Of all the passions I’ve cultivate, my favorite is easily my passion for stories—reading and telling them. I love diving into the worlds the authors spin and I’m even more fanatic about stories that inspire me personally and professionally. A piece I’ve become increasingly interested in is a small portion of Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen’s influential new book, “The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business.” In 2009, both authors traveled to Baghdad: Schmidt for the first time and Cohen for the umpteenth. Iraq’s infrastructure has been in disarray since the dissolution of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. Many Iraqi’s don’t have consistentaccess to basic necessities such as clean water, electricity, or food. So both authors were surprised when they found that many Iraqi’s possessedsmart phones. Iraqi’s were not only utilizing the technology for traditional means—like interconnectivity between people and the world around them—but they’re also actively searching for ways to employ smartphone technology and beyond to solve their infrastructural and governmental problems. Schmidt and Cohen’s tale about the Iraqi people has become something of a inspirational guidepost for me.Despite lacking the key essentials and humane living conditions that many of us take for granted, the people of Iraq are still moving forward in this digital age, willing to push the “technological” envelope in an attempt to solve their country’s and their own problems. Ever since I entered the “real” world, I found myself frustrated with a lack of a creative outlet for my writing. Writing scripts, presentation material, and yes, even blogs are enjoyable but they don’t fully satiate the creative current that hums in my brain. I’ve tried countless online platforms but none stuck, usually due to my inexperience working with particular platforms (believe it or not, millennials aren’t born with a working knowledge of every social networking site). Finishing Schmidt and Cohen’s anecdote about the Iraqi people couldn’t have come at a better time--the creative hum bouncing in my brain had slowly morphed into a creative yell. I threw myself into writing and building two outlets for myself: a personal blog on WordPress and a visual “blog” on Tumblr. It’s not only helped me in my life outside of the office, but in the office as well by keeping my brain--and writing skills--fresh. In your own office, it’s time for you to begin to build. Stop fearing the unknown and take advantage of the multitude of opportunities before you. The “traditional” shopping experience for your consumers has changed with the advent of new technology and it will continue to do so. Instead of bemoaning the newest digital tool or entity that your business will now have to either contend with or attempt to master, take the time to focus on the unique set of opportunities these new tools will give you and your business. It’s okay to look before you leap; but it’s another thing entirely to stay on the edge of the high-dive debating the pros and cons for five minutes. Not everything will be right for you or your company and that’s okay! But take them in earnestly and begin the search to find the new set of keys for unlocking your personal or your business’s success. ~Jessica