Posts made in September, 2013
Thoughtful Thursday // 9-19-2013
Thoughtful Thursday // 9-19-2013 The Path “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Today’s thought was drawn for my tumblr site by STARTer Randy L. Randy writes: “There are times when you come to a crossroads in life and it gets scary. There are other times when you’re required to leave the road completely and that’s when true courage comes in. Let’s do some off-roading today. Go get some mud on your tires.” I love that. I love that reminder that sometimes we’ll have to be The First. When we find our Awesome and pursue our dreams, we will come to places on our own roads where no one has gone before us to set an example. WE have to set the example. …and we’re not the only ones who benefit from it. As Jon Acuff said at the START Conference this past weekend, “Give the world the gift of Going Second.” – In other words, do the hard work of going first and leave an example for others to follow. Give the gift of Going Second. Blaze a new trail. Sing a new song. The world needs your awesome. Question: What “forks in the road” have you come to lately? Where are you able to follow in the examples of others before you, and where can you use your Awesome to set a new example for others to follow? Note: Today’s #ThoughtfulThursday was hand drawn by Randy for my tumblr project, Consider This Thought. You can see more hand-drawn posters at http://considerthisthought.tumblr.com Have a quote you’d like to share with Thoughtful Thursday? Share the quote on social media using the tag #STARTtt or email me at [email protected] “But what IS Thoughtful Thursday?!” you may be asking. Check out the original post...
Read MoreHanding you the microphone
#STARTConf 2013 just finished. You saw the Facebook posts. You saw the Tweets. And even though you were not physically there, you were there in spirit. Today, we’d love to give you an opportunity to share what your biggest impacting statements were from watching the conference online through your #STARTExp friends. We’ve heard stories from people who were there. But now we want to hear the story that impacted you. Yes, we want to hear from those of you who were NOT at the START Conference. Did a particular photo resonate with you? Or a quote? Or a text from someone who was there? Share in the comments below....
Read MoreFour Life Lessons I Learned From Funnyman John Crist
by Jennifer Kaufman Yesterday I talked with a friend who is a drummer. I complimented him on his ability to master the dynamics – controlling the oh-so-important loud and soft, lows and highs of a powerful song. He said, “That means a lot. Most people’s go-to compliment for drummers is, ‘Dude, that was sick! Really loud!’ And I think, ‘Well, that is sort of the nature of the instrument…‘ It’s nice to be recognized for something that requires a bit more work.” That made me wonder: do comedians and comic actors enjoy being recognized for who they are beyond the jokes? I suppose I should ask my new friend John Crist. John is an incredibly talented comedian who is quickly gaining traction around the world – but at Jon Acuff’s Start Conference 2013, amidst the hilarity and side-splitting laughter, his words hit home in a powerful way to that building full of diverse dreamers. Here are four of my takeaways: 1. The phrase “dream job” has two words. We tend to favor the “dream” part, but often ignore the second half. People don’t suddenly wake up as the president of a company or the pioneer of a field. Most of us were not born so famous that we can expect to sell an album or a book on name alone. Achieving your dreams – whatever they may be – requires hard work. For Crist, this includes a timesheet he uses to chart the hours he has put in to master his craft. He clocks in and out as he works at his goals, in order to both hold himself accountable and track the effects of his work. 2. Stop making career choices every day. If John banked everything on one performance in front of a small, disengaged audience, or hears feedback from someone who says they wouldn’t have stayed to listen no matter how much the ticket cost, he could call it quits. If he looks at a packed house and focuses on the praise of a sold-out crowd, hearing their laughter in his head louder than any other voices, he might make a rash decision and take on more than he can handle. The same is true of your journey and mine. Don’t quit your day job after one blog post goes viral or your mom says you should be an actor. But don’t you dare quit hustling on your dream because one person criticizes you. For balance, always look at the big picture. 3. If you fail – and you will – allow the shortest possible time to pass before trying again. Jon Acuff discusses this a bit in his book, Start. If Crist has a show that bombs at 7pm, he almost immediately has a chance to put it behind him with the 9pm show. Delivering a win after what feels like a loss is one of the best ways to ensure that “failure” doesn’t define you. If you get a bad review and sit on it for days, weeks, months? Not only will it be harder to try again after ruminating on it, but you may begin to find your identity in that one misstep. (Hint: It’s not there. I promise.) And the one that inspired me the most… the one that convicted me and challenged me on a level akin to the best motivational speakers and pastors I’ve heard… 4. “If you have a gift and you’re not using it, shame on you. You’re robbing everyone of what you were put on this earth to do. I believe you’ll have to answer for that.” Boom. Let that soak in. Many of you know how you’re gifted, how you’re wired. Maybe you don’t know exactly what your life’s road map will look like, including every twist, turn and pit stop along the way. You know what? Stop using that as an excuse. (And to be clear, I’m talking first to myself). You probably know what you’re good at, what you have always loved. It’s not by accident that...
Read More
Recent Comments