Innovation as a Lifestyle Try what you haven't tried

By Mel Arat

Introducing "Innovation as a Lifestyle" - a groundbreaking book that will help you transform the way you approach life and work. In this book, you will learn how to embrace innovation as a way of life and unlock your full potential.

The book is divided into twelve comprehensive chapters, each one packed with practical strategies, technique

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melih Arat
• Release date: May 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088111956

Book preview

1 Be Different

Grocery Store

"Mister Smith, the owner of the only grocery store on a busy street, was alarmed when a new grocery store opened right next door. A large sign was installed that read:

BEST DEALS.

Mister Smith was troubled again when yet another grocery store opened on the other side of his store, with an even larger sign that read:

LOWEST PRICES.

Mister Smith was deeply troubled, but he came up with an idea and put the biggest sign on his own store:

MAIN ENTRANCE.

"Behold the turtle.

He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."

James Bryant Conant

The passengers of Southwest Airlines bound for Salt Lake City were ready to fly. Flight attendant Mary Cobb scanned the cabin and began her safety announcement:

I’d like to pretend to have your attention for just a few moments.

My ex-husband, my new boyfriend, and our divorce attorney are going to show you the safety features on this 737-800 series. It’s been a long day for me. To properly fasten your seatbelt slide the flat end in the buckle. To release, lift up on the buckle.

Position your seatbelt tight & low across your hips like my grandmother wears her support bra. If you get mad and want to take your toys and go home, there are eight ways to get there. Two forward exit doors, two overwing window exits, two rear exist. There are signs overhead and lights on the floor near each exit.

Everybody gets a door prize in the seatback pocket in front of you along with dirty diapers, chewing gum wrappers, banana peels and all other gifts you leave for us. Right on top is a safety information card. Take it out, check it out.

You’ll notice in the highly unlikely event that the captain lands us near a hot tub, everybody gets their own teeny weeny yellow Southwest bikini. One size fits all. Take it out only when told to do so. Place it over your head, put that strap around your waist, buckle it in front, pull it tight and once outside, pull the red tab to inflate.

….

That’s it for the do’s and don’ts of show & tell. So, sit back and relax or you can sit up and be tense, either way. It’s a one and a half hour flight, gate to gate; the clock’s already ticking. Seriously, if there is anything at all we can do to make your flight more enjoyable please tell us, just as soon as we land in Salt Lake City. And if there’s anything you can do to make our flight more enjoyable, we’ll tell you immediately. We’re not shy on Southwest.

That’s what we call very cheap entertainment. Nobody had to pay extra, but you certainly don’t get a refund. Thank you for choosing Southwest, welcome aboard!

The flight attendant Mary Cobb found a creative way to make safety announcements. Instead of simply reciting the standard information, she found a way to relax the passengers and make the task more enjoyable. Her bold approach was unique and not something that is commonly seen. Her brave attempt brought her sensational fame and appreciation from both the passengers and the airline.

The Second Most Famous Astronaut

Cady Coleman is perhaps the second most famous astronaut after Neil Armstrong, who famously walked on the Moon. While Coleman did not walk on Mars, she accomplished several other notable feats during her time in space. In April 2011, she became the first astronaut to play the flute in space, and she was also the first person to build Lego models in space. Cady's Lego creations were not just for fun, but also served as a way to demonstrate to children how simple machines behave in a microgravity environment. She conducted experiments with the models and shared the results with students and teachers back on Earth through video and crew commentary, making her a unique and memorable astronaut in space exploration history.

In an unprecedented move, astronaut Cady Coleman gave a tour of the International Space Station in April 2011, and an exclusive performance of the song Get Yourself Paroled (Honey I Miss You) on the flute. Her mini-concert from space was broadcast all around the world, and it was a unique moment in the history of space exploration.

Not only she accomplished her mission as an astronaut, but she also had a lot of fun while doing one of the most sophisticated jobs in the universe. Her extraordinary skills, creative approach and ability to make things fun were likely factors in how she was selected by NASA for this distinguished task in space. Her performance was a memorable moment that highlighted not just her technical expertise but also her ability to bring a human touch to space exploration.

Call Me Maybe, The US Olympic Swimming Team

Usually, swimming is not the most popular sport, it often takes a back seat to sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball. In the USA, the situation is no different. People do not typically watch swimming competitions. However, in 2012, that all changed.

Carley Rae Jepsen's hit song Call Me, Maybe was at the top of the music charts in 2012. The song became a huge hit across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. The timing of this musical sensation happened to be just months before the US Olympic Team was about to leave for the 2012 London Olympics. According to Charles Hartley, The song got so big, and stirred people's romantic emotions so much, and evoked such catchy-ness and good-feeling frivolity, that the team decided to produce a video about it as one way to promote the team and show them having fun.

The video was an astonishing performance of sensational swimmers getting in touch with their groove thing. On the plane flying the team to London, Missy Franklin was dancing down the aisle. Ryan Lochte stood still by a pool giving a kiss gesture to the camera. Rebecca Soni and Ricky Berens were about to kiss when, just before their lips touched, Dana Vollmer broke between them, seemingly out of nowhere, and cut short the act. The video went viral, and it was a significant factor that brought swimming to the spotlight and made it one of the most watched sports in the 2012 London Olympics.

The world fell in love with the song and the US Olympic Swimming Team's video. On YouTube, hundreds of millions of people viewed the video and started to watch the swimming competitions in the Olympics. Even people from other nations were rooting for the American team. The video was a major factor in bringing swimming to the spotlight and making it one of the most watched sports in the 2012 London Olympics. Finally, the team won the gold medal.

It was unusual and extraordinary for a swimming team to promote themselves through a music video, but it was a creative and effective approach that helped to generate excitement and interest in the sport. The team not only had an unforgettable experience together, but they also contributed to the popularity of swimming. The team's members had a remarkable moment in their career and a lifetime memory with this creative activity.

A Coffee Shop that Gives a Crap | Poop Cafe, Seoul

Seoul is a city known for its abundance of coffee shops, ranging from thematic cafes to modern and classic establishments. However, one cafe stands out from the rest: the Poop Café, also known as Ddong Cafe. This coffee shop has mastered the art of turning the concept of poop into something cute and adorable. In this cafe, they serve sweets in the shape of poop, and the coffee cups are in the form of a toilet. While the idea may not sound appealing at first, it has proven to be a successful and unique approach. The founders' creative approach helped them to start one of the most famous cafes in Seoul. The Poop Café is incredibly popular and has become a must-see destination in the city. Its bold and creative approach has proven to be an international success, making it a unique and memorable experience for visitors.

Gangnam Style Arabic Parody

On a sunny day, Karim Jovian and his group of friends danced to the music of Gangnam Style on the streets of New York City. They created a parody of the song, using it as a call to action to overcome bigotry, racism, and discrimination. They wrote special lyrics for the song, and through the combination of lively dances and meaningful lyrics, the music video became a powerful message and was viewed by millions on YouTube.

Despite the efforts of many non-profit organizations to combat ethnic and religious discrimination, their conventional methods such as booklets, flyers, conferences, and magazines are less effective and more costly in comparison to this extraordinary music video. The producer, Karim Jovian, and his friends had a lot of fun during the production process, as they were able to connect their message to a popular song and reach a vast audience.

Saving a Shoveled-Out Parking Space

In the long, cold winters of Boston, finding a parking spot can be a challenging task. To secure a spot, one must clear the snow and risk losing it to another driver. However, Valerie Kelly, a 32-year-old teacher, decided to take a more positive approach to saving her shoveled-out parking space in South Boston. On Tuesday, Valentine's Day, instead of using an old chair or an orange cone, she painted red hearts on the mounds of snow and left festive notes for anyone who might attempt to take her spot.

Don't break my heart and leave me nowhere to park, said one note, written in black marker on a large piece of pink construction paper. The other note read, Grab a treat and continue down the street, offering space-seekers a treat from the bowl of candy she left out. With this creative approach, Kelly was able to protect her space, while also bringing a smile to the faces of those searching for a spot of their own.

Making a Difference

Adam Chestnut, a newspaper boy in Toronto, wanted to make a difference. He hand-wrote notes to his customers, asking them to donate used clothes and other household items. On USA Weekend's annual Make a Difference Day, Adam left the notes with each paper he delivered. By the end of the day, he and his mother had collected fifty large bags full of clothes for the local thrift shop.

It goes to show that everyone can be creative and make an extraordinary impact in other people’s lives. Even with a limited time frame and scarce resources, creativity can provide a solution to difficult problems, and help bridge the gap between our current situation and our ideal situation.

A Restroom in the Form of a Wave in the Middle of Nowhere

Norway recently opened what could be the most picturesque public restroom in the world: Ureddplassen. Located at the tip of a fjord on the country's western coast, this wave-shaped toilet features a terrace that overlooks the Norwegian Sea, with the majestic Lofoten Wall snow-capped mountains in the background. Ureddplassen offers a tranquil spot for a short break, a picnic, or long nights of admiring the midnight sun or northern lights. The renovation cost of the restroom was about $2.5 million and included a new frosted-glass and concrete building designed by Oslo-based architects Marit Justine Haugen and Dan Zohar. Additionally, outside the restroom, block benches made of Norwegian Rose marble—the same stone used for the United Nations building in New York—provide seating for those waiting to use the facilities. Ureddplassen is more than just a toilet, though. It also serves as a memorial to the 42 men who died in February 1943 when their Royal Norwegian Navy submarine, the HNoMS Uredd, meaning Fearless, struck a mine laid by the German ship Cobra and sank. A memorial restroom boasting a majestic view of the northern lights in the middle of nowhere is truly extraordinary. We rarely discuss lavatories, but this one certainly merits conversation. It is quite unusual to construct a memorial in the form of a toilet for forty-two valiant war heroes.

The U-turn

Larry and Kate met at a friend's party and were immediately attracted to one another. After a brief conversation, they exchanged numbers. A few days later, Larry took the initiative and called Kate's office to invite her for a coffee. They had a pleasant time together. In the following days, Larry remained persistent and continued to ask for more opportunities to spend time with Kate. They went on several more dates, including going to the movies, dining at nice restaurants, and also having dinner at home. As the weeks passed, their relationship continued to grow, and they spent more and more time together.

Six months later, something unexpected occurred for Larry. Kate told him that she wanted to end their relationship because she felt that they had no future together. She didn't mention it to him, but she found Larry to be too ordinary for her. Eventually, they parted ways, but Larry couldn't get over Kate. He called, emailed, sent flowers, and did everything he could to win her back, but all his efforts were in vain. Kate refused to take him back.

Larry lost hope. However, he was later invited to a Creative Life Skills seminar by one of his friends. During one of the sessions, the speaker said, If you cannot achieve the desired results with ordinary methods, you need to try extraordinary solutions. Larry realized that he had to change his approach and think differently to get what he wanted.

Larry realized that he had only tried ordinary methods to win back Kate's heart and decided to change his approach. He went to a well-known chocolate store in town and bought a box of the finest chocolates. Before the cashier packed the box, Larry took the chocolates and bit all of them. He had them packed and sent to Kate's office. When Kate received the box and opened it, she was surprised to see all the chocolates were bitten. As she stared at the bitten chocolates in confusion, she noticed a small note at the corner of the box which read, I tried all of them, but none was as sweet as you. Kate was so impressed by the creative and heartfelt gesture that she called Larry immediately and they decided to give their relationship another chance. Six months later, they were ready for their wedding ceremony.

Love affairs can be complex and