Creativity and Curiosity Archives

Adventure and Exploration, Creativity and Curiosity, Generosity of Time and Resources, Laughter and Joy, Leadership and Service

Consuming and Creating: a plan to be better at both

January 28, 2019 No Comments

New year celebrations are funny things especially when it comes to resolutions. I mean, I’m the same person at midnight as I was an hour before waiting on the ball to drop. Nothing changes just because the date does. It’s just another day, after all.

pic of a new year sunrise over looking a forest — New Year Sunrise

In reality, every new day is a day we can evaluate life and make changes if we choose.

But, there’s something about resetting the clock. A fresh start. A new year full of possibility.

As Chip and Dan Heath put it in The Power of Moments, New Year resolutions really should be called “New Year absolutions.” It’s like the slate for old me is wiped clean and new me has the potential to come alive.

We’ve all tried (and failed) at resolutions before. So, I took a different approach this year. I decided to take an entire month to discover areas of change and focus for 2019 rather than determine them by brute force.

I began with a solid look back at 2018. And then, I took inventory of my habits as they relate to my personal values.

Adventure and Exploration, Creativity and Curiosity, Family and Friends, Generosity of Time and Resources, Laughter and Joy, Leadership and Service, Prayer and Faith

My 2018 Top 100

January 6, 2019 No Comments

Like many of you, I’ve spent some time over the past few days reflecting on 2018 and looking ahead to 2019. Of course, there have been tough spots and low points just like any other year. Because my nature is to only focus on areas that need improvement, I’m aiming to celebrate more.

my-2018-best-nine-on-instagram — My Best Nine for 2018 on Instagram

This list took some effort and I think it’s solid. And, I feel a deep sense of gratitude. Some of these are a bit more personal. Others might seem self-congratulating. But, my hope and prayer is that through my sharing, it will inspire you to look back and find those gifts from God in your own life. We don’t deserve them, yet because of God’s generosity and love, we have the freedom to enjoy them.

I also hope it challenges you to reach higher in 2019. When I look at this list, I certainly feel that. I’m humbled and grateful but also ready to get after it.

So, without shame or qualification, I invite you to celebrate 2018 with me. Here’s my Top 100 for 2018:

Creativity and Curiosity

Things don’t have to change the world to be important.

October 6, 2011 No Comments

The problem is I’m older now, I’m 40 years old, and this stuff doesn’t change the world. It really doesn’t…
I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much – if at all.
These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I’m not downplaying that. But it’s a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light – that it’s going to change everything. Things don’t have to change the world to be important.
Steve Jobs – 1955-2011

Adventure and Exploration, Creativity and Curiosity, Laughter and Joy

The Problem with Bucket Lists

September 29, 2011 No Comments

Ok… “problem” is not the right word. There’s nothing wrong with bucket lists. In fact, a bucket list is something I believe you should take the time to think through and draft. But having a list is the easy part. The problem with bucket lists is that most of the time they are just that… lists.

There are many challenges when I look at my bucket list. And not just my list. You all had quite a few big ones on the list as well. Here’s a sampling (of items sent in by you):

Adventure and Exploration, Creativity and Curiosity

Morse Code: Giving Up on Your Dreams

September 8, 2011 No Comments

What do you do when your dream dies? When it’s obvious that all you’ve worked towards isn’t going to come to pass. One day you realize, you’re just not good at what you’ve been pursuing. You’re not built for it. It’s not a natural strength. And now, you find yourself depressed and asking, “What’s next?”

I’ve been reading and enjoying David McCullough’s The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris.

In it, the author explores how the City of Light attracted hundreds of Americans between 1830 and 1900 — including household names like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Samuel Morse, and Mark Twain – and in turn helped shape American art, medicine, writing, science and politics. Set in Paris, it is a brilliant perspective on American history.

Morse Code

One of the characters I’ve appreciated following is Samuel Morse. I was unaware that Morse had his heart set on becoming a world-class master painter since his early days in college. And, even though he had a measure of success painting portraits, he failed in his ultimate pursuit.

He had travelled to Paris to learn from the masters and spent everyday for two years working on The Gallery of the Louvre. It depicts many of the Louvre’s great paintings on a 6×9 foot canvas. Morse sold it for far less than he was hoping.