Ideas are beautiful things. I don’t think there’s anything that gets me more excited on a regular basis.

When a new idea floats into my mind, the first thing I do is write it down, so as not to lose it. This is all well and good, but it’s what comes next that is most important.

From my perspective there are two paths most traveled: pursuit or preservation. Let’s look at each of these more closely.

Pursuit

While I wish this were feasible, taking action on every idea I have is a crazy proposition.

This is mostly because there’s not nearly enough time to take action on them and that’s besides the fact that most of my ideas are probably not worth pursuing.

Even so, when I get to put an idea into motion and see it manifest, there isn’t a better feeling. This is the ultimate form of working with your idea.

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to pursue every idea. In those times, it’s what we choose to do instead that is troubling.

Preservation

The alternative scenario is the one where I have a great idea, I write it down, and then it just sits there, withering away in my notebook. This is the worse path.

Having ideas that you capture and don’t engage in is like receiving a gift that you throw in the back of your closet and never open.

Why do we do this? We often tell ourselves we’ll get to it later. Even though it’s not a priority today, someday we’ll use that idea, so it can just wait. This hardly ever happens.

What does happen is that an idea starts to lose its shine. The initial excitement you had, starts to fade and the idea gets less and less interesting. Eventually, when you finally get around to it, that initial spark is all but lost.

In short, just sitting on your idea is not the answer.

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o what do you do instead? There’s a third option that is probably the best approach of all: sharing your idea with others.

Unfortunately this is usually the opposite of what we do. We have an irrational fear that others will steal our ideas if we share them, but we need to stop being so arrogant.

Our ideas are rarely unique. In fact, a phenomenon known as multiple discovery has shown that ideas are often stumbled upon at the same time by different people across the world.

The point is, once you have an idea, it is out in the world. Sitting on it means you’ll miss out on it, whether you tell anyone or not.

What we need to remember is that ideas are gifts. It’s the worlds way of saying hey you should be doing something with this.

If you can’t pursue the idea fully, you should at least share it with the world. Here are 4 reasons why sharing ideas is always a good move.

1. Ideas bring people together

Some of the most exciting conversations I’ve had is when you find another person who shares your passion for an idea. Bonding over ideas is the easiest way to bring people together.

On top of that, you can accomplish so much more when you work with other individuals and collaborate. You’d be surprised what a strong idea can lead to.

2. Ideas will improve

Ideas are rarely in their final form when you first have them. They improve over time, especially the more time you spend with them.

Your ideas will transform, as people give you their insight and input, making what was a pretty good idea into a great one. When you look at it, ideas need time to marinate and develop. Most initial ideas are incomplete or downright terrible.

Sharing can help them grow.

3. Ideas beget more ideas

Having ideas is a skill, much like everything else. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. Sharing only helps this process.

On top of that, ideas seem to spring up organically the more generous you are with them. They combine and intersect and become ever more plentiful when you’re more open and less guarded.

4. Ideas relieve the pressure

When you have an idea that you really want to pursue, but can’t, sharing it can offer you the perfect outlet. It lets you set that idea free, as well as relieves you from any pressure that you had to pursue it on top of everything else you may be doing.

If you’re lucky, your idea will be brought to life by someone else and that only makes the world a better place, whether you’re able to contribute or not.

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.Eleanor Roosevelt

Ideas are powerful. They shape the course of history. As such, it’s very important to share them with others.

Through such sharing, your ideas become more powerful, so don’t hide them away.