When opportunity knocks are you playing Angry Birds?

Great ideas are born every day; many by very ordinary people. How many times has opportunity come pounding on your front door only to be ignored because you were playing video games, watching Family Guy, or sleeping in?

Two years ago I bought a retractable leash for my pooch. When I used it, I felt as though I didn’t have as firm of a grasp on my dog as I did with an old-fashioned nylon leash. So, I rigged up a secondary handle with a plastic bungee keychain that held the hard casing more firmly to my wrist so if I accidentally let go of the handle my dog wouldn’t escape. Aren’t I smart?


Well, I’ve been using my little invention for years now and it's been very handy. Enter, Capability: Mom and her blog entry about a new attachment for retractable leashes. She sponsored a contest to give away the Freehand Safety Strap and yours truly was the lucky winner.


Well, guess what? The attachment works very similarly to the one I concocted years ago. Granted, the end result isn’t as primitive as mine and is adjustable (you can also undo the buckle to attach your dog to another object such as a park bench). However, the concept is the same as my crude prototype; connecting the hard casing to wrist of the dog walker. Just like the contraption I jerry rigged years ago, the accessory gives a second layer of protection while using a retractable leash.

The inventor obviously saw the same flaw with the retractable leash that I did. The difference? He designed the accessory, manufactured it, and now has it on the market! And I was watching an episode of The Simpsons. D’oh!

So, this lesson from The School of Hard Knocks comes at my expense. However, there is still hope for me—and you! Rest assured, the next time I find some way to improve a product, I’m not just going to keep the idea to myself. Lesson learned.

So, my friends, learn from my mistake. Open your eyes! Listen! Innovate! But, most importantly, execute! Act! Do! Create! Take that extra step in life. Don’t let your million dollar idea become someone else’s fortune. Take action! That’s what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary, is it not?

24 comments:

  1. OMG...as you know I am quite adverse to these leashes but I must say that this is so SIMPLY ingenious and like you...I have been "busy" watching The Simpsons or Family Guy while my ideas are telepathically embedded in the braincells of some more proactive individual. This post is so inspiring...I have something in my brain the last few days...am going to get working on it right away...Doh!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent! Get crackin', Rachel! I look forward to hearing about your project when it's up and going ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. If The Simpsons has taught me anything, it's that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead.

    You make an excellent point though. We often think our own ideas must have been done before ... or aren't worth sharing. It's important to act when inspiration hits. If it's been done move on. If not, it might be worth pursuing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha ha! That comment makes me like you even more than I already did, Chris! Okily dokily!

    Yeah, you're right though! Act when inspiration hits! I'm putting that on my to do list ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I gotta Gurrrl...unemployment runs out soon and with being X years out of work...I gotta come up with the next big thing...lol..and I gotta hurry cause I know I am transmitting as we speak....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Someone's gotta come up with the next big thing. Why can't it be YOU?

    Good luck, Rachel!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This was a very interesting read! The idea you had was so intriguing....you have that to your credit!!

    I congratulate you on your decision to "go for it" the next time! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for stopping by, Catherine! I appreciate the support! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love that you had your own prototype! If it makes you feel better, Deric (the inventor) is also a talented musician and a nice guy, too.

    Thanks for such a nice mention and link to my site - I don't do many giveaways but this product is terrific.

    You will have a great idea and will follow it through - I can just tell.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I wish Deric nothing but the best! He's a doer and I wish him much success. It's a great little invention and I hope it catches on. Those retractable leashes can be so dangerous!

    Thanks again the attachment! We're enjoying it very much ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I use the Freehand Safety strap too and it's a godsend when I need to strap my dog around a bench or a pole while I run into the school for drop off every day!

    I love it! I hope to see him on How I Made My Millions on day!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yeah, that's a great feature of the product. Unhooking the leash can be so dangerous!

    I hope he's done well with the product, too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. OMG...as you know I am quite averse to these leashes but I must say that this is so SIMPLY ingenious and like you...I have been "busy" watching The Simpsons or Family Guy while my ideas are telepathically embedded in the braincells of some more proactive individual. This post is so inspiring...I have something in my brain the last few days...am going to get working on it right away...Doh!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Excellent! Get crackin', Rachel! I look forward to hearing about your project when it's up and going ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. If The Simpsons has taught me anything, it's that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead.

    You make an excellent point though. We often think our own ideas must have been done before ... or aren't worth sharing. It's important to act when inspiration hits. If it's been done move on. If not, it might be worth pursuing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ha ha! That comment makes me like you even more than I already did, Chris! Okily dokily!

    Yeah, you're right though! Act when inspiration hits! I'm putting that on my to do list ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh I gotta Gurrrl...unemployment runs out soon and with being X years out of work...I gotta come up with the next big thing...lol..and I gotta hurry cause I know I am transmitting as we speak....

    ReplyDelete
  18. Someone's gotta come up with the next big thing. Why can't it be YOU?

    Good luck, Rachel!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This was a very interesting read! The idea you had was so intriguing....you have that to your credit!!

    I congratulate you on your decision to "go for it" the next time! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for stopping by, Catherine! I appreciate the support! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love that you had your own prototype! If it makes you feel better, Deric (the inventor) is also a talented musician and a nice guy, too.

    Thanks for such a nice mention and link to my site - I don't do many giveaways but this product is terrific.

    You will have a great idea and will follow it through - I can just tell.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I wish Deric nothing but the best! He's a doer and I wish him much success. It's a great little invention and I hope it catches on. Those retractable leashes can be so dangerous!

    Thanks again the attachment! We're enjoying it very much ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I use the Freehand Safety strap too and it's a godsend when I need to strap my dog around a bench or a pole while I run into the school for drop off every day!

    I love it! I hope to see him on How I Made My Millions on day!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yeah, that's a great feature of the product. Unhooking the leash can be so dangerous!

    I hope he does well with the product, too!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...