Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Snooze Button

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I heard a radio commercial today where a person asks an British-accented lizard, "I have a habit of hitting the snooze button when my alarm goes off. Any suggestions?"

I have one: Get up!

I can hear the Type-A, OCD, 'get off your duff' people who read this post saying, "Tell 'em Brad!"

But then others are asking, "What's wrong with a few extra minutes of sleep?"

The practical side of me argues that if you want a few extra minutes of sleep, set your alarm for a few minutes later. Then your few extra minutes won't be interrupted.

The counter to that: It takes me a while to wake up.

And so no, and so on...

It's obvious that each of us are built differently. Some are fine with "one alarm". Some need the snooze button. A few will boast that they get up just before the alarm goes off.

I think that all of us have a snooze button at work somewhere in our lives. For some it may be a reminder of sorts. A few may have a friend, spouse (or parent), who give them a gentle nudge when needed. For others, it's defined as a second chance.

Golfers call it a Mulligan. Smart phone owners have an app for it. Sleepers call it a snooze button. Whatever you might call it, use it.

Whatever you might call it, use it.

Question: When have you used your snooze button (even if it is your alarm clock's)? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Finding The Best App For That

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A colleague recently purchased an iPhone. Knowing that I also owned one, he asked me what apps I would recommend to help him with his job. We researched together, tried a few and settled on a couple that appear to provide a great benefit to his job (and my job too).

I continued to suggest more, mainly because they are cool apps, but not very practical to his job.

In the midst of all of this, I backed away and looked at the bigger picture: Creatives are constantly looking for ways to excel, accomplish more, and do better. And in the process, we get more things, more accessories, and more apps to try to do better.

I have dozens of apps on my iPhone, the lionshare were free (most who know me, know that I am frugal - a.k.a. cheap!). Most of those apps I haven't opened since I acquired them.

I want to get more sounds for my keyboard (I already have thousands). Most of those sounds I never use in recording or live playing.

I want to get an upgrade for the recording software on my MacBook Pro because it boasts 500 new guitar sounds. What will I do with 500 new guitar sounds?

Instead of finding the most for what we want to do, maybe we ought to find the best for what we want to do.

I recently had a conversation with my Co-Pastor that I serve alongside of. The topic: focusing on a few things that we do well, rather than trying to do many things so-so.

I think there is an app for that. If not, I want to create one!

Question: Do you tend to look for the best app for the job, or for many apps to get the job done? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Solitude Of Running Alone

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I like to run alone. There is something inviting to me about the quiet, the pace, and the contemplation that I have when I run alone.

Sometimes I listen to music on my iPod. Sometimes I would run on the treadmill (in the winter when I lived in Maryland), and watched Headline News with the sound off, praying for the people in the news stories.

Many times I listen to and watch nothing, except the sound of my feet hitting the trail as it unfolds.

On rare occasions I will run with someone who invites me. But usually I decline. Maybe I am afraid I can't keep up, or that I'll quit before they are finished. Or maybe, I simply like the solitude of running alone.

When I run alone, I create, I meditate, I write songs. Sometimes I just I listen to God.

My wife likes to kayak. Alone. She tells me it is her chance for solitude. When she is out on the water, she thinks, she creates, and she listens to God.

Many times the experiences we have in our solitude play a big part in enhancing our relationship with each other. There is something to be said for solitude.

And so I run alone.

Question: What do you like about solitude, or do you dislike it? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

New Creativity

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I connected with a new leader over the weekend. He and his family are in the area vacationing, and because of a long relationship with my Co-Pastor, I got connected also.

Last evening over dinner he challenged me with these words: Look for new creativity. Don't rely on the old, reliable, or previously successful methods of reaching and influencing people.

That statement resonated with my spirit. New creativity. It almost sounds redundant, but instead I see it as taking creativity to the next level.

Oftentimes, I find myself reinventing the wheel rather than going with what I know works. But I feel justified because I understand that culture changes, perception changes, and people change.

I am not about change just for the sake of change, but rather having a purpose in change, in adjusting, in creativity.

In worship music, I rarely lead a song the same way twice, but find myself looking for a tweak or nuance that gives it a fresh feel. Of course this sometimes frustrates our musicians and singers. But that's the way I am built: I don't want people to get so familiar with a song that it loses its intended message and impact.

Just last night, as I was rehearsing a song with my daughter that I wrote a few years ago, I stated playing an entirely new introduction. In just a few minutes we had a completely new sound to a familiar song.

What about you? Do you find yourself doing the same things the same way? Are you prone to maintaining the status quo? Or are you inclined to developing new creativity, looking for new ways to engage, encourage, and influence others?

Question: How has new creativity worked for you? Share your thoughts below in "comments".

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Monday, May 02, 2011

Creating The News Cycle


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Monday morning I tweeted and updated my Facebook status to: So glad our guys didn't get Bin Laden last Friday. We'd have never heard about it.

I received many comments and responses to that simple <140 character group of words.

But I really think that is true - well mostly true. It would take a really BIG story to displace the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine.

And then there was the storm and tornados that ravaged the southern states and caused so much death and destruction. Wouldn't it have been terrible it the storm hit on Friday instead of earlier last week? Would the storm report be an "oh, by the way" footnote?

The thing is, the news cycle is a funny thing: sometimes there's just not a whole lot going on that's newsworthy, and at other times, multiple stories are competing for top billing. And I believe that indirectly, the public decides what or who gets the attention.

My point: Well, you have probably decided my "backhanded" motive for stating the above. What I do want to emphasize is that in our desire to create the culture that we live in, we shouldn't allow the public to decide what is is culture-worthy. Be true to your calling, your gifting, your passion. Offer what comes from your heart, not what pacifies their heads.

The Royal Wedding kind of reminds me of another royal-presonality-driven-news-cycle. It wasn't too long ago that a one Princess Diana, mother to the above referenced newly married groom, died in a tragic car accident.

And it was less than one week later that Mother Theresa quietly died after her evening prayer time.


Not very newsworthy.

Question: Do you think our culture drives our news, or does news drive our culture? Share your thoughts below in "comments".

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