reimagine

Reimagine everything. The theme our keynote speaker, Ron Johnson, CEO of jcp, creator of Apple Stores
and the Genius Bar, idea man behind designers creating specific brands and products for Target, reiterated throughout his presentation. Reimagine everything. His words sinking in as he continued to speak. Use your imagination. Embrace imagination. Don’t believe the skeptics. Believe in yourself, your ideas, your convictions.

Ron spoke passionately to these topics at the CitizensLeague 2012 Civic Celebration. His father, Verne Johnson, has been involved with the organization since before its inception 60 years ago – his passion for engagement clearly passed from father to son, a successful business man and a man who filled me with motivation and excitement – feelings a speaker hasn't invoked in a while. Ron - a person who took risks, huge risks, when Apple was a floundering company, when Target wasn't a common household name and couldn't differentiate itself from the other big box stores, now tackling jcp to turn it into America's favorite store. Ron spoke to the successes through what his father embodied, what made him a successful and wonderful person and what he passed along; he touched on the qualities of clarity, courage, creativity and kindness.

I sat there taking it all in. Clarity. Courage. Creativity. Kindness. Simple concepts with deep and profound implications. I wrote a bit about creativity the other day, finding my creativity, working with it, through the roadblocks and my own hang ups, discovering outlets and proceeding. Throughout the presentation and in the following days, I now ponder these additional concepts; about how all revolve around one another – opening a process for me, (re)imagination: a key to life and living.

Ron brought the presentation to a close stating the worst thing you can do when things are going well is rest on your laurels. He then quoted Maryann Williamson saying, “"We're all assigned a piece of the garden, a corner of the universe that is ours to transform. Our corner of the universe is our own life — our relationships, our homes, our work, our current circumstances — exactly as they are.” I left that presentation discussing the impact of his words, his battle cry to get uncomfortable. What makes a person memorable, makes them important, gives them a sense of purpose, of fulfillment in life and provides a legacy is clarity, courage, creativity and kindness.

 Get moving and reimagine what is in front of you.