Beyond Mortality: Strategies for Prolonging the Lifespan of Our "Brainchildren"

My wife had a Cesserian section and I was there for every unnerving moment. I remember the disturbing sound the internal parts made as they were stacked aside my wife while the doctors worked at a steady pace to bring my baby girl from the womb to the world. I was mesmerized and traumatized. I held my wife's hand as she lay there, an oblivious victim of the doctor's professional yet dispassionate manner. She was the most beautiful and brave person in the world.

An hour before the surgery, we received word that the umbilical cord was wrapping around our unborn child's neck and without intervention, we were risking the death of our child. My wife embraced the moment and submitted to the advice of the doctors. Our goal was to safeguard the life of our child. We wanted to deliver her, unharmed, into the world and watch her grow under our care.

According to the CDC, the mortality rate of children in the United States is 5.4 deaths for every 1000 births up from 5.13 a few years ago. This is an important concern for our country based on the value that we place on the lives of our children. We safeguard their well-being. We aim to ensure their physical growth, mental maturation, emotional nurturing, and spiritual enrichment. Our every intent is to nurture their potential and to protect their future.

There exists another realm of creation that is equally deserving of the vigilance the doctors practiced to save my daughter, the courage that my wife exhibited to put herself in harm's way for the sake of her unborn child, and the remediation that our country seeks as we work to reduce and eliminate our infant mortality rate.

Our Brainchildren.

The mortality rate of our ideas and innovations deserves a parallel focus. Just as children need nurturing, guidance, and care to thrive. So too, do the progeny of our minds. The ideas and innovations that are born with the potential to shape our world. Understanding this parallel is crucial as we delve into the strategies aimed at, not just birthing ideas, but fostering their growth and guiding them towards a mature and impactful existence.

4 major pillars of nurturing can be used to describe the realms people use to grow their children.

The physical realm of nurturing. This realm is easy to spot because most of it is visible. It's displayed in the healthy food we feed our children. The clothing and the shelter we provide. It is seen in our physical presence or "being there" for our children.

The mental and intellectual realm of nurturing. It is here that we train the minds of our children. Here, we teach basic education, analytical thinking, reading, study habits, and logic.

The emotional/psychological realm of nurturing. In this realm, we teach matters of the heart. Topics include self-worth, group value, emotional intelligence, and managing change. Though matters of the heart may seem invisible, they have a great impact on humanity.

The Spiritual realm. Here we teach our children about God, how to interact in harmony with the world, how to discern truth from and lie, and how to live a right life.

Using these same pillars, I am glad to share a few strategies and tactics we can immediately put into use to increase the lifespan of our ideas and innovations, the Brainchildren that we bear.

The physical realm of nurturing our ideas. One important measurable step we can take is to create a structured developmental plan for our Brainchild. This plan will ensure consistent progress by including milestones to measure success. Think of it as a wall to measure their height! Try these tactics:

1. Regular Iterative review - Implement scheduled reviews to assess progress. Identify areas for improvement. Pivot if necessary.
2. Resource Allocation - Allocating dedicated resources including time, funding, or manpower to keep development sustained.

The mental/intellectual realm of nurturing our ideas. We can measure the effectiveness of a cultivated and conducive environment we create for creativity and innovation. We cannot limit our ideas, we need to let them grow into their true shape. Try these tactics.

1. Promote a culture of experimentation - Create a culture that embraces experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from failures. An environment where trying new approaches is celebrated.
2. Continuous learning and knowledge sharing - Foster an environment that prioritizes continuous learning and sharing of knowledge. Dedicate time for skill development, knowledge-sharing sessions, or insight exchange platforms.

The emotional/psychological realm of nurturing ideas. Build a supportive and resilient culture. Our Brainchildren are fragile at the start, any disparaging comment can stunt their emotional growth. Try these tactics.

1. Encourage psychological safety - Create an environment where individuals feel free of ridicule or judgment. Foster open communication and be willing to take creative risks.
2. Provide support and mentorship - Offer support networks. , mentorship programs, or coaching opportunities for individuals involved in nurturing ideas. Having guidance and a support system can alleviate stress and add insights.

The spiritual realm of nurturing ideas. Align the purpose and values of the idea with a greater societal or personal mission. Our ideas are here for a greater purpose than to simply provide income for our consumption. They have a place in the world that is yet undiscovered. Try these tactics.

1. Define a clear purpose - Establish your compelling and meaningful purpose behind the idea or the innovation. (Your what and why.) The purpose should resonate with personal values or contribute positively to societal betterment.
2. Foster connection and impact. - Emphasize the importance of creating a positive impact or fostering connections. Prioritize initiatives that contribute to community well-being, sustainability, and societal good.

The mortality rate of our ideas is projected in the facts documented by the Small Business Association. 20 percent of businesses fail within the first year, 50 percent within the first five. These are just the Brainchildren that are born into the world. We must focus on nurturing our ideas and innovations so they can reach maturity and make a meaningful contribution to our lives and the people of our world. Our cities are enriched when ideas grow to maturity. The parent of the Brainchild is uplifted by the development and transformation of their idea into adulthood and the world becomes an accessible place. Your Brainchild must grow so that it can, like my daughter, bring joy, love, and wonder into your life. Follow these strategies and courageously contribute solutions that will aid us all along the way.

Our Brainchildren are counting on us.