Friday, April 30, 2010

Counting change


If I tried to get you to put up a bulletin board about your thing, I would probably have to ask a few times and explain what I'm wanting from you a couple of different ways.

I'd feel guilty for asking you to do something that took time and energy away from the things you do everyday that you do because you want to and not because somebody asked you to.

If you then put that bulletin board up about the next event you are doing or the recap of the last thing you did or how you are trying to get people to join your team, it probably wouldn't be all that good.

And you would feel guilty for taking so long to get the bulletin board done, and I'd start counting down the days until we could take down the bulletin board.

And then maybe I'd find somebody good at bulletin boards to do a good bulletin board about something, anything. Just to take up space.

But, if for some reason there was a bulletin board about a campaign or emphasis that had been up for 14 or 15 months and we decided that it was time to take it down and put up some posters or something so it wouldn't be a big blank bulletin board, it wouldn't be long before you or someone like you would put up a bulletin board about your thing or something like your thing on a portion of the bulletin board that we just redid. After having it up for 14 months.

And I don't know why. And I don't know that leaving the board blank would encourage you any more.

It's like after 14 months, movement is contagious.

It's just strange that after 14 months of one bulletin board, changing it inspired you to do something that I couldn't have asked you to do.

It's like somebody is just waiting for you to change that bulletin board.

I need to start using the staple remover more and the stapler less.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Living and giving

I have recently been trying out a new channel of information that I learning how to access: online forums.


I had a question about a photoshop element issue that I couldn't figure out and couldn't find answers for through the conventional technical support venues.


I joined a community called Elements Village and found a question from 3 years ago that was similar to my dilemma, but not exactly the same.


So I took a chance and messaged one of the people who was involved in the email stream, Wendy, and asked her about my specific situation. What would be the chances that this person was still involved with this group?


Within a few minutes a got a response. I asked a few questions and was able to figure out the issue. My layers, you see, were flattened and therefore I couldn't edit the text I inserted earlier. So I was able to resolve it in a short period of time and the interaction was really enjoyable.


So this was just an individual who really liked Photoshop Elements and was interested in helping other people fully activate their potential as well as the software's capabilities.


For free.


Why? I actually asked her why she was able to give more attentive and caring personal service than most paid customer service people I have tried to get help from.


Oh, she wrote back, just giving back.


Apparently when she stared with Photoshop Elements, it was pretty overwhelming and some folks "in the village" helped her. And now she knows more about it and wants to help others learn about the program.


I told her how much I appreciated it and how much it meant to have her take an interest in me and my "art".


Then she really capped it off.


She replied: It won't be long before you get the hang of Elements…and then you will find yourself answering questions for others.


For one quick interaction, she sure has lots of confidence in me.


I hope it's a self fulfilling prophecy.


Because she believes I will (learn the program and then actually help others) I feel like I will.


It's good to have people help you learn about something that seems daunting- photoshop elements, faith, life- and it makes you want to help others.


It's good to be in the village.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Needs and Interests

The movie The Wrestler was a tough one to watch. Mickey Rourke plays a lovable professional wrestler who has absolutely sacrificed everything to do the only thing he seems genuinely interested in doing. Wrestle. It is intuitively obvious to the casual observer that he could be so much more. He could be the best father, the best friend, and the best deli counter guy anywhere. He doesn't realize how brilliant he is and could be in these roles because he only cares about the wrestling.

I had a tough time digesting this movie because Randy the Ram makes such wrong choices and doesn't see the beauty of life all around him. I couldn't find much to redeem it for me.

I got some insight driving my high school freshman daughter to school. A story came across the radio about a middle age woman who was arrested for robbing a bank. She robbed the bank because, "It was something that was on my bucket list," she said. Something that she just wanted to do before she died. Rob a bank.

How stupid can you be, I commentated.

Well, my daughter said, at least she did what she wanted to do.

So, there was something redeeming about Mickey Rourke's character in The Wrestler after all.

At least he did what he wanted to do.

Maybe that's why the movie got to me so.

Am I doing what I want to do enough?

And the people we serve: do we find ourselves more comfortable trying to fill their needs or at least what we think of as their needs rather than discovering their interests?

Do we know what they want to do?

At least we could do that.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

"Just" being selfish?

What if- the path to selflessness goes right through selfishness.

Not only- "I'm doing this because I want to and if others want to join me, great: but I'm doing it anyway."

[I've discovered this is much more rewarding than- "This thing I'm doing is really important and others (a lot of others) should think it's important too and why in a church this size do so few people think this thing is as important as I do?" but that's another story]

I'm talking about- "The reason I'm doing this is because it makes me feel good. The reason I want you to come around to my way of thinking is because it validates me. The reason I want you to participate in this event is because it makes me important. The fact that I'm accepted and needed is why I'm happy about a good turnout."

And what if, in a weird way- when I am able to accept this and embrace it: then I can do things and think things and have faith in things and believe things more selflessly.

What if- my true self is able to deal with my selfishness (false selfness) only when I
1. accept it
2..own it
3. take responsibility for it
4. don't regret it and repeat as necessary

What if- the more I try to convince others (and myself) that I are a team player, that I am doing this for others, that I am fulfilling a commission or a commandment, or I don't care who gets the credit, or that it was a God thing; the more it isn't?

Just imagine.

What if-

Thursday, April 8, 2010

run, walk, crawl

A recent radiolab episode recounted the 1982 ironman competition featured on the Wide World of Sports in which a competitor, Julie Moss loses out within a few yards of the finish line, but continues to struggle to complete the race against a body that is shutting down.

The idea behind the segment and the show is that your body has a built in factor of safety to try to get you to stop before you actually find your limit.

The idea seems to hold as well in mental capacities as well.

Which calls for wonder about the emotional component as well.

Do you suppose we give up on an idea or a dream before we really hit our limit?

I was inspired recently to apply for a 5 day nano MBA seminar with an author and thinker whom I revere, Seth Godin.

I found it interesting because it came at a time when my older daughter is applying for colleges and scholarships and my younger daughter is pursuing a try out for drum major for her high school band.

I was reminded of what they are learning: you can trick yourself into stopping too soon in such endeavors. I used to think that the world was hard on me and took the wind out of my sails and I became complacent about settling for what I thought was reasonable.

I realize it isn't the world I have to worry about. I'm the one who is telling me to shut it down.

But now, inspired by my daughters and some good friends, I want to eschew the pats on the head and the "you tried's" and like Julie Moss crawling toward finish line in body-shutting-down hallucination and soaked in her own excrement, I want to go further than expected, required, and beyond what I thought I could.

I didn't get the opportunity to go to New York and spend 5 days with Seth. But, I'll keep running, walking, and crawling toward linchpinhood all the same.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

A tribe of 3rd graders


My 18 year old daughter, Carly, has a high school elective that has her going to an elementary school down the road from her high school a couple times a week to help out with a 3rd grade class. But that's not really what she's doing. She's actually leading a tribe.

I came to realize this when I saw her pouring over a list of her tribe members she was making so she could be sure to get them each an Easter goodie. She wasn't using a spreadsheet or a roster.

She was writing them down from memory. She was thinking aloud, saying their names laughing about something funny she remembered each one had done or said recently.

She carefully prepared the gifts.

I got so interested, I couldn't wait to hear how it went.

It reminded me of the way she goes about her babysitting jobs. She doesn't really baby sit. She plays with children and then always has hilarious stories to tell about something the children did or said.

I want to encourage her to make sure and tell the parents because that (potentially) is ultimately the real value she might be providing as a baby sitter. The stories. Not the babysitting.

I imagine the parents she babysits for not being able to wait to get home to hear the story of their children's adventure with Carly from that evening.

Carly is looking forward to this week's spring break. She does have one regret though.

"I'll miss my 3rd graders."

So. What can I learn from an 18 year old girl and some 3rd graders and babysitting about ministry?