unconventional Thoughts

How Your Ridiculous Ideas Make You Successful

You can’t fly like an eagle if you think like a turkey.

Conventional thinking is almost always wrong. Ron LeGrand

“Hey Ratshit,” called out Barney Paradise.

I turned around to see what he wanted. He cracked up. “Man, you answer to just about anything, don’t you.”

I knew he was calling me, and I thought it was funny too. So funny that I had it printed on the back of my t-shirt. I had it emblazoned on my caricature at the Six Flags over Texas the following summer. That was 1977/78, and I have friends who, to this day, call me Ratshit.

How does that make anybody’s life better? I am so glad that you asked.

Barney Paradise was the training manager for Pizza Hut at the time, and I was a trainee in his store. I learned much from him, not because I was a willing student, but because he had ways to get through to a young buckeroo who thought he was a hotshot, and God’s gift to humanity. I still believe the second part is right, but I digress.

On the eve of my promotion, Barney sat me down to give me the news, and some final advice. The only thing I remember is the ridiculous idea he had about how to be successful as the general manager of a Piza Hut.

I was being assigned to a unit that nobody wanted. If you were the GM of the 39th Street store, it meant that you were either getting started or you were on your way out. Barney told me I could make my mark by taking that store to the heights no one thinks is possible. That was ridiculous. What was funnier was his idea about how to do it.

It was completely unconventional and opposite of what I had learned from everyone else in the previous two years. Barney said to forget about the prime time hours of operation. “Make sure you schedule yourself to work the slowest periods. That’s where the company is losing business, and that’s where you can build.”

Being the weirdo that I am, I took his ridiculous idea to heart. As a result, I became a respectable new manager whom people listened to, and eventually, won the highest sales growth award for my region of 137 units. That success taught me to embrace ridiculous. More outrageous, the better.

I once had the ridiculous idea of becoming a Real Estate tycoon. I bought the Ron LeGrand Real Estate Investment Program and used his silly ideas to use other people’s money. He teaches that conventional thinking is almost always wrong. It took me four months, but I made 8K+ flipping a townhome.

Using the same ridiculous idea, I opened a Pizza Restaurant and started a Seminar Business. Both of them failed. Not every effort is always fruitful. However, I learned the difference between an employee and an entrepreneur mindset along the way.

Then I had the ridiculous idea to become a balloon twister because I was tired of working for the man. My wife fought me tooth and nail; she said it was nonsensical for me to think that I can make any money as a balloon twister. I have been doing it for twelve years now.

After three years, I got tired of her nagging. When my youngest graduated from high school, I had another ridiculous idea. I packed up the things, moved into my van, and became a nomad.

Around the same time, Chris Guillebeau started blogging about his ridiculous idea and called it the Art of Non-Conformity. He created a humongous following, wrote multiple best-selling books, and started the World Domination Summit. I’ve had the honor of speaking at the 2012 World Domination Summit. Chris is a prolific ridiculous idea generator.

“You don’t have to live your life the way others expect.” ~ Chris Guillebeau

Four years ago, following another ridiculous idea, I walked over 2,500 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica along Historic Route 66, at 62 years of age. It strengthened my Faith, boosted my self-esteem, and encouraged me to work on another ridiculous idea that I have been harboring for over 15 years. I am going to stand atop Mount Everest on my 75th birthday.

Oh, also, like most of you, I am currently pursuing the ridiculous idea of making a living through writing and earning at least a mid-four-figure income on Medium. At last, I have Dr. Mehmet Yildiz and his absurd idea of starting a new publication and becoming one of the top ten in twelve months to help me along the way.

What are some of the ridiculous ideas that have guided you to become a better version of yourself? Sherry McGuinn Diane Overcash Holly Jahangiri Remington Write Kathryn A. LeRoy, Ph.D. Kevin Buddaeus René Junge Timothy Key Paul Myers MBA Salam Khan Anyone else wants to jump in? I don’t want to trigger anything.

BTW, now, there is a new word to describe ridiculous ideas.

It’s called Innovation.

Whodathunkit?

As always, thank you for reading and responding.

Here are some of my ridiculous stories and articles.

Rasheed Hooda is a regular contributor to #ILLUMINATION, a writers’ social group improving quality of submissions on Medium, where writers support each other to grow and prosper.

He is a self-proclaimed weirdo who lives a Freedom Lifestyle and writes about related topics — Travel (a top writer), Personal Growth, Freedom, and entrepreneurship. (Join the Tribe)

“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”