A few weeks ago, I found this inspiring blog by Diego Rodriguez, partner at IDEO, where his work helps organizations bring breakthroughs to market.

In his blog, Diego lists twenty principles of innovation. Each is a statement of truth that helps us cut through our clutter. It’s a slap in the face and an encouraging nod at the same time. It’s more than a mind shift. It even goes beyond what defines the culture of an organization. Rather it is a belief system that keeps you moving forward, willing to take risks and open to new possibilities.

Two that resonate with me the most:

“See and hear with the mind of a child.”— without bias, without judgement, with infinite imagination

“Always ask: How do we want people to feel after they experience this?”— because they forget what you did or what you said, but they remember how you made them feel.

Stories help us to feel. We live in a world more complicated than ever before. And the only way we can make sense of it is through stories. We can come to understand the nuances of a situation by connecting the dots in the same way characters weave through their struggles in a story.

More importantly, innovation can be born out of a story. Experiencing the world and all its surprises will inspire any number of narratives. Chances are at least one will lead you down a path you’ve never taken before where you can discover something remarkable.