What You Take to Bed With You Might Not Look the Same in the Morning.

I suspect the headline got your attention. As you might expect, today's topic is about bad ideas, but not the one Hollywood has glamorized.

I like to consider myself a thoughtful pioneer when it comes to fresh ideas. I think people would agree I've had moments of innovation and creativity in my life. These ideas began with a willingness to think outside the box. However, like most pioneers, being willing to take the road less traveled can and often does lead to some strange and unfortunate places. As a result, I know I have had far more ideas that have left folks scratching their heads.

There is no doubt that taking unfamiliar paths is a necessary part of the pioneering process. However, through my spiritual growth, I have adopted a practice that has dramatically minimized those embarrassing moments of misguided revelation. In plain sight, I found an ancient practice that has provided me the wisdom and discernment to recognize a winning idea: Take it to God in a time of prayer and rest. In the secular world this practice is called "sleeping on it".

It astounds me how different an idea can look in the morning. There have been so many times I have gone to bed thinking I had just discovered the next great social media app and woke up realizing my idea was worse than MySpace (hats off to those who get the reference). The key for me has been delaying communication of an idea until I have given God a chance to sign off on it. Nothing provides more divine clarity than prayer and a good night's rest. The more I have learned to trust that, the clearer the road ahead of me has become.