Fear has stopped people dead in their tracks - inhibited their abilities to grow and live life more abundantly. When we're fearful, we freeze up, stress out, withdraw from social events and end up living a life of lesser fulfillment.

Creativity brings about a sense of joy; happiness and balance into ones life. Look into the face of two young children drawing pictures - one won't draw, for fear that everyone will laugh and the other, completely uninhibited and playful as though he/she hasn't a care in the world. For both children creativity has a lot to do with their willingness to take risks - simple little risks that help us overcome procrastination, fear of rejection, fear of failure and fear of change.

Creativity is life altering. However, for many it becomes life threatening by bringing about change and we are terrified of change. But, it is creativity that allows positive change in the world and in our personal lives. It is what great leaders, business owners, and innovators bring to a prosperous and adventurous life that we are all entitled to enjoy. Creativity comes from accepting that you have to let go of control. You need to let go of old world ideas -- not values. Businesses die everyday because of the fear harbored in people whose creativity has dried up because they are locked up in their little cocoon of false security, false fears and fighting the inevitable -- change.

Creativity comes from accepting and seeing things from a different perspective and stepping outside the normal channels of doing things. You can't be creative while conforming to everything. You have to realize that what makes you different also makes you creative and creativity comes from our desire to play without fear of rejection, fear of failure and the fear of losing control.

The business of today is obsolete tomorrow -- A large part of innovation, in companies today, is welcoming differences. You have to be open to the unusual and understand that difference is often more positive, than negative. Overcoming the fear of change enables creativity and the ability to see something unusual and to recognize that the answer may lie in its difference.

Two keys to creativity that spark innovation is, the ability to think beyond relatively conventional paradigms and to examine traditional constraints using nontraditional thinking. The second is to be able to go outside your own frame of reference and find another way to look at a problem.

Rekindle your creativity -- stop fighting the inevitable by embracing change. Work with these suggestions for making positive changes in your personal and business life.

1. Creativity comes from having an inquisitive mind --. It is the inquisitive mind that is asking how can I do it different with better results.

2. Creativity comes from letting go of control. If you are a traditional and "good old days" thinker - let go and move your thinking into now and the future.

3. Creativity comes from looking at something from a different perspective. As an exercise, recreate all of your business or company's brochures - color schemes, typeface, themes and copy. Experience and appreciate the different.

4. Creativity comes from moving outside your industry norms -- challenge the status quo and statements like - this is the way we have always done it or this will not work in our industry. Look for alternatives for solving business and personal problems

5. Creativity comes from an active mind - positive self-talk and use of affirmations will stimulate the inactive mind.