harsh criticism and doubt that plagued their inventors. Think about all the ideas that you have had, but never pursued do to your own doubts and fears. What would happen if you unleashed your currently shackled creativity? Even if nine out of ten of your new ideas stink, that one remaining idea could be that gem. It could just be the breakthrough that changes your career, your company, or even your life.

This week, silence the critics (both the external ones and your own internal critical voice). Think about the possibilities instead of the obstacles. Imagine the ideal solutions to your challenges, rather than the safe ones. Leave the words “It can’t be done” for others. While they are worrying about what can’t be done, you can get on with actually doing it.

Chimps are to humans as humans are to ______ ?

Dr. Neil Tyson, the brilliant director of New York City’s Natural History Museum, speculates on what extra-terrestrials would be like if they were as much smarter than us as we are than chimps. It’s a very clever and fascinating speculation….
http://tinyurl.com/ll78v7

What’s the most innovative company in the world?

IBM has long held the title of the most innovative company in the world, because it turns out the most patents. But if you measure the quality of the patents, another company – in fact, several other companies – beat IBM. Which ones are they?
http://tinyurl.com/yfpakuh

How much is creativity worth?

The answer turns out to be 500 % if you’re two very clever kids selling a BMX bike, in one of the funniest marketing videos in a long time. http://tinyurl.com/kw5wxg

Does size matter in innovation?

We think of the IBMs of the world the chief source of innovation, but a quick tour of the latest Consumer Electronic Show demonstrates that innovation can come from unexpected places. http://tinyurl.com/yjcotvz

The Power of Lego to Inspire

If you didn’t play with Legos as a child you missed out. The good news is that it’s never too late. Lego – and any tactile construction-type child game like it – can help adults jump-start their creativity no matter how old or uninspired. This short moving will get you thinking about Lego and all the ways it can inspire your creative thinking: http://bit.ly/bVQLgr

The 6 Myths of Creativity

Do you need to inspire creative work in your organization? A recent study shows that the ways people usually think about creativity in organizations are not necessarily born out by the facts. Get the real scope on how to make creativity work for you here: http://bit.ly/d3xJVU

Sometimes It’s Just a Picture that Inspires

One sign of a truly creative mind is to take ordinary household items that don’t usually come under the category of inspirational and use them to create wonderful new ideas and mental landscapes. The artist here clearly thinks out of the box, the egg carton, and the bowl: http://bit.ly/cIEEZt

Helping Left-Brainers Become Creative

It’s not just the accountants and the lawyers – there are a lot of left-brain people in the workplace, and they need help becoming more creative. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to ease left-brainers into a more creative working mode. Find ten suggestions here: http://bit.ly/c0wTKS

Your mind has hidden superpowers!

What does the power of placebo pills have to do with realizing your dreams? Both depend on your mind. Your mind can take a sugar pill and cure cancer. And it can take an idea – say, a personal computer in everyone’s home – and make it a reality. It just takes belief – and action: http://bit.ly/ak6IzT

Brilliantly creative healthcare advertising

Sometimes it seems like the only news coming out of healthcare is bad. It’s all about complexity, cost, and, well, screwups. But there are some areas of healthcare that are pacing the rest of the world economy, and advertising is one of them. These ads will frighten, laugh, and surprise you into good health. http://tinyurl.com/y9q3ezv

Brainstorming made easy

Having a hard time coming up with some new ideas? John Michel has made it easy for you with this idea-generating pinwheel. Just press the button, and a new idea comes up – and it’s absolutely free. http://tinyurl.com/ksvnmx

Even a contact lens?

People often use the excuse that their field is not a very creative one. That just means that it’s time for creative people to get to work! In this case, if you thought innovation was over with in the contact lens field, think again. Here’s something you have never seen before: http://tinyurl.com/kpao66