I don't remember where I first heard it, but someone said (or wrote) "The best ideas are stolen." And so I've stolen that thought for myself! (I would give credit if I could, but I simply don't remember.)

Another of my favorite stolen ideas is this: "There are those who backup [their digital files] and those who will." I love this aphorism because of how painfully true it is. I've lived it myself. Many years ago when I first started my consulting business, I had spent hours creating and updating my prospective customer database. With a mistaken touch of a button, I deleted HOURS of work...with no backup. Lesson learned!

This leads to another stolen idea: "Experience is the best teacher." Experiencing that loss of work taught me to consistently and frequently back up my work! Another great example: even the best database training in the world isn't very useful unless the learners actually apply what they learned (experience it!).

The best ideas are stolen. What are your favorite stolen ideas?