Be aware of the genius that sleeps within you. Your inner Da Vinci is patiently waiting for you to tap into its frequency. The process is simple and available to everybody and anybody.

As a result of connecting to and optimizing your creative capacity, you’ll identify opportunity more readily. You will navigate and overcome obstacles with ease and confidence.

The first of the three steps to stimulate your creativity is: Awareness. Awareness comes in two parts.

A. Self-Awareness:

Know who you are; be conscious of what you do, how and why you do it. Connect to your values. Be very aware of your senses. Don’t just look. See! Don’t just hear the noise. Listen to the sounds. Dissect and understand the sounds — the nuances, the subtleties. Take the time to break down what you taste when eating and drinking. Allow your brain to register the textures of things you touch or that touch you and so forth. Self-awareness overlaps into the realm of mindfulness.

B. External Awareness:

Be aware of your surroundings, people, and environment. The more you observe and pay attention to life and absorb that information, the more information you have stored in your library of resources or knowledge to use as inspiration at a later time.

It is said that there are no new ideas, only new combinations of existing ideas. Arm yourself with the ability to conjure new cocktails with your unique twist.

I often find inspiration in the strangest places: people watching at airports, in magazine articles, listening to the different perspectives of friends, acquaintances and strangers, too. The more open and receptive I am to new information, the bigger my bag of tricks becomes.

In addition, be conscious of how you impact your environment and how it impacts you.

“Know thyself,” as the Greeks would say.

You will strengthen relationships, achieve more, and become a better leader, parent, or friend. You will be empowered to set clear boundaries because you are aware of who you are in relationship to who others are.

Be acutely aware of your strengths and weaknesses (SWOT Analysis). Strengthen your strengths and your weaknesses will fade.

The nine top areas to exercise your awareness are: