Doing A Good Job, Or Having An Impact

All of us want it to be said that we do a good job. Nobody wants to hear that their performance is poor. Even if mediocrity is accepted, we'd rather excel.

But is doing a good job good enough? Are we satisfied with being in the top 15%? Is being recognized as one who outshines his peers satisfying?  Is "well done good and faithful servant" enough?

I have the feeling that although we desire to do a good job, we'd rather have an impact. Affect a life, create a niche, change your world.

Ask yourself: What can I do? Who can I affect? What is my destiny?

So what are you striving for? Doing a good job, or having an impact?

Question: Do you seek to do a good job, of do you purpose to have an impact? Share your thoughts below in comments.

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What I've Learned From My Two Lives

Well, this week it finally caught up with me: Living my Two Lives, in two different states, serving in two different ministries has become almost too much. (See my previous Blog posts: A Man Without A Home, and A Man Without A Home... Part 2.)

Now I am not throwing in the towel and giving up. The commute will come to an end at the end of this month. (Our last Sunday at Immanuel's Church in Maryland will be March 27th.) But frankly, I'm tired.

So what have I learned from my Two Lives:

-I'm not as young as I once was (I could drive 10 hours twice in one weekend to see my to-be-wife, and be ready for Monday morning class when I was in college).

-I'm better at maximizing my time (I can get a lot accomplished in a 2.5 hour flight with just my iPad and my creativity).

-My wife and children are worth every minute I can give them, because when they are not with me, I am less of a man.

-I miss the physical benefits and solitude of running (logistically it's just not possible right now - I am exercising a bit though).

-I have incredibly generous friends (I rotate between three families, staying at their homes when I am in Maryland).

-I don't miss television.

So there you have it: Living my Two Lives has not been a bad thing. It has served a purpose, and it has allowed me to serve my purpose.

Question: What have you learned from unusual seasons in your lives? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Celebrating Your Uniqueness

I believe there is a lot to be said for uniqueness. There actually is a lot to be said about uniqueness. (I just Googled the word and the counter showed 10,900,000 results!)

My question is: Are you unique?

What about you sets you apart from everyone else? I'm not referring specifically to the size of your nose or your "bring-down-the-house" singing ability. But rather the total of all of your traits, talents, and travels; your looks, leanings, and likes; your creations, competencies, and character. (The creation of that last sentence is what makes me kind of unique!)

All of us are unique, in that we were created by the Creator in His image, yet he personally planned out everything about us. (See Psalm 139: 13-16 in the Bible for that.) Because of this, you (and I) are not only unique, but you're highlighted by your Creator. Called, set apart, chosen for something that only you can do.

So I say celebrate your uniqueness! You are the only you there is. Only you can do what you were set apart to do. Only you can fulfill your destiny!


Question: How are you unique, and what do you feel is the thing that only you can do? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Are You Living Your Dream?

Are you living your dream? Are you dreaming at all? Or are you simply dreaming to live, allowing life to go by while you try to keep up with it?

I had lunch with a friend last week, and as we talked he shared that he had built a bass guitar from scratch. No kit, not instructions. Just a hand-made creation that he brought to life from raw materials.

The more my friend described the process, the more animated he got. I quizzed him on time and material needs, on different finishing techniques, and on his ability to procure raw materials. The more he answered my questions, the more passionate he became.

I asked him, "If you could quit your job and build custom, hand-made bass guitars for a living, would you do it?" Absolutely, he replied.

Was it financially possible for him to do that? Not at the moment he said. Could you begin with this as a hobby that could evolve into a side business, that could eventually become a way to support his family. Perhaps, he conceded.

I encouraged him to press forward. Make another one. Show them off at trade shows, get a "player" to endorse him. Perhaps this could be an opportunity for my friend to live his dream.

Question: Are you living your dream, or are you dreaming to live? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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You Have Been Chosen

One of my favorite Bible Guys is Jeremiah. He did pretty cool stuff. He faced a lot of opposition but stayed strong. He showed incredible character. Even his name is cool. Say it out loud: Jeremiah.

One of the reasons I like him so much is found in the 1st chapter of his book in the Bible. It says that God told him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God had a plan for Jeremiah, even before he was born. He knew him, set him apart, and appointed him. He was chosen.

I believe that all of us are chosen. God know us, sets us apart, and appoints us. Some people chose their own way. Others fulfill their destiny.

You may think that some people are more chosen than others, looking at skills, talents, giftings, and opportunities. But if we believe that God is the great Creator, then He created all of us (you included) just like He wanted us to be.

So be what God has in mind for you to be. He knew you, He set you apart, and He appointed you. You were chosen!

Question: What are your thoughts about God choosing you? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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I Lost My Glasses

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This morning when I opened my backpack and took out my glasses case, it was empty. But I didn't panic.

I am a planner, a big picture visionary, and an adapter. One of my Clifton Strengthsfinder Themes is Strategic: ...creating alternative ways to proceed.

As a result, I have planned ahead and keep an extra pair of drugstore reading glasses in my desk just for situations like this.

Being strategic, I was able to quickly back-track my movements, and remembered the last time I had them on: swapping iPad app ideas with my host-for-the-week (I am a gypsy while in Maryland). I am sure I left them on his couch.

So no worries, all is good. I can see as I type this Blog post, I will make it through the day, and I will retrieve my glasses tonight.

But what happens as creatives when we "lose our glasses" and don't have a back-up plan? (No internet connection, floor monitor not on the correct side, slightly-off color paint, blue pen instead of black... you get the picture.)

Do we fuss, fret and become hard to be around. Or do we adapt and make the best of what we have?

Life is full of losing our glasses. In fact, most of go through every day and lose our glasses.

As for me, I am adapting to my contingent drugstore reading glasses. People in the office are asking me if when I started wearing glasses. The lenses are too strong and I am getting a headache. And they look really tacky. But, they work!

Question: How do you adapt when you "lose your glasses"? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Creativity Amid Chaos

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Several weeks ago I posted Creativity Amid Distractions on this Blog. I know that we can usually find ourselves in a distracting environment.

Yesterday, I asked this question in a Twitter update: Can you be creative in the midst of chaos? Some of us are not simply being distracted, but we are in the midst of chaos: mothers taking care of multiple preschoolers, firefighters, families gathered in the emergency room, a person being released from their job.

Now you may be asking yourself, "Why would I want to be creative in the midst of chaos? I don't even know how to paint." I am not referring to artistic creativity, but rather to tapping into the creative capacity that all of us have been given.

Deep down inside each of us is an aptitude for creativity, to look at a situation and determine a better way of achieving a desired outcome.

Has your toddler climbed up into your baby's bed and fallen asleep? A couple of pillows on either side of a blanket on your bed may work in a pinch.

Downsized at your job? A kind word to your boss as you leave will go whole lot further on a recommendation letter than a word spoken in anger.

All of us are going to find ourselves in chaos. The question is will we continue to be creative?

Question: When you found yourself in a chaotic situation, how were you creative? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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I Forgot...

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I made an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth cleaned today. It's an almost-every-six-month ritual that let's me know if there is any deterioration of my teeth and gums. Plus, it keeps my teeth looking bright(er). Hey, it's free with my dental insurance!

In a kind, yet chastising way the receptionist indicated that the last time I was in for a cleaning was in May of 2010. She backpedaled a bit though when she saw on my chart that I had a crown put on one of my teeth in November. I guess that qualified me for a pass on missing my almost-every-six-month cleaning.

The funny thing is, I had forgotten about the crown. If I had remembered, I would have told her why I wasn't sitting in the hygenist's chair getting flossed in November.

Why did it slip my mind? Because it wasn't bothering me. Back in November I was very aware that I needed dental work because of the broken tooth and the pain that accompanied it. Today there's no pain, and I guess no reason to dwell on the tooth.

Maybe there is some psychological explanation for this, but I like to think simply. Bottom line: It wasn't an inconvenience, so therefore it wasn't on my mind. Call it what you want. I forgot about it.

Where am I going with this? Well, think about your dreams for a minute. Not the sleep ones where you are being chased through your high school while wearing only your underwear (am I the only one who has that one?), but the dreams you have for your life.

Have you forgotten them because they don't bother you anymore? Have you become satisfied with your lot in life, and are ready to abandon your dreams for the acceptance of dreariness?

Allow me to encourage you to re-kindle your dreams, and the vision you may have once had for your life. Consider them again! Act on them! Let them inspire you to fulfill them!

Concerning your dreams, don't say I forgot...

Question: Are there any dreams for yourself that you may have forgotten? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Seeing Through The Ice

This morning we awoke to a beautiful (?) layer of ice on everything from a Maryland snow-turned-ice-storm overnight. It wasn't bad. My Mini Cooper was encrusted in only 1/2 inch of ice that required a few patient minutes with my door handle as I attempted to open the door.

As I carefully walked down the steps of my good friend's house where I am staying this week (see previous Blog post) I noticed something on the edge of the street. Under the layer of ice that covered the road at the curb, water was flowing. The top of the ice was solid, but the bottom was liquid.

I thought that is very similar to our creativity and ideas: on the surface, there may not be much to offer, but underneath, there is a wealth of flowing water, ideas and creative thoughts if you will.

The key for us is to break through the hard shell that is sometimes dangerous, sometimes rigid, and sometimes transparent, and to pull out what's underneath.

And when we do...well the possibilities are endless.

Question: How do you break through your ice to get to the creativity that flows inside of you? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Re...

Regift, rehash, recycle, repeat, return, reform, replay... The list is almost endless. Life is full of second chances.

Think for a minute how many second chances you have gotten in the past year. Or maybe in the past week. Or even today.

We all need a second chance. That's one of the beauties of Christianity. It's all about second chances.

The key is how we leverage that second chance to our advantage, having learned from our first chance, and having moved forward from the last time.

Here's where our creativity comes into play. Allow yourself to take an entire new perspective on your second chances, and make them work for you!

Question: How will you do with the second chances that you receive? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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Recalculating Route

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I have had a portable GPS device for my car for a few years. I kind of like it because it confirms where I thought I ought be going to get to where I want to go.

Sometimes it chooses a different route then I would chose, and if I ignore it, my GPS device tells me it is Recalculating Route. Many times it will tell me to "turn around when possible". But sometimes it picks up where I am and determines a new way to get to my destination.

As we go through our lives, there are times when we choose a different route than others or even ourselves had planned. When this happens, we must become creative and begin Recalculating Route if we want to arrive at our intended destination.

Choosing a different path isn't always bad. Sometimes necessity requires it. Sometimes we just want to take a different path. The key is that we continue on to our destination.

So don't be afraid to get off the main road and try a new way of getting to where you are going. Allow your Recalculating Route to kick in.

Question: When have you changed your "route" and chose a different way of arriving at your "destination"? Share your thoughts below in responses.

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