It was an ordinary day…

…when Alexa Fischer, a friend and client of mine, hopped into the shower.

As the hot water pounded down, she lathered up with shampoo, and then—zing—like a lightning bolt, an idea flashed into her mind.

Two words.

Wish.

Beads.

All at once, she could see it. A beautiful bracelet with a hollow compartment. Write down your greatest wish on a tiny slip of paper. Roll it up. Tuck it inside. Wear your wish—on your wrist—as a daily reminder to go after your dreams.

Alexa felt a strong calling, unlike anything she’d felt before. It was physical and intense. She knew, in her bones, “I need to make these bracelets! People need these bracelets!”

There was just one little obstacle.

Alexa didn’t know anything (zip, zero, zilch) about how to make bracelets. She wasn’t a crafty person. She didn’t know anything about running a jewelry business, manufacturing, shipping, distribution, none of that.

This was one of those wacky shower ideas that didn’t make any logical sense. Yet she simply knew, “I’ve got to do this.”

Alexa got to work. Soon, her kitchen table was covered with beads, glue, elastic strings—dozens of messy first attempts as she struggled to figure things out.

She researched online. She called friends for help. She tested products and refined them. She put together a website. She booked a booth at a trade show to demo her products.

Little by little, word began to spread. Orders came in. People wanted Wishbeads bracelets for themselves, and for their parents, siblings, kids, and friends. Often, people emailed Alexa personally to share the wishes they’d made. Many of these emails brought her to tears.

Alexa worked hard—for years—to shift Wishbeads from a quirky idea into a legitimate company.

Today, Wishbeads are sold in 100 stores around the world, major catalogs, and beyond.

She is currently planning her biggest event yet—One Million Wishes—where one million people will make a wish, all at the exact same moment.

It all started with a hot shower and a wild idea that came out of nowhere.

Moral of the story:

Pay attention to ideas that arrive in the shower, the tub, while you’re walking the dog, or staring vacantly into space. Your best ideas come when you’re not actively looking for them.

When you get an idea that sends shivers through your whole body, run with it, and don’t stop until you’ve made it real.

The greatest project of your life might be a complete swerve, an unexpected left turn in the road.

In conclusion:

Go take a shower.

PS. Good questions to discuss over dinner tonight with your pet (they’re great listeners) or with your human family:

– Have you ever gotten a great idea completely out of the blue? Did you proceed with it? Or ignore it?

– What is your greatest wish at the moment?

– What is something you could do to make it more likely that this wish actually comes true?

– What is a very tiny wish you could easily grant for yourself without much fuss or trouble?

– Do you need to take a shower?