#trust30: Original Thought

Original Thought by Michael Brajkovich

“The arts and inventions of each period are only its costume, and do not invigorate men.”

Think of the last time that you thought, said, or did something that was original. What inspired or invigorated this? (Author: Michael Brajkovich)

My brain is constantly firing off new stuff.  Often new ideas are "sparked" by something I hear, see or read.  Whether it's in a meeting, or watching a TED Talk, or reading one of the many magazines I read.  The other day I read an article in Inc. magazine about a company that used an offer of a free month of Netflix as an incentive to get people to refer their friends.  I wondered if there was any way for the non-profit I work for to do something similar.  There's a fine line that must be danced upon - would we be seen as too commercial?  Would it look exploitative?  Could we find a company to give us free product to give to our donors?  If it were a monthly product being sold, would it "compete" with the monthly donation opportunity we were seeking, especially if push came to shove and they had to choose financially between continuing one or the other.  Or, I recently got an email from American Home Shield giving me free air filters for a year.  I noticed that in the clickthrough url it contained the phrase "retention" - it was no mistake that the offer appeared now just as my warranty was coming up for renewal.  If, in our non-profit, some donors consider their commitment only for a year (essentially, it's ongoing), would an unexpected gift just before the end of their year or giving make them think favorably and reduce the number of cancellations?  Maybe it's a bumper sticker or a t-shirt or a product donated by a company.  Something to take gives a little boost in that area of the brain reserved for unexpected presents and makes them less likely to cancel?  Both ideas, I thought, were interesting and slightly novel.  However, I felt like I had a hard time getting anyone interested in them.  

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#trust30: Deep in Your Soul

Deep in Your Soul by Michael McFadden

“I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What message is yearning inside you?  What is something you know deep in your soul?  Don’t look for someone else to describe it.  You do it.  Write it down.  Write it as a poem, a sentence or even just a string of words.  Just make sure you get it to paper.

(Author: Michael McFadden)

It's been a long day.  I wouldn't say a difficult day, though there were bits and pieces that definitely were.  But to think right now, the thought that comes to mind is pacing.  Is this pace sustainable?  For me?  For my co-workers?  For my family?  It seems like things only get busier and busier.  Everyone scurrying, scurrying.  It's 5:20 and yet I will fill most of the next seven hours before going to sleep.  And I'll wonder later about the quality of some of it.  This is not a post of unhappiness, not a post of complaint.  Just an interesting observation.

Some other ones who've posted today:

• Deep in Your Soul and a Wedding (Chrystal Mahan)
• Deep in Your Soul (Brett Milner)
• Deep in Your Soul (Rich Proctor)
• Deep in Your Soul (unknown)
• From My Soul to Yours (Maya Zaido)
• I hate quotations. Tell me what you know. (Todd Newton)

#trust30: Legacy

Legacy by Tim Belber

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

One definition of legacy is what someone feels, thinks and says when they hear your name. What are you doing today to build the legacy you want?

(Author: Tim Belber)

The word legacy to me brings to mind the word family.  Jim and Shirley Denison led a Homebuilders weekend back when we were at Lake focusing on the topic of legacy.  Legacy remains after you're no longer around.  Sure, that can exist in an office, staff remembering who you were after you left, but that's incredibly fleeting, subject to revision and often negative -- even if untrue, the last guy out the door often gets the blame for a lot of stuff because once you're an adult "not me" can't get the blame anymore.  So family legacy, that's something that endures.  Friends of ours are part of a multi-generational close-knit family.  Each successive generation has had larger-than-average families and so it just builds exponentially.  (Part of our now canceled desire to have three natural children ourselves.)  But family is the legacy that lasts.  Pridefully, we can try to leave our name on something by buying a new wing for a hospital or donating a park, but eventually, those two, succumb to the bulldozer.  No, it's only your name that has the potential to live on in others who receive it themselves at birth and as they come to be adults, decide what that means to them.  So in that, my desire is to raise children who surpass me in terms of how they navigate the waters of life - their love of Jesus, their love of their own families, the example they set yet again for generations after them.  It is, in a few words, intentional brand-building.  One measure of success will be how close the generations stay together.  This family I mentioned all lives pretty close to one another, able to gather together regularly, to share in child-rearing (they are their own village, essentially) and be an example and guiding force in each other's life.  My wife's family is spread out across the country and while my family is closer together, it's not that close and I was far away for a time.  I hope my children help to keep that gap even closer together.  Only time will tell.

#trust30: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, Mirror by Esther Poyer

“Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mirror, mirror on the wall… find the nearest mirror. Look. Keep looking for 3 minutes. Write about what you see.

(Author: Esther Poyer)

Looking at myself in the mirror for any length of time was a little bit strange to me.  Usually I look through a foggy mirror as I throw some gel in my hair in the mornings or as I wash my hands after a bathroom break, or after I splash water on my face and hair before adding more gel after a midday run. But to look for such a long time confirmed something I suspected but don't like to admit.  I'm no longer 22.  Heck, I'm not even the youthful guy in the photo with my young children.  Thankfully my short haircut and spiky gel look belie the fact, as does blond hair that could hide any potential gray, but I'm feeling old. I think the running and the aches and pains that come with it only serve to reinforce that.  But yep, looking in the mirror, I can see the lines in my forehead that seem to be a nearly permanent feature, plus I need to shave. On this particular night, I also wore a baseball cap, pushing the spiky hair backwards into a jumbled mess of a wall. But I'm also struck by how I don't see bags under my eyes and my eyes are still seeming to sparkle.  I resisted the urge to make faces at myself and kept my mouth firmly closed.  I am not sure if I was supposed to generate any great revelation from this, except to say that I'm not a bright-faced young naive idealist anymore. Hopefully I can still be young-at-heart, or at least remain an idealist.  Because reality isn't good enough - there's more potential out there'd yet untapped and undiscovered. Both in myself and in the people around me. Especially at work.  I feel guilty that work is always so much on my mind. But it is.

What is this #trust30 stuff I've been posting?

Seth Godin and crew started this 30 day challenge back at the end of May to commemorate Ralph Waldo Emerson's 208th. birthday.  If you signed up, every day you'd get a quote and a question.  Well, I kind of missed out on that.  But I found out (and it's not listed on their website) that they continued the project.  You can still sign up even now and start receiving the emails.  Then you just write a response.  Supposed to help you think about writing every day and think in general.

Go to their site to get started.

#trust30: Be You

Ok, I'm starting this really late -- they all started on May 30.  It was supposed to run for 30 days and be done, but I guess it's still going.  So I'm jumping on board.

Be You by Elizabeth Presson

In one sentence, who are you?

(Author: Elizabeth Presson)

I am a very creative guy who's way too busy trying to balance family, work, church, life, decluttering, reading books and magazines and Google Reader all the while caring too much about what people think about what I eat, drink, drive and wear.