Dear Catalyst, Thank you for Catalyst 2015 Awaken the Wonder. I’ve been to several Catalysts now and I always take away something. However, this year was different. It is sticking. I think there are 3 reasons for this. Theme First off, the theme (Awaken the Wonder) really resonated with me. I also think everyone involved did a fantastic job of weaving the theme throughout the event. We all need to dream, create and awaken the wonder within us. Vulnerability The speakers were so vulnerable. They did not speak out of theory. Rather they spoke life into us even in the midst of the difficult times they are in right now.…
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Go Deep
Perhaps you are making decisions on what to do with your charitable giving. You are trying to decide whether to give four people/organizations $25 per month or to give one organization $100 per month. Go Deep. Give the one organization $100 per month. It will make a greater impact. Your schedule is full. You are having to decide between spending more time with one person or group of people verses finally getting together with three others that have been trying to get on your schedule. Go Deep. Spend more time developing deeper relationships, and say no to a bunch of new superficial ones. You have a bunch of stuff to…
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A Work-Life Balance Tip: Be Present
One of the best conferences I have ever been to was the Be Present themed Catalyst Conference in Atlanta a few years ago. After all, I still remember the theme. It was simple, making it easy to remember, but not necessarily to implement. Be present. What does that mean? How does one do it? Is it even possible? Being present is physical. You must be present for the people and things important to you. Saying you care, but not backing it up with your presence, speaks loudly. Parents beware. Spending long hours at the office providing for your children who never get to see you…well I speak from experience. They…
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I’m Back!
Yes, I am back from my Social Media Break! I am happy to report that I was not overly productive during this recess from social media. Michelle and I had a great time traveling. It was nice to enjoy just being with her. A few years ago, at a conference, one of the speakers suggested taking a 1 day technology break every two weeks. I have not had the guts to try up to this point. Seems like one of those things that I’m sure would be beneficial to someone else. 🙂 Again, I think the benefits of such technology breaks are seen over the long term. It is a time…
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Fasting Options
The next few weeks our church is fasting as a congregation. The leadership has asked us to give up something and be in prayer with a focus on “humbling ourselves before God, seeking understanding and praying for the areas in our city we want to see changed.” I am pretty excited to see how God works in and through our church during this time. Depending on the length of a fast, one can abstain from food altogether. Some other options include: Skipping a meal(s) over course of the fast. Cutting out “choice food,” like meat, sweets, etc. Avoiding various activities. For this fast, I will be giving up social media…
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Social Media Break
It’s that time again. The next couple of weeks I will be taking a break from social media. This benefits me in multiple ways. 1) Relationships – I’ll be able to better focus on the relationships right in front of me. In particular, my wife and I will be having some quality time. 2) Productivity – Doing this every so often increases my productivity…in the short term, but more importantly, over the long haul. 3) Faith – I will be spending extra time in prayer during this time. Increased prayer always equals spiritual growth. 4) Presence – Michelle and I will be traveling some and we look forward to being…
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Remembering Katrina
I’ve tried to write this post four different times and I just can’t seem to do it. I either want to write a ton of personal stories that no one would find interesting or I go to the other extreme of writing too little for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. Katrina was a game changer for so many. On this day, I am remembering the storm that wrecked countless lives. I am also remembering the opportunity it provided. Things will never be the same. So many memories from relief work to raising my kids in post-Katrina NOLA. I will never be the same. Praying today for those of you still…
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Wait to Worry
This is a new idea for me, but one that I am starting to cling to. Wait to worry. I have even passed it on, in a recent coaching opportunity. Things were not going well for this person, but there was nothing they could do. In the near future, there would be things they could do. However, right now, all they could do would be to worry. That’s no good. I gently but firmly encouraged, “Wait to worry.” I had to repeat it a few times, as I do for myself. Being a planner, I lean towards worry myself, even if there is nothing I can do. If you can’t…
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God Can Take It
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.” ~ Ps 22:1-2 In reading the Psalms this month, I have come across some great passages. I love the honesty of David here. He holds nothing back in chapter 22. He tells God exactly how he is feeling. It is as if he believes God is a real person. He is talking to God like he is a real person. Guess what? God is real. Though he is…
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Best Evernote Post Ever: 57 Ways To Use Evernote
If you don’t know by now, I love Evernote. After all, it is my most useful productivity tool. I use it for ideas, task management, and, of course, to remember everything. From time to time, I run across people who have tried it but are struggling to figure out how to really use Evernote. They realize how valuable it could be for them, but they just can’t quite integrate it into their life. I ran across a post from Craig Jarrow titled 57 Things to Keep in Evernote. What a great list! I use many of these myself and never even realized it. I got some new ideas as well. Check it…