tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29841228797968941122024-03-12T19:56:28.133-07:00James' BlogTo Inspire Change in Myself and the WorldJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-67876497989913588822011-08-30T17:05:00.000-07:002011-08-30T17:05:12.372-07:00You’ll Get no Sympathy from Me! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>583</o:Words> <o:Characters>3328</o:Characters> <o:Company>US Navy</o:Company> <o:Lines>27</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>6</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4087</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Ny6Ux3VWQ/Tl14PhEOn5I/AAAAAAAAAD8/TkY0kxBiUYc/s1600/empathy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Ny6Ux3VWQ/Tl14PhEOn5I/AAAAAAAAAD8/TkY0kxBiUYc/s200/empathy.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit:<br />
<a href="http://the-parenting-magazine.com/">the-parenting-magazine.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Sympathy.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When you hear or read that word, thoughts of consoling a grieving friend or loved one might come to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you picture yourself assuring a wronged coworker that their boss really is a jerk.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Actually, the latter of these two scenarios is far closer to sympathy than the former, which naturally leans towards empathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference between sympathy and empathy is as simple as passive versus active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sympathetic listener resonates with the sufferer and then reflects the sufferer’s own feelings and reactions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>What is sympathy?</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sympathetic vibration</i> is used in both physics and music to describe the phenomenon of objects or instruments passively resonating at frequencies similar to other nearby objects or instruments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the passive resonator is not intended to (or was not built to) resonate in that way, what results is either cacophony (in the case of musical instruments) or chaos (a collapsing building or bridge).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, you will never see a sympathetically vibrating object in any way benefitting the first object.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now consider the sympathetic friend described above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His buddy is grumbling about how unfair the boss is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of really trying to understand what his buddy is going through, he passively resonates and grumbles with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this help his buddy work through suffering or solve any problems?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At most, it provides a temporary steam-release for the sufferer, but because they are now resonating at the same frequency, it builds that same anger and frustration in the sympathetic friend.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>How about empathy?</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In contrast, empathy seeks to actively understand the sufferer’s emotions and the situation as a whole, and then helps to reach in and pull their friend through and out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is done even if it means that the suffering temporarily intensifies while working them through.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since sympathy is not the answer, what would an empathetic friend do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If everything about sympathy is wrong, the right answer would be the opposite: Don’t resonate with the sufferer and then offer purely objective advice and solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, any man who has ever tried this with his wife knows this is a one-way ticket to a long fight and a long night spent sleeping on the couch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Surprisingly, the first steps to empathy are similar to, but not the same as, sympathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to the sufferer, and listen to them <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actively</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Resonate with and understand their pain, but don’t resonate with their anger (their pain is a response to external factors, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anger is a response to their own pain</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really work to understand what they are experiencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot safely navigate someone through danger until you know where he or she is and what the terrain is like on the path to safety.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>My experience with empathy.</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">About a year ago, I lived through a great example of empathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just been raked over the coals at work and I was ready to scream bloody murder at anyone who would listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened that I ran into a great friend, also named James, who took me away from work and out to a park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, he listened to me as I poured out my anger and enumerated the many flaws I perceived in our senior leadership.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He knew exactly what I was going through… he had been raked over the coals many times before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could have said, “Yeah, I know what you mean… they’re horrible!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he offered a hand to help me up, dust me off, and move me onward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not once did he tell me I was justified or right in my anger, and what he said sounds almost cliché in retrospect, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at the time: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“This is probably going to get worse before it gets better, but you will make it through this and you will be even stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry and I’m here if you ever need to talk.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was right and I knew he was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I needed was someone who understood me to remind me of it and to bolster my hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James, if you’re reading this… thanks!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Question: </b>What is one thing you have done, or can do, to move yourself from a position of sympathy to one of empathy?</div><!--EndFragment-->Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-74223377870772114652011-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:002011-08-10T16:10:25.968-07:00How to be Faithful: The Tale of the Prince and His Jewels<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">My blog entry this week will be a little different. Upon waking this morning, I had an idea for a fable, like those written by Aesop. While this reads like a children’s story, I believe the moral applies to people of all ages and both sexes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With that, I humbly offer you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tale of the Prince and His Jewels</i>.</div><div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><hr /><hr /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4VHO4pR2DP8/TkMOHNZFwJI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4ic7UETjJqU/s1600/Jewels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4VHO4pR2DP8/TkMOHNZFwJI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4ic7UETjJqU/s200/Jewels.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://honorinejewels.com/">honorinejewels.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not so long ago, be that yesterday or two millennia gone by, there lived a handsome prince in a wealthy, wealthy land. The prince was coming quickly upon his twentieth birthday, at which point he was required to choose a wife.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Being that this was a wealthy land, and being that the prince was royalty, you would imagine that the prince had servants… and you would be right! Now, do you remember when I said that the prince was handsome? Well, his servants were equally handsome, and the prince knew it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The prince wanted to be sure the maiden he married would not be seduced by one of his servants. After consulting with his advisors, he came up with a plan. That day, a royal invitation was sent out to all the young maidens in the land.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the day all the maidens arrived, the prince made an announcement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Greetings, lovely maidens of our great land! On this day, I offer each of you a challenge. All who choose to participate will receive a reward of precious jewels. However, one will become my bride, the princess, and eventually the queen of this land!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A loud murmur arose from the maidens. “Jewels!” “Become the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">princess</i>!” “What could the challenge <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be</i>?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the noise had died down, the prince said, “Over the next thirty days, each maiden who participates will spend the night with a different one of my servants. During those nights, my servants will use all of their cunning to seduce you. For each successive night you remain pure, my servants will give you a jewel of greater and greater value! After the thirty days are over, I will choose my bride from those who have remained pure.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thirty days passed. On the thirty-first day, the prince once more called together all the maidens of the land. They were all giggling, whispering and comparing their newly acquired jewels. The prince had his servants count the jewels of each maiden. Among the crowd, they found two maidens who had thirty jewels each! They even found one lovely maiden who had no jewels at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The prince called forward the two maidens with the thirty jewels. At the same time, a cruel servant brought forward the maiden with no jewels in order to mock her. The prince, being a kind man, did not wish to humiliate the young maiden. He dismissed the cruel servant and called the maiden over to speak with him quietly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“My dear girl, how is it that you have not even a single jewel?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The maiden, tears brimming in her eyes, said, “The jewels were not what I wanted, your highness. I only wanted to be your wife, so I did what I would have done if I were your wife! I kept myself from being where my purity could be challenged. I did not participate at all.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day, they were wed.</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-39584459686708070082011-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:002011-07-15T07:34:44.821-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - Foggy Mountain BreakdownThis week's "Something for the Musician" entry features Ben Clark. I remember playing gigs with him in little Texas honky-tonk bars, where he was in the band opening up for us. He was an amazing player back then... one day, I think I remember hearing this faint <i>whoosh</i> sound as he zipped right past me musically.<br />
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Since then, he has gone on to perform with artists such as Craig Morgan and Taylor Swift. Most would consider that a solid success story... Ben resigned from Taylor's band to focus on a major publishing deal with his sisters and make his instructional videos & website.<br />
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Aside from being a friend and a great guy, I'm featuring Ben this week because he is an expert with the heart of a teacher. Someday, in my own way, I aspire to be the same.<br />
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</div><div>I've been watching "Banjo Ben's" instructional videos since he started making them. Rather than trying to describe the indescribable, here is a classic video of his: Foggy Mountain Breakdown.</div><div><br />
</div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WXdO288QcK8?rel=0" width="425"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>If you are interested in studying with Ben, he has quite a few free instructional videos on YouTube. You can combine those with the TAB files and backing tracks on <a href="http://banjobenclark.com/">banjobenclark.com</a> to get a full lesson. He even does lessons over Skype!</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-33077054944709234042011-07-11T21:01:00.000-07:002011-07-11T21:18:25.698-07:00Cherish Your Wife (Leadership Lessons from the Bible)<div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51WOR1Hu1pk/ThvCXsJCVEI/AAAAAAAAACM/e46uHGoV-ic/s1600/Beach+Silhouette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51WOR1Hu1pk/ThvCXsJCVEI/AAAAAAAAACM/e46uHGoV-ic/s200/Beach+Silhouette.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://goodwp.com/">goodwp.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Before I start, I know what you’re thinking: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“What does cherishing your wife have to do with leadership?”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Boy, I’m glad you asked!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a Christian man, your job is to be the head of your family. This means that your first job as a leader, if you are married, is to lead at home. The way a man treats his wife tells you more about his character than anything else. Personally, I refuse to have any dealings, other than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unavoidable</i> business dealings, with any man who is maritally unfaithful, who doesn’t have the spine to lead his family, or who is just a generally piss-poor husband. (e.g. a bully, an ignorer)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">People often quote Ephesians 5:22-24 as an example of how a wife should act, and ignore the fact that Ephesians 5:25-33 (which tells a man how to treat his wife) is roughly <i>three times longer!</i> With this in mind, I offer 5 ways to cherish your wife.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Praise her publicly, both when she is with you and when she isn't.</b> If you have ever read the Song of Solomon, you know that King Solomon was <i>tops</i> when it came to heaping praise on his beloved. While I am not suggesting that you tell all your friends how your wife’s breasts are like two fawns, or that you compare her teeth to a flock of sheep, you can certainly offer honest praise about her cooking, her housekeeping, her sense of humor, her work ethic, her ability to control the household budget, etc. Don’t just reserve these compliments for when she is with you, or they will seem contrived. By the way, if you can’t think of anything about which to praise her, you likely aren’t paying anywhere near enough attention to her!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NEVER run her down publicly</b>! It doesn’t matter whether she is with you or not... it doesn’t matter even if you think you are "only joking". Proverbs 26:18-19 compares a man who excuses his lies and insults with, "I was only joking," to a madman shooting flaming arrows! There is no way around it... your little barbs hurt, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whether she says so or not!</i> Each one takes a little bit out of her. Broadcasting your wife’s faults, be they real or perceived, is the same as you making an investment in a bitter, jaded, introverted wife. Dumb!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Compliment her when you are alone together. </b> Going back to Ephesians 5, men are commanded to love their wives the same as their own bodies. If you enjoy receiving a compliment about your body <i>(and who doesn't?)</i>, don’t you think your wife enjoys getting kind words from you? These don’t have to be about anything physical, although if you aren’t complimenting her on her appearance, find something outstanding and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">start doing it now!</i> Whatever she does to make your married life better is up for grabs in the world of compliments. Every sincere compliment is the same as you making an investment in a joyful, secure, outgoing wife. Smart!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">God is first, she is second, everything else comes next.</b> <i>“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”</i> Together, you put God first, each other second, kids (if you have them) third, and then triage everything else out accordingly. Did you get that? She is more important than your friends, your parents, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even your children!</i> If your buddies are more important, you’re just an idiot (there really is no way to sugar-coat that one). Your parents will pass on, your children will grow up and move away, and it will just be God, you and your wife. If you value anything above God and your wife, you will be living with strangers once everything else moves on.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do everything you can to become a better man... for God's sake, for your sake, and for her sake.</b> If you are anything like me, you understand that your wife is a gift from God whom you don’t deserve. With that in mind, it should be natural to want to fulfill the call to <i>put off your old self and be made new in the attitude of your mind</i> (Ephesians 4:22-24). Start filtering everything you do, say, and think, to be glorifying to God and beneficial to your wife. Seek out and read lots of great books on how to be a better, godly husband. Examine your life, figure out where you need to make changes and then make a plan to start those changes. Do whatever it takes, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">start doing it now!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">What are the ways you cherish your wife?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The above is part of a series of blog posts entitled, “Leadership Lessons from the Bible.”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-55366347282994826082011-07-10T18:32:00.000-07:002011-07-10T18:32:57.043-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - School DaysAnyone who has known me for more than an hour probably knows that I'm a bass player. While my musical first loves are old school country and bluegrass, I have a soft spot in my heart for the true funkmastas out there. It is with this in mind that I present, for your enjoyment, one of the greatest upright bass solos I have ever had the pleasure of watching: Stanley Clarke playing School Days.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MmI_BsVfuCg?rel=0" width="425"></iframe>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-43642416092781378532011-07-08T17:58:00.000-07:002011-07-08T17:58:22.150-07:005 Ways You can be a Better Delegator (Leadership Lessons from the Bible)<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you – you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men – men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible – and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." </i>(Exodus 18:13-23, The Message)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S9nUJJ213Rk/ThelUUKte9I/AAAAAAAAACI/7aYsDl-DSeg/s1600/moses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S9nUJJ213Rk/ThelUUKte9I/AAAAAAAAACI/7aYsDl-DSeg/s320/moses.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit<br />
<a href="http://sunnysidepresbyterianchurch.blogspot.com/">sunnysidepresbyterianchurch.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are five leadership lessons to take away from the above passage.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Delegation is not an option.</b> If you don’t do it, you will burn out completely and you will take your followers with you. Here’s what happens: The better you are at your job, the more you will be asked to do by more and more people. Everyone has only 24 hours in each day, along with their own personal threshold of how much they can handle at one time. I assure you, no matter how good of a time manager you are and no matter how smart and strong you may be, there are more problems than you can handle on your own!</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be a teacher and a leader to those you appoint as delegates.</b> A common problem for those who finally decide to delegate is that they swing to the opposite extreme and take their hands completely off the reins. If you delegate authority without training, mentoring, and communicating with your delegates, you will have five or six separate missions under you, all being accomplished poorly. Train, mentor, and communicate with your delegates, and you'll have five or six leaders focusing on a common goal.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Always be on the lookout for people who are competent, both as technical specialists and as leaders.</b> Look into the crowd and find the folks with the strongest personalities. Find the ones who don’t join in with bitter, needless complaining. Seek out the example-setters… those who are experts at their job and do their best work, regardless of having a watchful eye over them. These are the folks who need to be grown into leaders, and it is your job to get them there!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Delegate to a few people under you, and then to a few people under each of them.</b> If you trust in their leadership and their insight, you should allow them to choose their own delegates. If they are young and you see great potential, but they lack leadership skills, choose their delegates for them and make leadership-training part of your mentoring time with them. Either way, if you don’t let them have delegates of their own, they will be less effective and limited on what and how much they can accomplish.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Delegating does NOT mean that you get to sit back and do no work.</b> You have to supervise, but you also have to keep your own technical and leadership skills sharp. While you needn’t know how to do everything (this is part of why you delegate), letting your own technical expertise slide will cause you to lose respect in the eyes of both your followers and your peers. Your followers need to know that they can come to you when they have really tough, technical questions, and that you will either have the answer, or that you know how and where to find it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The above is part of a series of blog posts entitled, “Leadership Lessons from the Bible.”</i></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-23740234418359322082011-07-06T17:06:00.000-07:002011-07-06T22:35:22.082-07:00How to be a Follower who Leads (Leadership Lessons from the Bible)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sU0m9_GD60o/ThT1JcgaC5I/AAAAAAAAACE/79ejuEV5Jdk/s1600/Leader+and+Followers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sU0m9_GD60o/ThT1JcgaC5I/AAAAAAAAACE/79ejuEV5Jdk/s200/Leader+and+Followers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: <a href="http://ngururaj.blogspot.com/">ngururaj.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.</i>” (Colossians 3:22-24, New International Version)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To begin, we need to do some basic verbiage updating: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slaves</i> becomes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">followers</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">masters</i> becomes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leaders</i>. Good, now we are up to the modern day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One characteristic of a true leader is that he or she stands out from the group. No one ever became a leader by going along with the crowd… in fact, when young workers who have no leadership experience are assigned as leaders, one of the mistakes they often make is to try and fall in with the group they are leading. When this happens, <i>no one leads</i> and <i>everyone suffers</i>!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crowd, </i><i>without leadership</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is known for two time-honored, dishonorable work traditions: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">complaining </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gossiping</i>. For this article, we will use <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/article/gossip-is-poison-to-your-team/lifeandmoney_business/" title="Gossip is Poison to Your Team - daveramsey.com">Dave Ramsey’s definition of gossip</a>: “<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Delivering negative information – any negative information about anyone or anything – to someone who cannot do something about it.</span></i>”<br />
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Since the crowd is known for complaining and gossiping, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">follower who leads</i> is known for giving honest & public praise for their leadership, and for addressing concerns & complaints directly to their leaders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crowd, </i><i>without leadership,</i> is known for doing their best work only when under the watchful eye of a supervisor… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">individual crowd members</i> work their hardest only if there is something in it for them. <br />
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The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">follower who leads</i> does their best work regardless of supervision and without touting their own accomplishments. Over time, their work ethic naturally encourages others to do the same. He or she knows that, in due time, their work will be rewarded. They do not strive for rewards, but instead realize that rewards are the natural byproduct of being a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">follower who leads</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crowd, without leadership,</i> is known for legalizing* everything they can… this gives them more things about which to complain and gossip!<br />
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The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">follower who leads </i>follows lawful orders when given, and later offers suggestions for change and improvement to their superiors at a later time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> *</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Legalizing</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, in this context, refers to the practice of claiming that a decision or policy is in violation of a certain rule or rules, often twisting the context of the situation in such a way as to validate the argument.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">individual crowd member</i> is neither an effective leader, nor a good follower. They serve primarily to work with one leg while dragging the other as an anchor.<br />
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The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">follower who leads</i> can be better described with one word: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leader</i>. Leadership requires no title, no authority, and no official accountability… it only requires you to step outside <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the crowd</i> so you can inspire them and lead them!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The above is part of a series of blog posts entitled, “Leadership Lessons from the Bible.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-14622824484351392082011-07-03T07:27:00.000-07:002011-07-03T07:27:47.906-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - Chittlins on TromboneThis week, I submit a note-for-note cover of Bob McChesney's "Chittlins", by trombonist Daniel Bonnin. This is what happens when massive amounts of talent, dedication, and work ethic come together in one person. Note-for-note and at tempo, he has recorded and posted videos of himself playing solo excerpts from nine of the ten tracks on McChesney's "No Laughing Matter" album.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="312" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-X4U6htFZ48?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
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If you liked that, the eight other videos from this album are available on his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/danbonnin">YouTube channel</a>.<br />
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Become a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DanielScottBonnin">fan of his on Facebook</a>.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-52186720645233898572011-06-29T21:49:00.000-07:002011-06-29T22:00:42.099-07:00What Your Great-Grandpa Thinks You Ought to Know about America<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“My ‘American Dream’ is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”</i> –James Truslow Adams</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZQeqbQ30tk/TgviNY-GCNI/AAAAAAAAACA/waXgAfL4ZiU/s1600/grandfather+-+Tomek+Waleki+Photography+%2528wakifoto+wordpress+com%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZQeqbQ30tk/TgviNY-GCNI/AAAAAAAAACA/waXgAfL4ZiU/s200/grandfather+-+Tomek+Waleki+Photography+%2528wakifoto+wordpress+com%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://wakifoto.wordpress.com/">Tomek Waleki</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am an American military service member. Before I was in the military, I was simply an American. Call me old-fashioned if you wish, but she is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> special to me. She was a mother who raised me, a mentor who guided me, and now she is an ailing lady in need of care. Please understand this: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I take great offense at anyone who would seek to wrongfully take advantage of her.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">America is known as the land of opportunity, but many see her and treat her as a never-ending fountain of entitlement. From poorly managed and badly abused welfare programs that are neck-deep in bureaucratic red tape and paperwork, to trillions of dollars in annual deficit spending, the people out there who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t</i> want something for nothing are seriously in the minority.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With this in mind, I humbly offer you six pieces of advice you would have received from your great-grandfather.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get your body out of bed!</b> Do you want to know why the Army did, “more before 9am than most people do all day?” THEY GOT UP AT 4AM!!! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(they often got up much, much earlier)</i> If your first action each day is fighting with yourself to get out of bed and playing ping-pong with the snooze button, you are losing some of the best and most productive hours of your day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get your body in bed!</b> Turn off the TV (cancelling cable is one of the best moves we ever made) and set a drop-dead time for any work or activities you are doing… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they will still be there tomorrow, trust me!</i> Without proper rest, you won’t have the mental clarity or the physical stamina to go after your opportunities.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quit eating like an idiot!</b> Eating like an idiot is less what you eat and more <i>what you know about</i> the food you eat. If you don’t fuel your body properly, you won’t have the mental clarity or the physical stamina to go after your opportunities <i>(notice the pattern)</i>. Seek out information on what you put into your body.</div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">I’m not going to tell you the best things to eat. The most I will do is point you in the direction of a resource that I’ve used and shout, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“GO!”</i> Just go to your favorite search engine and type in, “<a href="http://tinyurl.com/4ytqnmo" title="Search "Healthy Skeptic 9 Steps to Perfect Health" ">Healthy Skeptic 9 Steps to Perfect Health</a>”.</div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">Please search far beyond that on your own. Your great-grandpa would want you to. Eating like an idiot is just one symptom of having a large sense of entitlement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Live on Less than You Make and Plan for Your Own Retirement!</b> If you are in trouble and genuinely need help, I’m there for you. If you rack up credit card debt, student loan debt, auto debt, and all other sorts of debt, and you overextend yourself far beyond your income, you are not entitled to a comfortable retirement and America is not responsible for providing you one. You can’t continually live on more than you make, and neither can America. It has never been sustainable!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vote & get involved, and do it more locally than nationally!</b> The people who matter the most are the ones closest to you. Your city council and mayor have far more influence in your community (and, thus, in your life) than your President or Congressional Representative! I’m not saying that national political office is unimportant. What I am saying is that local political office is MORE important.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get out of your shell and HELP PEOPLE!</b> Regardless of your faith, everyone has a civic duty to help those who are down on their luck. It should start with your immediate family, extend to your friends and local community, and go outward from there.</div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">Look, if you can’t pay your light bill, your cupboards are bare, and you are scraping together every dime you can to get through the month, no one is expecting charity from you... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you are</i> the less fortunate. But if you are gainfully employed, have discretionary income, and you are not helping those in need… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what is wrong with you?!?</i> The only reason that we are in a welfare and social security state is because of people not helping people!</div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">This next statement isn’t going to win me many friends, but I’m making it anyway: <i>If you are not setting aside at least 10% of your monthly take-home income to help those less fortunate than yourself, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!!!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">My beloved America has been wounded many times. Each time she has healed, it has been because of people who stood up and took the opportunity to make real changes. The pieces of advice I listed were in that particular order for a reason: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have to take responsibility for your own life first before you can help change the world.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What advice would your great-grandfather have given?</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-66896604383988580282011-06-28T20:10:00.000-07:002011-06-28T20:17:40.299-07:00Never Make another Excuse for what You Have to Say!<div class="MsoNormal">Hey, for what it’s worth, I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I’m going to hit a touchy subject with today’s blog post.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1uKhQE1b_o/TgqV2DUG6yI/AAAAAAAAAB8/APQH3NCHj7g/s1600/No+Excuses.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1uKhQE1b_o/TgqV2DUG6yI/AAAAAAAAAB8/APQH3NCHj7g/s200/No+Excuses.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: <a href="http://justonecupcake.com/">justonecupcake.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Doesn’t that make you want to <i>squirm?!?</i> Not the part about the touchy subject… read the qualifier that preceded it. You have most certainly heard (or spoken) the following opening words:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“No offense, but…”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“This probably doesn’t apply to you…”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Hey, for what it’s worth…”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Listen, I know this sucks, but…”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Those phrases, when placed before the body of your statement, mean just one thing: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You have not developed the proper relationship to be making your statement!</i> If you don’t have the trust and understanding of the person you’re talking with, you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should not </i>be making the statement. If you have their trust and understanding, you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do not</i> need the qualifier.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next time you feel a qualifier coming on, STOP! Before another word comes out of your mouth, mentally make your statement on its own… without the qualifier. If it sounds disrespectful, no qualifier is going to make that better. If it sounds like you are micromanaging something that they already know how to do, no qualifier is going to make your words sound wise. If this is the case, <i>put the message on the shelf for the time being</i>. As the proverb goes, it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If your message is of value, shape your words to convey their intended meaning in a respectful, intelligent manner. Once you have done that, speak those words... <i>and only those words!</i> Your message will be clear and the people you are speaking to will respect you.</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-42908409535711979182011-06-27T20:32:00.000-07:002011-06-27T20:32:38.035-07:00How my Wife & I Eat Organic on $350 per Month – Part 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZqkZc-r2pM/TglJcIxIfHI/AAAAAAAAAB4/zkAY3bqWYtA/s1600/gfg_budget-organics-SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TZqkZc-r2pM/TglJcIxIfHI/AAAAAAAAAB4/zkAY3bqWYtA/s200/gfg_budget-organics-SMALL.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://guidanceforgrowing.com/">guidanceforgrowing.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is a continuation of the article </i>“<a href="http://jrandorff.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-my-wife-i-eat-organic-on-350-per.html" title="Part 1 of this article">How my Wife & I Eat Organic on $350 per Month – Part 1</a>”. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you find this article series useful, I hope you will “Like” it on Facebook, “Retweet” it on Twitter, and subscribe to this blog to get it delivered to your e-mail inbox. Thanks for reading!</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Part 1 left off with the first four of “8 Ways You Can Eat Organic on a Budget”. Here are numbers 5-8.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shop around, and look where you wouldn’t normally look<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Where do we get our organic foods? Central Market, Safeway, Albertsons, our Commissary, Trader Joe’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, CostCo, Wildly Organic, Full Circle, and several other places that I’m just not thinking of at the moment. I know, this seems like the exact opposite of the whole “stay out of the store” mentality I’ve been pushing, but hear me out. If you are going to be in these stores anyway, keep an eye out for organic foods and their prices. Write them down if you must, but have a good idea of who has the best price on what. For example, TJ Maxx and Ross are the cheapest for organic teas, hands down. CostCo kills everyone else on organic eggs and spinach. Our Commissary has the best prices on organic bananas. Trader Joe’s offers organic chicken for a steal. You get the idea.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Avoid packaged foods (organic junk food is still junk)<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Look, as yummy as it may be, organic Mac and Cheese is not much healthier than conventional Mac and Cheese… they are both pretty devoid of nutritional value! Of course, not all boxed or bagged foods are junk foods, but there are very few pre-packaged food items that should be household staples. Pre-packaged foods are hardly ever local and typically come at a cost premium. Just say no to them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hit the Farmer’s Market… with a PLAN and a LIMIT<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Farmer’s Markets are really great places to meet cool people and get wonderful deals on fresh-picked local groceries (eggs laid that morning, carrots fresh out of the ground, 100% grass-fed beef from a neighboring town, etc). However, if you go there without a plan, you can easily kill a couple hundred bucks in no time flat! Set a limit on how much you will spend (we usually say $30, but whatever works for you) and go in with an idea of at least a few things you want to buy. If you have some cash left over, that is the time to decide if you want to try something new and different, or if you just want to save the money.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Agree that it is NOT okay to say, “Okay.”<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Living on a budget takes teamwork, and a food budget is no exception. You both have to agree to hold each other accountable. If you are having a moment of weakness and your inner red-faced 5-year-old is screaming, “I WANT IT! I WANT IT!,” you need to know that your spouse will not cave. You don’t need to be a jerk about it, but there will be times that a firm and decisive, “No!,” is needed. Reckless spending is similar to an addiction in that it gets hardwired into our psyche. At first, it is going to be very difficult to rewire your brains. Enabling each other by saying, “Okay,” to avoid a conflict will only serve to make this more difficult.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">$350 is no magic number, and costs will vary depending on grocery prices in your area, how big your family is, and your own personal goals. Think of doing this in baby steps. For example, if you typically spend between $700 - $900 on groceries in any given month, consider setting a budget goal next month of $600. You’ll have $145 to spend for each of your first three weeks and then $165 to spend in the final week. If you get to the point where that feels comfortable and perhaps a bit excessive, try whittling yourself down to $500 or $550. Once you have developed good discipline about your grocery finances, you’ll surprise yourself with how little it actually takes to get you through the month!</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-7162193413768323332011-06-24T18:42:00.000-07:002011-06-24T18:43:39.876-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - A Father's Record Player: Part 1This week, rather than just offering one song that moves me, I humbly submit 49 of the best songs ever recorded. This brilliant list was put together by the folks over at <a href="http://raisingsimeon.wordpress.com/">RaisingSimeon</a>. Just hit play and let the music wash over you. The original list, with commentary notes, is linked below. Sadly, Grooveshark does not have any Beatles songs (I can only assume there must be some legal issues), so I could not include "Hey Jude" in this mix. Please enjoy "A Father's Record Player: Part One".<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://raisingsimeon.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/a-fathers-record-player-100-songs-my-son-needs-to-hear-part-one/"><b>A Father's Record Player: 100 Songs My Son Needs to Hear: Part One</b></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="200" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=54932639&bbg=eeffeb&bth=eeffeb&pfg=eeffeb&lfg=eeffeb&bt=576357&pbg=576357&pfgh=576357&si=576357&lbg=576357&lfgh=576357&sb=576357&bfg=9dbfb8&pbgh=9dbfb8&lbgh=9dbfb8&sbh=9dbfb8&p=0" /><embed src="http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250" height="200"
flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&playlistID=54932639&bbg=eeffeb&bth=eeffeb&pfg=eeffeb&lfg=eeffeb&bt=576357&pbg=576357&pfgh=576357&si=576357&lbg=576357&lfgh=576357&sb=576357&bfg=9dbfb8&pbgh=9dbfb8&lbgh=9dbfb8&sbh=9dbfb8&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" /></object></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-60658316450511713762011-06-23T22:28:00.000-07:002011-06-27T20:34:59.647-07:00How my Wife & I Eat Organic on $350 per Month – Part 1<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JQw1oMxX9OU/TgQePK2VKKI/AAAAAAAAAB0/lypbFa-EfFI/s1600/organic-food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JQw1oMxX9OU/TgQePK2VKKI/AAAAAAAAAB0/lypbFa-EfFI/s320/organic-food.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://modernecohomes.com/">modernecohomes.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">If you are reading this, you probably belong to one of two groups: Either you already eat organic and are trying to save some money, or you are considering going organic but are stymied by the high prices you see on the grocery store shelves. If so, I understand… I’ve been in both groups.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the past two years, my wife and I have steadily shifted our diet towards being nearly 100% organic. At roughly the same time we were introduced to the benefits of eating organic, we were also introduced to <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/">Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class</a> <i>(our everlasting gratitude goes out to our friends, the Murrays and the Brainards, for introducing us to both)</i>. Let me tell you, trying to eat organic while paying off debt with “gazelle intensity” isn’t easy… but it can be done! I can say, with absolute certainty, that good health and high energy levels are really helpful for keeping up that level of intensity.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through trial and error (lots of error), we have developed our own personal system that allows us to eat organic on a budget of about $350 a month. This is nothing magical, secret, and there is nothing that I want to sell. My only hope is that this benefits someone out there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">8 Ways You Can Eat Organic on a Budget<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Split your monthly food budget into weeks<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">There may be no single thing more demotivating than reaching the end of the money before the end of the month. We actually spent all our food money by the 15<sup>th</sup> of the month... on more than one occasion! It was then that I realized that it is a whole lot easier to make it through a few days with what is left in the cupboard than trying to power through a couple weeks. The solution: Take your monthly food budget and divide it by four, and then take five bucks from each of the first three weeks and add it to the last week to account for the extra two or three days in a 30 or 31 day month (obviously, just divide evenly by four in February). When you know you only have $82.50 to spend, the “I want” items tend to put themselves back on the shelves in order to make room for the “I need” items in your cart.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Limit shopping trips<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">The more often you go to the store, the more often you will <i>“remember something you forgot”</i> or have a <i>“hey, let’s get some of that”</i> moment. Grocery store aisles are intended to get you to buy extra stuff on a whim, so do whatever you have to in order to limit yourself to one to two store trips per week… make shopping lists, plan meals, check your stock of cupboard staples, etc. Just don’t go to the store more often than is absolutely necessary.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Buy local and in-season<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Along with the lower prices that accompany local and in-season produce, in-season produce also introduces diversity into your diet. Buying local also helps to support your local economy… farmers are consumers, too, and they are more likely to support local goods and businesses instead of national mega-chains full of imported goods. Finally, with fuel prices at record highs, buying local means more of your dollar is going towards production instead of transportation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sign up for a home-delivery CSA<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">If you aren’t familiar with what a CSA is, take a moment to click over to Google and search those three letters: <a href="http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=csa&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" title="Google Search Result for "CSA" ">CSA</a> <i>(it's okay, I'll wait... just promise you'll come back)</i>. My wife and I subscribe to two CSAs, each delivering a box of fresh, local, organic produce to our doorstep on alternating Mondays. Different CSAs offer delivery of various other items, such as meats, eggs, cheeses, milks, coffees, cereals, breads, etc, etc, etc. The best thing about the CSA is that you place your order directly on the website, select exactly what you want, get it delivered directly to you, and you never have to hear the soft siren’s call of the grocery store shelves.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">I would be remiss to not put in a quick plug for our favorite CSAs, so here are the two we use:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><a href="http://www.wildly-organic.com/" title="Wildly Organic Home Delivery"><b>Wildly Organic</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><a href="http://www.fullcircle.com/" title="Full Circle Organic Produce Delivery"><b>Full Circle</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This post is getting pretty long, so I will come back with, "<a href="http://jrandorff.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-my-wife-i-eat-organic-on-350-per_27.html" title="Part 2 of this article">How my Wife & I Eat Organic on $350 per Month - Part 2</a>." See you then!</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-61012135668716365732011-06-20T21:48:00.000-07:002011-06-20T21:48:57.049-07:00Are you Treating Symptoms instead of Solving Problems?<div class="MsoNormal"> I enjoy problem solving. Problems are like puzzles and I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> getting the best of a puzzle-maker. The difference between puzzles and problems is that puzzles only have solutions, while problems have solutions and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">symptoms</i>. In other words, if you leave a puzzle unsolved, life will go on unaffected by the unsolved puzzle. Leave a problem unsolved, however, and it creates a world of symptoms to deal with.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W2p9QTWA3v0/TgAiLg8VtxI/AAAAAAAAABw/lpMKejqy6HI/s1600/seven_problem_solving_tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W2p9QTWA3v0/TgAiLg8VtxI/AAAAAAAAABw/lpMKejqy6HI/s200/seven_problem_solving_tips.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://lifeasahuman.com/">lifeasahuman.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table> The above would lead one to guess that people would choose to solve problems in order to avoid the symptoms. Instead, many choose to leave their problems alone and then deal with the ensuing aftermath, one symptom at a time. They then treat the symptoms as though they were the true problems.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> One place where this happens is, obviously, in our health. If poor diet is the problem, the symptoms may include lethargy, gaining body fat, and increased blood pressure. Instead of eating better, we go on crash diets, start intense and short-lived workout programs, drink lots of coffee (or sugary energy drinks), and take blood pressure medication. Dumb!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Going beyond health, this also happens in our work, home, and spiritual lives. Check and see if any of these seem familiar:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>John tackles any task given to him at work. He’s really good at tasks, but lousy at looking past the next task to see if someone, with John’s training and support, could offer help. Rather than grow as a leader, John takes on more and more tasks, works longer and longer hours, and then blames his excessive workload for his not “being able” to train anyone else. John’s promotions come few and far-between, if ever. No one else wants to work at his grueling pace… he has effectively locked himself into his job.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Robert has a good marriage, yet he and his wife tend to pick at little things that annoy one-another. These little things lead to little fights, but instead of taking an introspective look at his life and choosing to mature as the leader of his family, he lets the fights continue. The marriage stays good, but it never reaches the level of intimacy and connection that it should.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>Susan believes in God and would call herself a Christian, but she finds herself struggling with certain scriptural issues. Rather than digging deep into her Bible, searching her soul, and wrestling with her questions, she diverts her attention to others who fail in areas where she has no struggle. She becomes bitter and judgmental inside while keeping a “happy Christian” face on the outside, keeping herself from developing any real relationship with God.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> If you treat symptoms instead of handling problems, you are a “symptom-medicator”. It is no different than taking daily medication to treat symptoms instead of eliminating the root cause of an illness. Here are four symptoms of being a Symptom-Medicator:<br />
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</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The “problem” (aka: the symptom) keeps coming back</b> – Problems, when dealt with, don’t usually return. Symptoms are caused by problems, so dealing with them doesn’t stop the problem from recreating them.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The only time you take action is when you feel uncomfortable</b> – Think of the man who only deals with his leaky roof when it is raining. The best time to deal with problems is when the symptoms aren’t distracting you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You play the blame-game </b>– An easy default for dealing with symptoms is to assign blame for them to someone else. Strangely, this popular approach treats neither the problem nor the symptom.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">4)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You consistently act on your own / you lead without counsel</b> – Seeking the help of others often reveals the underlying problems that cause symptoms</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">5)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You act without a plan and then react when things go wrong</b> – Symptoms can be dealt with in the moment, but problems almost always require a plan. If you want to solve your problems, you have to take the time to figure out how you’re going to do it!<br />
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So, how about it? Do you treat the root causes of problems, or do you habitually utilize the "long-term medication" approach and only deal with symptoms? What is one problem you could attack at the root?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_cDnu7YBUU/TgAhlEJT3WI/AAAAAAAAABs/cH_zHPdoK04/s1600/Problem-Solving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_cDnu7YBUU/TgAhlEJT3WI/AAAAAAAAABs/cH_zHPdoK04/s1600/Problem-Solving.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://totalcare4you.com/">totalcare4you.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-90061235562013768822011-06-18T16:08:00.000-07:002011-06-18T16:08:24.069-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - Beautiful ThingsEvery now and then, I get lucky enough to come across a truly great recording of a beautiful song. Sometimes these are recorded as solo acoustic pieces; other times they are full band performances. This recording of Michael Gungor's "Beautiful Things" is both, and features Kyle Aaron, backed up by an all-star band consisting of Kyle Aaron, Kyle Aaron, Kyle Aaron, and... yes, Kyle Aaron (with some beautiful harmonies contributed by Erika Chambers). I have yet to see someone come up with such a cleverly performed audition video. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cdHKn2AAgF0" width="481"></iframe>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-65614789721309233602011-06-18T00:30:00.000-07:002011-06-18T00:36:00.538-07:006 Ways to Extend Influence instead of just Expressing Your Opinion<div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KqikHio1Ay4/TfxSOix7WxI/AAAAAAAAABo/hsL5DzfG6QQ/s1600/Ramsey_Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KqikHio1Ay4/TfxSOix7WxI/AAAAAAAAABo/hsL5DzfG6QQ/s320/Ramsey_Photo.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Ramsey</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"You can only push someone to the extent of your influence, not your opinion."</i> ~~Dave Ramsey</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My wife and I are huge <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a> fans. It is because of his <i>influence</i> that we are debt free (except for our mortgage) and on-track to having a fully funded emergency fund in a few months. I was listening to a <a href="feed://www.daveramsey.com/media/audio/podcast/podcast.xml">podcast</a> of his radio show about a week ago when I heard Dave say the above quote. He makes a solid point (he’s really good at doing that), and it got me thinking, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“How can we be better influencers?”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Be patient</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Allow other ideas to play out. Give someone else’s idea a chance and they will be open to trying yours.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">For years, Dave was thought of as that nice, middle-aged rich guy with the old-school economic theories. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And then… </i>the market went splat, the housing bubble burst, the banks went nuts, and people started listening to one of the few guys out there who had been talking sense all along.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Make it about them</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Show them what’s in it for them if they do it your way.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">Dave could easily have been just another CNN talking head, blabbering on about how his ideas work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sooooo freaking well</i>. Instead, he chose to get up on stage and show, incontrovertibly, how living a debt free life, having a financial pad between yourself and life’s emergencies, living on less than you make, and investing wisely, could all lead you – yes, YOU<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>(not just him, but <i><b>YOU</b></i>… get it?) – to the point of immense wealth and the freedom to live and give like no one else.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Lead by example</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Be living proof that your idea works.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">As Dave says, “If you want to be a millionaire, you do the things millionaires do. Why would you start listening to money advice from your broke brother-in-law who has a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">theory?!?</i>” If Dave hadn’t proven that these steps worked by living them himself, who (other than the most intellectually stymied) would have ever followed him?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Present with conviction</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">You truly believe your idea will work. This is the time for you to present with the authority of one who knows.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">If you ever want to hear what conviction and passion sounds like, listen to a <a href="feed://www.daveramsey.com/media/audio/podcast/podcast.xml">podcast of The Dave Ramsey Show</a>. In fact, listening to the speeches and teachings of great influencers should be on the to-do list of anyone who seeks to be a great <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">servant-leader*</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*A “servant-leader” is a leader with the heart of a servant.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Offer some social proof</u></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Give specific examples of how your idea (or a variation thereof) has worked under similar circumstances.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">One of the reasons that <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/">Financial Peace University</a> and <a href="https://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/">My Total Money Makeover</a> are so inspiring is this: Just when things start to get technical, you get to hear the testimonial of a family who paid off $125,000 of debt in just two years, funded their full 6-month emergency fund, paid off their home mortgage in the following 6 years, and built a wealth portfolio that will serve them well into their golden years. Hearing about how your idea has already worked is powerful influence!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">6)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>And then be patient some more</u></span></b><br />
<b></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Once your idea is put into play, have the self-discipline to stay the course, even if it isn’t immediately and wildly successful.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .5in;">Financial freedom does not come easy. It requires sowing several years of sacrifice in order to reap the rewards of great riches. If a routine is already in place and heading things down the wrong track, it will take time for your idea, once accepted, to turn things around. Be calm, collected, and confident, so your followers can feel the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have you been successful at turning your ideas into influence? What steps did you take? Will you add to the list above?</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-88127592197181113002011-06-16T12:47:00.000-07:002011-06-16T12:47:32.583-07:00How I Learned to Lead My First Follower<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kf5Kk4ib1w/Tfpa1K7_uXI/AAAAAAAAABk/hMEthRYiX5Q/s1600/leadership+of+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kf5Kk4ib1w/Tfpa1K7_uXI/AAAAAAAAABk/hMEthRYiX5Q/s200/leadership+of+one.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: marines.mil</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Leadership is tough. I mean really, honestly difficult. As a leader, your job is influencing people to each do something that they wouldn’t have naturally done on their own, and then getting them all together to work towards a common goal that none of them naturally had in the first place.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You get advice, coming from above and below, telling you the good things you do are bad and the mistakes you make are correct, all for the sake of an individual’s temporary convenience. As if that weren’t enough, you must search to find the gems of wisdom, coming from above and below, which will help you accomplish the mission and become a better leader.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t even have to go to work to experience this. When my alarm goes off in the morning, the first thing I hear is a voice saying, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Snooze! Reset the alarm! 20 more minutes and then I’ll get up… PLEEEEEEEEEASE!!!”</i> Once I finally wake up, another voice nags, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Check e-mail. Log onto Facebook… see if anyone left us a comment.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Amidst all of that mental ruckus, I have a morning mission to accomplish. My daily morning mission is as follows:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Get up</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Clean up (shower/brush/shave)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Dress up</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Wise up (read my Bible)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Warm up (practice my musical instruments)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;">6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Pack up (gather whatever I need for the day, i.e. lunch, work-related items, etc)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With all of these “ups” just waiting to be done, I was still stuck fighting all these voices trying to keep me down. For years, the voices won. I would start every morning with a fight against myself, give in for the sake of temporary convenience (a little extra sleep that wasn’t really restful, time on the computer that wasn't really useful, etc), and end with a race to get out the door and off to work. Most mornings I spent in a foul mood until some outside force gave me a reason to smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I can tell you exactly when I learned to ignore those voices: <i>May 10, 2011</i>. I had just returned from a tour of northern Oregon and I had to be at work at 5:30am for an early gig. When my alarm went off at 4am, something clicked and said, “You, and your voices, will be much happier if you get up right now and start your day.” I didn’t even wait for the normal voices to kick in… I just got up and started my morning routine. That day was proof enough for me. Every day since then, I have made it a point to get up early and get started. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I won’t make the claims that I now have all the time in the world, that I always complete my morning mission, or that I wake up feeling fully awake and energized. I will say that starting each day without a fight has really helped me feel better and take far superior care of business throughout the rest of the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The “snooze-button voice” is now basically gone in the mornings, but the “e-mail/Facebook voice” is still there. The “stay up another hour, you can still get stuff done on the computer” voice is my nighttime nemesis, too. One demon at a time, thank you… I’m working on it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My first follower was and is myself. It took me 33+ years to really learn how to lead him. When I really paid attention to him, I learned what I could accomplish, figured out when to say no to requests, discovered the difference between complaining voices and true insight, and got more accomplished.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The same lesson is true with anyone you lead. When you take the time to pay attention to them, find out what motivates them, speak to them with common sense, and make the mission involve them, you won’t have to live each day feeling like you are fighting against your followers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">How can you expect to lead other people if you won't even lead yourself to:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Get out of bed in the morning?</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Turn off the TV?</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: .25in;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Limit your time on Facebook?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What do you need to learn to lead in yourself? What can you do to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">make that start happening today</i>?</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-66069118828635847822011-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:002011-06-14T22:15:30.331-07:00How to Create and Annihilate Your Goals<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g3_0t-1aLLQ/TfghtvIOohI/AAAAAAAAABg/gsGHvz2jhP0/s1600/crossing-the-finish-line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g3_0t-1aLLQ/TfghtvIOohI/AAAAAAAAABg/gsGHvz2jhP0/s200/crossing-the-finish-line.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: WithoutWax.tv</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today is an exercise in goal-setting and goal-achieving. This is <i>hands on</i>, rubber-meets-the-road stuff, where <u>you</u> do the work and <u>you</u> reap the benefits. This is also where... <u>you</u> become the writer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part One – Start the Article</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Give thought to a topic about which you feel knowledgable. It can be a life experience, general advice, or anything. Now, follow these steps:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ol><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Write a good 200 word article/essay about it (this will probably fill up a little less than half a page on a 12-point font, single-spaced word processor).</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Once you are done, write a catchy headline for it. <u>DO NOT</u> write the headline until you are done writing your article.</div></li>
</ol><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A confession from me to you: <i>I love writing</i>. That aside for now, it can be a real pain to get my thoughts going in a single direction. If you just experienced that too, you just successfully completed Part One of this exercise. Congratulations!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part Two – Start with the Headline</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stay with the same topic and general article format, but this time:</span></div><ol><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Start by </span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/why-some-people-almost-always-write-great-post-titles/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">creating a headline </span></span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">that promises great things. Really stretch the limits of what you believe you can deliver!</span></span></div></li>
<li><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, based upon that promise you just made, start from scratch and write your new 200 word article/essay. If you ever feel stuck, go back to your headline and really work to fulfill your promise.</span></div></li>
</ol><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">If I were a gambling man, I would bet that your second article was far superior to your first. Am I right?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b>So, James, what was so different about writing the headline first?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">When you start by writing the article, you are walking a path until you come to a nice stopping point. You then call it your goal and mark it with your headline. Start with the headline, however, and you </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">start by setting a goal and making a promise!</span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> You have a clear direction, a goal... in effect, you have a mission statement.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Embrace life's larger challenges the way you embraced this exercise. If you set goals and keep them in view, your path will become much more clear.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did you complete this exercise? If so, please post your two essays and your thoughts about this below.</span></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-69622478208951476522011-06-13T21:45:00.000-07:002011-06-14T22:58:29.612-07:003 Ways to Add Crucial Insight to your Unstoppable Optimism<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty."</i> ~~Winston Churchill</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4e0JrGdLMcA/Tfba5Ha2N7I/AAAAAAAAABY/yBUXWIYwmmg/s1600/optimism+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4e0JrGdLMcA/Tfba5Ha2N7I/AAAAAAAAABY/yBUXWIYwmmg/s200/optimism+ball.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: psychologytoday.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Optimism is a wonderful trait. Trusting the best possible outcome to occur is great for the soul. There are almost always multiple possibilities… the one most likely to happen is the one you visualize, concentrate on, and put the most energy into. With that in mind, offering your energy up to anything less than the best (“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lowered Expectations</i>,” anyone?) is like investing in 4% bonds when a 12% mutual fund with a proven track record is out there for the taking!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Optimism, however, comes in two forms. When you weigh all possible outcomes that fall within your area of influence and choose to aim for the best one, that is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">optimism with insight</i>. If, on the other hand, you choose to believe that something great will happen 'just because', you are in the realm of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">blind optimism</i>. Blind optimism is useless at best, dangerous at worst!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Blind optimism is the flipside of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needless worry</i>. Both involve <u>elements</u> <u>you</u> <u>cannot</u> <u>control</u>. The worrier visualizes the worst possible outcome and then frets about how to stop it from happening. The blind optimist, on the other hand, comes up with a wonderful possible outcome and, with no rationale to support it, imagines that they have the power to make it happen.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the movie "The Karate Kid", Daniel's mother moves them from New York to California. In the first part of the movie, despite all the troubles her son is having adjusting, she believes that California will fix all their problems. Lucille Laruso was a blind optimist.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Luke Skywalker (<i>Star Wars</i>) worried about not being able to get off his home planet. He worried about not getting to be with his friends. He worried that he didn't understand the force. He worried that his understanding of the force wasn't strong enough without Yoda there to guide him. If you've watched the original Star Wars trilogy, you know that this list could go on for days. Luke Skywalker was a needless worrier.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">William Wallace (<i>Braveheart</i>) saw injustice in Scotland and realized that something had to be done. He analyzed that the weakness of the British crown was in the loss of control over their subjects. He believed that he could lead his fellow Scotsmen to regain their country. William Wallace was an optimist with insight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With that in mind, here are three ways to ensure your optimism is grounded with insight:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b>1)</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><b> </b></span><b>Ask the question: “</b><i><b>Is there any way I can directly control this outcome?</b></i><b>”</b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If the answer is YES, then devise a plan to achieve the best possible outcome.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If the answer is NO, then keep your hands, words, and thoughts <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">off!</i> If you are a religious person, this is a good opportunity to pray. Prayer is relinquishing control and asking God to do what you cannot.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b>2)</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><b> </b></span><b>Don’t seek to take on tasks that aren’t in your area of responsibility and authority.</b> This is dangerous for a number of reasons.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>It steals work from the person who is supposed to take care of the job and demotivates them.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span>If you get the task done, your ego inflates into thinking you can control anything because, after all, you are working outside the responsibility and authority which have been delegated to you.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b>3)</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><b> </b></span><b>Recognize people who </b><u><b>get the job done</b></u><b>, </b><u><b>keep their promises</b></u><b>, and </b><u><b>have a positive outlook</b></u><b>.</b> These are optimists with insight! When you regularly spend time with these folks, some of their character is bound to influence yours.<br />
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<b>Bonus Tip: STOP TALKING ABOUT THINGS YOU CANNOT CONTROL!!!</b> The more you bring something up in conversation, the more energy you focus on it. Whatever "it" is, if it out of your control, you are more likely to default to either needless worrying or blind optimism if you keep bringing it up. So stop it already!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So how about you? Are you an optimist? How do you make sure that your optimism is based firmly in insight?</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uARJwg7yYuo/Tfbbd7zoweI/AAAAAAAAABc/V5iIR4xxijk/s1600/optimism+desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uARJwg7yYuo/Tfbbd7zoweI/AAAAAAAAABc/V5iIR4xxijk/s200/optimism+desert.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by <a href="http://johnslaby.com/">John Slaby</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-61959297383261047082011-06-10T23:46:00.000-07:002011-06-10T23:46:45.944-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - Stars & Stripes Forever by Chet AtkinsA brilliant musical performance transcends words, so I won't try to describe this.<br />
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The world lost one of her greatest musicians and I lost one of my heroes when Chet Atkins passed away in 2001. Below is one of my favorite Chet performances. I hope you enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Cyiq6lewgOk" width="425"></iframe>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-39210436741706501432011-06-09T23:05:00.000-07:002011-06-11T23:41:25.004-07:00Do You Make this Critical Leadership Mistake?<div class="MsoNormal"><i>“I don’t care if people like me, as long as they respect me!”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i></i>This quote has bounced around the workforce to the point of cliché. On the surface, the idea seems solid: If you spend all your time worrying about whether or not your followers like you, you will be paralyzed for fear of making an unpopular decision. No one respects an indecisive leader.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkwkTViEEog/TfGyreUt9GI/AAAAAAAAABU/XZEb-EXiFO0/s1600/authoritarian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CkwkTViEEog/TfGyreUt9GI/AAAAAAAAABU/XZEb-EXiFO0/s200/authoritarian.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: thedailyman.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Have you ever said those words? If so, I challenge you to take a quick look inside your own heart. Are you using that phrase merely as an excuse to disregard the ideas, opinions and feelings of those you lead?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes a leader has to make the tough decisions and forsake temporarily being liked for the overall good of the mission... still, there is a line between <i>leading with</i> <i>authority</i> and being <i>authoritarian</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hopefully, you are lucky enough to have someone on your team who is willing to call you out, in private, on your mistakes. A leader held accountable for their leadership style is truly blessed. Whether or not you have that, take time for personal reflection and hold <i>yourself</i> accountable for your actions and decisions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have you ever had to make a leadership decision that rubbed people the wrong way and cost you some friends? Looking back, was it in the interest of the mission, or in the interest of your own personal agenda? In retrospect, could you have approached your decision differently?</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-49424872025290627422011-06-08T22:35:00.000-07:002011-06-11T23:41:59.012-07:00Are You Truly a “Practicing Christian”?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvFf0lRy5nA/TfBZU3GWy1I/AAAAAAAAABQ/CbOHBUTazdY/s1600/Non-Practicing+Christian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvFf0lRy5nA/TfBZU3GWy1I/AAAAAAAAABQ/CbOHBUTazdY/s1600/Non-Practicing+Christian.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: DougHammack.com</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">“I’m a <u>practicing</u> <u>Christian</u>.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve heard this particular phrase tossed around more than I care to remember. It usually comes with a hefty dose of superiority, as in, “I’m not just a Christian-in-name… no, I’m a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">practicing</i> Christian!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b>BARF!</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Honestly, that is about as off-putting as what Jon Acuff calls the ‘<a href="http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2010/11/the-jesus-juke/" title="The Jesus Juke. | Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus Juke</span></a>.’ They may as well say, “Yes, you are Christian… but I’m Christianier!” How truly <i>Pharisee</i> of them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If someone wants to practice Christianity, they need only <i>practice</i> letting their faith, love, and works all naturally shine before the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Live, love, and pray in such a way that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone else</i> would say, “Oh, yeah… they’re a practicing Christian!”</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-74561295715364722942011-06-07T19:29:00.000-07:002011-06-11T23:42:57.339-07:00Quit Taking Notes! (or, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blog”)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gkiBnvXKgjE/Te7YT-EaVjI/AAAAAAAAABI/kwZ6Xx2-F9Y/s1600/taking_notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gkiBnvXKgjE/Te7YT-EaVjI/AAAAAAAAABI/kwZ6Xx2-F9Y/s200/taking_notes.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: keep3.sjfc.edu</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I love to read! Presumably, since you’re here, you and I have that in common, so maybe you've had this experience: About a month ago, my venture into the world of blogs led me to a shocking conclusion. As it turns out, there are people out there who know things that I don't… a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lot</i> of people and a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lot</i> of things! Through their blogs, however, they make their wisdom available and free for the taking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All you have to do is search them out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disclaimer: Between my wife, my friends, and my coworkers, there are plenty of people in my day-to-day life who know a lot of things which I don’t. I’ll save that topic for another blog.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'd say about a minute after discovering my first blog-based mentor, <a href="http://www.chrislocurto.com/" title="Chris LoCurto's Blog">Chris LoCurto</a>, I discovered my second (<a href="http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/" title="Jon Acuff's Blog | Musings by Jon Acuff">Jon Acuff</a>)… and then my third, and fourth, and so on. Before I knew it, my <a href="http://jrandorff.blogspot.com/2011/06/1-sure-fire-organizational-tool-for.html" title="James' blog: '1 Sure-Fire Organizational Tool for the Internet Generation'">Read it Later</a> queue was 150 articles long and growing! As I began reading these blog entries, I was struck by their wisdom and I wanted to make sure that these secrets weren’t lost on me. I wrote stuff down, printed things out, saved items in my queue instead of deleting them, created bookmarks… anything to keep from missing out on these brilliant tidbits.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVfA_1rSmhU/Te7YuDC9BrI/AAAAAAAAABM/BzdXqQFBLTM/s1600/surfacetension_hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVfA_1rSmhU/Te7YuDC9BrI/AAAAAAAAABM/BzdXqQFBLTM/s200/surfacetension_hand.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: theboard.byu.edu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Do you know what that accomplished? I became one hot mess of disorganization! I tried to tighten my grip on every little bit of wisdom I could, to the point where nothing was sticking.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know if anyone has said this before, but I’m saying it now: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Wisdom is like water. If you try to grab it, it will slip right through your hands. Just jump in... you’re bound to get some on you!”</i> The more I kept reading, the more I started to see that the best points of wisdom were, in fact, not secrets held by one evil genius blogger! Ideas flowed from one blogger to the next like a mystical thread. Everyone was saying the same thing, but in their own unique voice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This revelation taught me two things:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>I stopped trying to save every little thing that caught my attention, because I knew if I just waited a day or two, it would come back around from another blogger. <i>Take an idea and repeat it from various sources, and you will internalize the lesson.</i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>I don’t have to worry if I'm saying what has already been said. <i>My job is to simply put my thoughts out there in my own unique voice.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All the above having been said, there <i>is</i> a precursor to letting wisdom wash over you… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you must seek out the source!</i> If you just wait for the occasional Facebook link from a friend, you will never experience that feeling of wisdom washing over you. Like anything you want to be good at, the key is <u>daily</u> <u>commitment</u>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seek out people who are where you want to be… they are often giving away their “secrets” for free!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have you sought out the wisdom of those with more experience than you? What did you learn and how did you learn it?</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-34756867833179921212011-06-06T23:24:00.000-07:002011-06-06T23:24:02.039-07:001 Sure-Fire Organizational Tool for the Internet Generation<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UW97fPP2F48/Te3BOTDjjMI/AAAAAAAAABE/6zQamHf8lFY/s1600/Read-it-Later.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UW97fPP2F48/Te3BOTDjjMI/AAAAAAAAABE/6zQamHf8lFY/s320/Read-it-Later.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Yes, it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used one of the cheapest tricks in the blogging world to entice you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with a number, make a promise, mention something that people need, and then declare your audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m guilty, I admit it… but I did it for a good reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the headline was: “<a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a> – Internet Articles when You Have the Time,” would you have bothered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe this free app is so useful that it deserved a little shameless headline tweaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moving on…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You probably have been in one of the following two situations:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You have given yourself 15 minutes to check your Facebook/Twitter/RSS feed, and you come across a link to an article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You click it, begin reading, and see a link to another interesting article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You right-click that, open it in a new tab, go back to the first article, and perhaps repeat that last bit a few more times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, your 15-minute session has snowballed into two hours of articles and YouTube videos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Death to productivity!</i></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You have given yourself 15 minutes to check your Facebook/Twitter/RSS feed, and you come across a link to an article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it seems like something interesting, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That Little Voice</i>™ chimes in and says, “Not now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll remember it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come back to it later.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you write yourself a sticky note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you copy the URL and e-mail it to your account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Effective, but <u>very</u> <u>inefficient</u>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And then you think, “Gee, someone should come up with a button to click that would instantly put this in a list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I could read whenever <i>I</i> have time.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a> does just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through a little <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/add" title="Visit this page to be able to add articles to your list from your bookmark bar">JavaScript link</a> you put on your web browser’s bookmark bar, you can save any webpage into your <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a> queue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Log into <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a> -- well, later -- and you’ll see a list of all the pages you have queued up to read.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even better, it syncs up across devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have an <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/read-it-later-free/id309597402?mt=8" title="Download the Read it Later app for iPhone">iPhone</a>, <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ideashower.readitlater.pro" title="Download the Read it Later app for Android devices">Android</a>, <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/apps/app/bookmarkstogo" title="Download Bookmarks2Go, a third-party client app for Read it Later">Blackberry</a>, or any of several other smartphones, just install the <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a> app.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open up and there are all your articles, downloaded for offline reading (you can even set your phone to airplane mode and read your queued articles on a long flight).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Each day as I browse through my twitter feed, I queue up several articles that catch my interest and then check them out when I have time in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only does it save time, but I absorb more information because I get to read when I am not distracted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once you get used to using <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a>, I truly believe you’ll find it an invaluable timesaver.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have you used <a href="http://readitlaterlist.com/">Read it Later</a>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did it change the way you surf the internet?</div><!--EndFragment-->Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984122879796894112.post-62426412338970740332011-06-03T23:37:00.000-07:002011-06-11T23:40:31.345-07:00Friday: Something for the Musician - Old LoveToday, a couple friends told me about a concert video with Brad Paisley and John Mayer. I was more than a little excited to get home and search for some videos of this. Out of them all, this one blew me away... I hope it does the same for you.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WUTvDtLv32U" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Thanks to Joel and Josh for hipping me to this.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123278529381028579noreply@blogger.com0