Dreaming Of Doing Good

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I wouldn't dream of it...

Most people wouldn't dream of staying around and riding out a major storm for the sole purpose of helping others. Even less would actually travel most of the way across the country to help. I stumbled across this:

Vern Gillmore, 80, isn't just sending money or supplies to help those affected by the Hurricane Sandy megastorm -- he's delivering himself.

The Utah man has been volunteering with his American Red Cross chapter for three years and was deployed Monday to help a small portion of some 50 million people who could be affected by the storm, according to ABC 4.

"My hobby is volunteering," Gillmore told the news outlet. "I love to volunteer and help people."

Most of the time in our me-centered society, where lines of consumers extend into the parking lot of smart phone retailers, and fights breakout amid the stampede of shoppers on Black Friday, people like the above referenced man are rarely heard of.

And yet there are some who still dream of doing good.

Dreaming is good. Dreaming of doing good is even better. Acting on your dreams is the best.

I think I just found something new to dream about.

Question: When have you dreamed of doing good? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Dreaming...

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Though not an exhaustive list, here are some things I have learned about dreaming:

• Dreaming has no age limit.
• Dreaming of the future is more productive than dreaming of the past.
• Sharing your dreams with others inspires them and inspires you.
• Dreams need to be put into action.
• Dreams inspire creativity.
• Encourage your children to dream.
• Dreamers are valuable part of any team.
• Encourage your team to dream.
• It may be a while until dreams become realities, but keep dreaming.
• Turn off the TV, close the laptop, shut off the video game console, put down your smart phone, and dream...

Question: What are some things you have learned about dreaming? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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Relationships & Hummingbirds In Disguise

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Yesterday evening, as we were finishing dinner and I was looking into our backyard, I remarked to my wife, "There's that dark hummingbird again." We had seen it on Saturday afternoon flitting around the flowers my wife has grown to make our yard beautiful.

My wife's response was this: "I don't think it is a hummingbird."

As I watched it on Saturday, it didn't act like the other hummingbirds we normally observe in our backyard: It's movements weren't as precise as I had seen before (I assumed it was the strong wind blowing that day), it didn't seem to be flapping its wings as quickly as other hummingbirds (I thought it might be injured), and it ignored our popular hummingbird feeder. Plus the color was all wrong.

But the size was right, the long beak was there, and it was sipping nectar from the flowers. My conclusion: A new hummingbird was visiting us.

In my opinion, the hummingbird in question was back, and once again acting almost like a hummingbird... but not quite.

But my wife had already weighed in: She didn't think it was a hummingbird.

I have learned three things when challenged about observations I make:

• I am not always right.
• Someone else may carry more knowledge than me.
• Some things are not worth disputing.

The older I get, the more I realize that I have a tendency to be incorrect. This has caused me to contain my opinions more. As a younger man, my inflated ego motivated me to speak more often than I should have. I am learning to take the role of humility.

The wiser I get, the more I understand. Part of that understanding is realizing that my scope of expertise is greatly limited, and other's expertise is to be highly valued. My wife is a birder, and I am not. I am learning to appreciate that other's strengths may complement my weakness.

The more mature I become, the more I value what is right over who is right. My relationships are worth more to me than one-upping those who disagree with me. I would much rather build on my relationships with love than to erode them with pride.

At this point I will not seek to preserve my dignity or my manhood by declaring that deep down I know I am right, or seek to keep my standing among my male peers by stating don't argue with the wife if you know what's good for you.

Rather, allow me to profess that I don't have all the answers, my wife is the love of my life, and that is enough for this simple man.

Question: As you grow older, what have you realized about life and relationships? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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How To Eat An Elephant, Revisited (Part II)

(Please click and read this personal word from me about my upcoming India Mission Trip.)

So you have a task in front of you. It may be small, or it may be elephant-size. Your job is to solve the problem, to divide and conquer, to eat the elephant, one bite at a time.

In my last post I raised some questions about the idea of how to eat an elephant. Allow me now to offer some alternatives to eating the elephant when solving problems.

Something that has helped me in problem solving has been to apply some creative energy to the challenge by moving through this process:

Assess - This step is imperative in problem solving and elephant eating. A critical eye, looking at various angles through multiple "lenses" will reveal the true nature of the problem. A bigger pump is needed to keep the water barrel full? Perhaps something as simple as a cork to plug the hole in the barrel is all that's needed. We need to look at the elephant closely, and make sure it really is an elephant. If wolves can come in sheep's clothing, than surely a flock of birds can come dressed as an elephant.

Appropriate - Once you decide the best solution to the problem, determine what resources will be needed to fulfill your goals. Again, creativity is a valuable asset. You may not have the financial resources available to "get what you need". If you are really trying to remove an elephant from the room, instead of hiring a bunch of hungry people to eat it, try tempting the elephant with a handful of hay and lead it out.

Appeal - Here is where creativity is the most valuable tool you can carry on your belt. Once you assess the problem and determine what the real need is, develop a creative option to bring about the desired result without having to put on a bib and start dipping elephant meat in barbecue sauce. Appeal to those you need to convince that your alternative is valid (your boss, your team, those you lead, etc.). Can you bring about the same (desired) result with a different strategy?

Attack - At some point you must act. Critical assessment, creative appropriation, and legitimate appeal are worthless unless you execute. Many leaders and creatives never become great leaders and great creatives because they didn't move forward with their plans and ideas. And it needs to be more than a casual attempt at getting something done. You must be committed to the process, and willing to do whatever is necessary remove the elephant. Even if it means eating it, one bite at a time.

Question: What have been your alternatives to eating the elephant? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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How To Eat An Elephant, Revisited

(Please click and read this personal word from me about my upcoming India Mission Trip.)

The popular saying goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Good wisdom I will agree. However at face value, this strategy presents some problems and complications: Although a metaphor, the entire concept of eating an elephant as a solution to tackling larger problems brings its own challenges.

I am a vegetarian. Therefore eating an elephant would not resolve anything for me. I just couldn't do it.

Supposing the elephant would be eaten one bite at a time, one would first need to kill the elephant. That in and of itself presents a great challenge: What instrument would you choose to kill it? Would you choose a gun? Do you have one powerful enough? Posion? Would that contaminate the elephant meat? What about the mess that a dead elephant would leave in the middle of your floor?

OK, so you've killed the elephant. Now you must prepare it for consumption. Being a vegetarian, I am no expert on eating elephant meat, but I do believe that you would need to skin it first. I'm pretty sure elephant hide is pretty tough, so the knife would need would have to be very sharp and big.

Once you have the thick skin removed and the meat is exposed, the challenge of preparation arises. Unless you decide to eat raw elephant meat, you would need to cook it. (Boil, roast, grill, fry, blackened... your choice.)

And then following the metaphor of eating an elephant one bite at a time, one would need to store/preserve the uneaten elephant meat. This would require hiring a butcher (or a team of butchers) to clean and dress the elephant meat, and one very large freezer to store it in until your next bite/meal.

But we're not done yet: I do know that when butchering an animal, there are some leftover parts that must be disposed of. It's messy, but mandatory. Many trash cans? Dumpster? Local business' dumpster in the middle of the night?

I am guessing that you get my point here: Eating an elephant one bite at a time is not just a cute, catchy phrase. Although it is a way of tackling a problem, this solution carries with it some problems of its own.

In my next post I will offer some alternatives to eating the elephant when solving problems. (Click here for How To Eat An Elephant, Revisited - Part II)

Question: Have you ever tried to eat an elephant one bite at a time as a solution to a problem? What were your results? Share your thoughts below in comments.

If you like this post, you can re-post, 'share' it on your Facebook status, or forward it to your friends. Follow me on Twitter @bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.