Posts made in September, 2013
Thoughtful Thursday // 9-5-2013
Thoughtful Thursday // 9-5-2013 Generosity “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” –John Bunyan Want to live audaciously? Then don’t forget about the people around you. Sure, this is easy for us to understand when we can see “what’s in it for me” …But what about those people who can’t do anything for us? What about those situations where we won’t immediately get praised for our chivalry? That’s when it gets real. That’s when it gets hard. What if I open myself up and actually get nothing out of this? That’s when generosity gets a little daring. There are so many ways to practice this that we often miss opportunities by overlooking them. Give a kind word to someone who will never see you again. Open up your house to someone who cannot return the favor. Connect someone to an opportunity or friend. Pay for a stranger’s coffee. Loan a friend your car. Give a gift. Make a phone call. Open up. Share what makes you uniquely you, what only you can give. Generosity that flows from you being you… that’s living. Question: what act of daring generosity can you perform this week? Note: Today’s #ThoughtfulThursday is a picture of a sticky note I have on the wall of my office. Have a quote like this you’d like to share with Thoughtful Thursday? Share the quote on social media using the tag #STARTtt “But what IS Thoughtful Thursday?!” you may be asking. Check out the original post...
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Generosity Project Scholarship Recipients Announced
It all began with a simple idea, born from a 22-car “pay it forward” moment at the drive-thru line at Chick-Fil-A. The question was asked, “What would happen if STARTers were invited to participate in an act of contagious generosity? Could the kindness of many open the door for someone to attend the START Conference?” The answer proved to be an overwhelming “yes!” as the #STARTjoy Generosity Project raised more than $5000 in just one week. In the first 90 minutes of the campaign, STARTers raised $1,000 for the first START Conference scholarship – and then challenged the #STARTjoy team not to stop there. Even Jon Acuff got involved in the #Drivefor5 goal. And by the campaign’s end on Saturday morning, 5 scholarships had been funded through the generous contributions of those participating in the START Experiment. Not only did the #STARTjoy Generosity Project exceed all donation goals, but 95 applications were submitted for scholarships – more than double the number anticipated. “The majority of the responses we received were detailed,” shares Casey Lewis, #STARTjoy founder. “STARTers shared their goals, dreams, fears, and action plans. The applications made me wish #STARTjoy had unlimited funding.” To make the review process as fair as possible, all applications were put into an Excel spreadsheet, with names, phone numbers, and email addresses removed (each submission was identified only by row number and time-stamp). The document was then emailed to a team of six people who read through the applications, reviewing each for how specifically the three questions were answered. Each member of the team independently submitted their recommendations. The field was narrowed to 22, then 14. On Friday morning, the final five were selected. As part of the screening, those applicants who requested only tickets to the START Conference were earmarked for the tickets generously donated by fellow STARTers. Though the selection process was a difficult one, Lewis is thankful one hurdle was removed. “Had #STARTjoy only raised the initial $1000, the applications of the five finalists would have then been posted for a vote by all START Experiment participants. But because of the generosity of so many, all five finalists will now be attending the START Conference! Additionally, four “ticket only” scholarship applicants are being matched with donors! That’s right – NINE people are now attending the START Conference because of the generosity of others!” The five #STARTjoy Generosity Project scholarship recipients are Heather Villalta (Orangevale, California), May Bohon (Fort Worth, Texas), Rob Beaudreault (Lakeland, Florida), Ashlee Rohnert (Boise, Idaho), and Malori Fuchs (Plano, Texas). Ticket- only recipients are Stacey Brasier, Paul (Pablo) Ellsworth, James Kiriazes, and April Best. “The Generosity Project was an experiment in awesome. We were all truly winners. We saw a group of strangers – raise $5000 in six days to help others move closer to fulfilling their dreams.” The #STARTjoy team is currently working on future opportunities, investigating other ways STARTers might help people chase their dreams and change the world around them. Want to meet the five #STARTjoy scholarship recipients? Join FrankenSTART this Friday as we share their...
Read MoreStart by Saying “No.”
Start by Saying “NO.” by Mike Loomis I grew up in a house jammed with music. Or drums, anyway. My dad was a drummer, so these instruments were part of the living room furniture and a part of me. As I was reading the book, Start, by Jon Acuff, this scene from childhood came into playback: In fourth grade, when it was time to join band, my classmates and I lined up to select our weapons of choice. “But you have good, long arms – perfect for playing the trombone!” This was the best sales pitch the music teacher could muster after informing me that too many kids had already signed up to play the drums. Understandable. The system couldn’t please every one of my classmates. Somebody had to play the trombone, right? Wrong. I’m a pretty laid-back person, so resisting all the sweet-talk was not normal for me. (And for the record, “trombone arms” definitely wasn’t on my wish-list of manly attributes). The standoff was intense. After some repetitive pencil-tapping exercises, my insistence paid off. I grabbed those giant wooden drumsticks and ran out the door! It was the only outcome I could live with peacefully. This kind of “no alternative” resolve has not always guided me. I’ve sometimes fiddled for years on “important” projects, juggling assorted aspects of my career so others wouldn’t be disappointed. Sure, there are needs to fill, but honestly, it’s scary to start doing the one thing you love. Dueling Banjos We face pressure from voices inside, and outside, our heads. Think about all the times your teacher, boss, friends, or even text messages try to pull you toward a path where you’re “needed.” You might be qualified, but deep inside, you want to resist and insist. My resolve to play those drums greatly impacted my life, relationships, and passport stamps. Years later, I toured all over the US, USSR, and Eastern Europe playing drums. The Snare You don’t need to have it all figured out (although I hope you caught the clever drum reference above). We just have to stop for a beat and realize how we’re making choices every day. We are surrounded by high-pressure needs. We are dealing with our own voices of doubt. Take stock of these things, and when necessary, resist. Insist. Start. Someone else will play the clarinet. You don’t have to do it. Yes, you’re a grownup, but every once in a while, it’s okay to listen to the wise voice of that stubborn inner-9-year-old. Say NO to something right now. Consider it practice. Jon Acuff’s book, Start, has helped me do that in heaps, and the results are showing up! So, Flute Fingers… What do you really want to play? Mike Loomis helps people launch and grow their dream projects. He’s strategic partner to business owners, authors, and non-profits. He and his wife live in the mountains of Colorado with their pet moose. www.MikeLoomis.CO <http://www.MikeLoomis.CO> Creative Commons attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitch98000/3320611000/ ...
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