“If someone tells you there’s a rule, break the rules and move things forward.” Hans Zimmer, film score composer

I was sitting at home watching YouTube one evening last week and up popped an ad in the middle of the middle of my video.

Normally I watch the obligatory five seconds and jump forward as quickly as possible.

But not this time.

This time, for some unknown reason I was transfixed and before I realised what was happening, I was not just watching a lengthy commercial for a master class being offered by a film-score composer named Hans Zimmer, I was hearing him utter the words above which are perhaps the most profound words I have ever heard.

Words that if correctly applied, can serve as the key to unlock almost any door.

Words that broadcast, as plain as day, that nothing (and I mean nothing) is actually impossible.

Words that demonstrate that when your mind is open and your heart is willing inspiration can spring from absolutely any source at any time.

Of course, this is not a new idea.

If you have ever watched a movie such as Field of Dreams or LA Story then you have at least been exposed to the idea that, under the right circumstances, even an inanimate object like a billboard can offer a flash of life-changing inspiration.

But how likely does the possibility of something like this happening in your own life seem to you?

Better yet, if something like this did happen, what would be your response?

Would you dismiss it as a mere coincidence, or embrace it as a moment of true serendipity?

Or do you think that the very idea is such complete lunacy that it’s not worthy of consideration?

Regardless of which of the above statements resonated best with you, the point here is not whether you will actually find the answer to all your problems plastered on a gigantic billboard, but how open you are to the very possibility of there being an answer to your problem in the first place.

And even if you do buy into the idea that if you seek an answer you will find it – even in the most unlikely of circumstances – do you also challenge yourself to stretch your mind further and further in your quest to embrace new ideas and solve increasingly complex problems on a daily basis?

In short, how literally should we take the advice of Hans Zimmer?

I will leave that up to you to decide but here are a couple of thoughts for you to consider before you do:

Firstly, he made The Telegraph’s list of the top 100 living geniuses.

And secondly, each time you seek to stretch your mind you have the opportunity to set off a chain reaction that can have consequences beyond your wildest imagination.

So, what have you got to lose by bringing your “A” game to every situation moving things forward as much as you can?

Moving ahead in life can be a daunting task and very tiresome, but on the other hand, it can be wonderfully rewarding.

The trick is to take that first step.

Robin Trimingham is the managing director of The Olderhood Group Ltd and a business consultant, journalist, podcaster and thought leader in the fields of life transition and change management. Connect with Robin at https://bit.ly/3nSMlvc or robin@olderhood.com