Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Category Archives: Learn


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Shopping vs. Giving

136159002A few months ago I read Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma. I wasn’t expecting the book that it turned out to be, but it was still very good. It sort of turned out to be a Bible study on justice. I would definitely recommend it, and not just for those passionate about the issue like me, but even for the mildly curious. I learned a lot and will be marinating on it for a long time to come.

There were a few things mentioned in the book that stuck with me, but none more than what I wanted to share with you now. Did you know that it costs approximately $21 billion to get clean, safe drinking water to everyone in the world? If you weren’t aware, almost 1 in 7 of the world’s population doesn’t have access to this most basic need. $21 billion. I know, right, it sounds like a lot—like a whole lot! It sounds like scratching our heads and calling summits and raising money and finally reconciling ourselves to the fact that $21 billion is impossible to find in a world drowning in debt. Sometimes it sounds like giving up.

And then I found out…

The National Retail Federation estimates that over $600 BILLION will be spent in November and December this year. I’m sorry, what? That’s just this season. When I think about it, that makes me sick. In fact, the contrast in those two numbers has literally haunted me since I’ve read the book.

I think about people I know that rush around trying to buy gifts, any kind of gifts, for the people on their Christmas list. Mostly those are close family and friends, but usually there’s at least one obligatory gift on there as well. I think of gifts that aren’t bought out of need, but out of courtesy. I think of the stress so many people feel when it comes to the holidays. It seems to be more about putting anything under the tree that caring about what it is, as long as you’ve checked that box.

Something. Has. To. Change.

I love the holidays. I love the chill in the air, and the warm drinks. I love watching Christmas movies. I love decorating my apartment. I love seeing twinkle lights go up everywhere. And I love buying gifts. Gift giving is one of my love languages. It makes me happy to see the look on people’s face when I give them a gift. In fact, the anticipation of seeing their faces when I give them the gift makes me happy! I have always tried very hard, whether it’s a birthday or Christmas, to find the perfect gift that will make the recipient smile. It’s a challenge that I relish.

And, if I do say so myself, I’m pretty good at it. But the last few years, ever since pursing justice myself and learning more about supply chain and slave labor, I’ve tried to challenge myself in a new way. I try very hard to find not only gifts of meaning, but gifts that do good or do not perpetuate slave labor. I’m also an environmentalist, so I try to cut down on packaging and reuse when possible. So, really, I thought I could pat myself on the back from up on my high horse—until I read those statistics.

Now I’m trying to figure out how to do more. I can’t completely give up gift-giving, because I love it so much, but there is more I can do. For one thing, I can help educate you. What if we all started buying differently? What if we started contributing more and consuming less? What if we took a hard look at the real difference between shopping and giving? What if the presents had real meaning, not just for the recipient you know, but those who created it or will benefit from the purchase? What if?

Here is an awesome video by Advent Conspiracy to help illustrate. In fact, they have a lot of great personal and church resources to help you explore this idea. I’m looking forward to reading their book this season.

As I said, I don’t have this all figured out, but I’m trying. I want to contribute, not just consume. I want buy better and think better and live better. And even more, I want that for everyone else. I want it for you, and those you know, and those around the world who don’t have clean water or adequate shelter or who live in fear. We all share this world.

The holidays are a season of hope. Hope, joy, peace—we see those words written on everything this time of year from cards to commercials. What if they weren’t just platitudes? What if we added those to our Christmas list? What if, when we started buying gifts, we kept those three words in mind? Will the things we buy this season promote hope or joy or peace? If not, then let’s not buy them. Find a better alternative. I bet there’s one out there.

Here are a few places to help you get started:

Purchase with Purpose

Free2Work

Not For Sale Store

Better World Shopper

Greater Good

Free to Shop

World Vision Gift Catalog

Fair Trade USA

Ten Thousand Villages

Charity Water

Kiva

Living Water International

International Justice Mission Gift Catalog

There are so many more, though, so keep looking! And if you need to go the department store route, you could even institute your own TOMS-esque one for one model. For example, if you give someone a shirt, donate one as well. Challenge each other to be better, think creatively and give more.

Give gifts that tell stories, and write yourself a new one in the process.

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And here’s a great article from the TODAY Show about families who try to put more meaning into gifts and the holidays.

Here is another from LearnVest, a money budgeting site if you’re looking for a more frugal point-of-view.

One more from journalist/activist, Nick Kristoff, whom I greatly admire.


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TEDxPeachtree Highlights

TEDxPTG+BlackWell, it finally arrived—my last conference of the year. It was fun to make a Tedx event the last of my 2013 rounds. I’ve never attended one of these before, and was really looking forward to it. I’d still love to make it to the mother ship one day, but for now this will do.

TEDxPeachtree wasn’t dissimilar from other conferences I attended, which I think I was expecting it to be, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. There were a few speakers I was familiar with, but most of them were new to me which I enjoy.

Here are a few little gems I pulled from the Atlanta TED Talks:

Jeff Shinabarger, Activist Philanthropist

  • We will be known by the problems we solve.
  • To give generously is to give freely with nothing expected in return.
  • Define for yourself what is enough. (want vs. need)
  • Sometimes we don’t need more gifts. Sometimes we need each others presence.
  • Everyone has something to give.

Rashid Nuri, Urban Farmer

  • Know who grows your food.
  • Quality food is the most important factor in being healthy.
  • We eat 31% more packaged food than fresh food. We are a sick country.
  • The soil is the solution.
  • There is no culture without agriculture.
  • Quality food is a right.
  • Urban agriculture could be the solution to universal healthcare.

Rossin, Portrait Artist

  • Grace is the answer. Everything else is second best.
  • Kindness is the all-seeing eye of the soul.
  • You paint your portrait on your surroundings.

Nathan Sawaya, Brick Artist

  • You don’t have to build what’s on the front of the box.

Aurora Robson, Activist Artist

  • Waste is displaced abundance.
  • It’s easy to ignore a problem you can’t see.

Marshall Seese Jr., Music Making Entrepreneur

  • Freedom + Constraints = Empowerment
  • Constraints prevent you from being overwhelmed.

Mark Riedl, A.I. Researcher

  • If you aren’t scared of failure, you aren’t working on the right problem.
  • Innovation requires both the idea and the implementation.
  • Creativity builds society.

Wanda Hopkins-McClure, Educator and Silo-Buster

  • Innovation in education will happen one teacher, one student, one classroom at a time.
  • Great teachers encourage you to risk and fail.
  • Great teachers encourage you to think about who you are.

Daphne Greenberg, Adult Literacy Advocate

  • Acknowledging our medley of voices brings us one step closer to an inclusive society.
  • 1 in 6 adults reads at an elementary level.
  • This epidemic affects us all. (Healthcare, economy, interaction, etc.)
  • People develop amazing coping skills.
  • Adult literacy is a social justice.
  • A determinant of a child’s success in school is dependent on the mother’s reading skills.

Mary Frances Bowley, Healer and Guardian

  • We can’t sit here anymore and watch the bullies steal the childhood of our daughters.
  • In Atlanta, 100 girls are sold for sex every night.
  • 37-55 is the average age of a john.
  • The way we order food at a restaurant is the way a john orders a girl.
  • Protecting and restoring is the way to end trafficking.

Lisa Earle McLeod, Author

  • It’s not our truths that cause problems, it is our belief in their exclusivity.
  • Compromise is the problem, not the solution. You miss seeing what is possible.
  • Whenever we get stressed, we tend to default.
  • Find your Noble Purpose. It’s your North Star. Use it as your filter.

Neale Martin, Author

  • If you want to change your life, you must change your habits.
  • It’s not enough to be inspired.
  • Discipline changes behavior.
  • Disrupt the old habit. Create a new habit. Create a powerful reinforcement. Repeat it until it feels normal.

 

Well, that’s a wrap. I did a lot of learning this year, and hope to continue that tradition in 2014. Until then, it’s back to my Netflix queue. 😉


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Storyline Conference Highlights

IMG_1564I’ve been a fan of Don Miller ever since a friend suggested that I read Blue Like Jazz shortly after it’s release. I immediately felt like I could be friends with this guy. Since then, I’ve read every one of his books, and consider A Million Miles in a Thousand Years one of my all-time favorite books. So when Don announced he would start hosting conferences based on this material, I was ready to sign up.

And that’s just what I did last month. Since he recently relocated to Nashville, one of the Storyline Conferences each year is now held there—a mere four hours from me. It was a really fun two days. It was a little like, and a little unlike, other conferences I attended. Don describes it as sort of group therapy and I have to agree. 😉

The basis for the time is that you are looking to develop a plan to discover and live out your God-given story. Before and after guest speakers, Don takes you through the process, much like he discovered along the way in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Another element of a story is added in each session. Some of his material also comes from “logotherapy,” a therapy which helps you discover meaning and purpose, hence the therapy session. The guest speakers do some instructing, but I gathered that mostly you are to see living examples of the material Don presents. There were some really awesome speakers. And then, of course, because it’s Nashville, there were local musicians who contributed to the agenda.

Honestly, I still have A LOT of thinking to do about what was said over the weekend. But I really appreciated what I heard, and am looking forward to more reflecting on it. I had already started making some baby steps in my story before arriving, but I still have a long way to go. And I have the homework from the conference to prove it! It was a very affirming time, though, and I know it will help me in the future.

Here are a few of the pearls I pulled out of the conversation:

Don Miller

  • Living great stories involves changing the way we approach life. To live a great story, we need to know who we are, what we want, what conflict we will need to engage and then we must take action.
  • If people don’t find purpose, they will pursue pleasure. – Viktor Frankel, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor (Invented “logotherapy”)
  • God did not create us to live in reaction, but to be co-creators of a meaningful life.
  • We are not our failures—or our successes.
  • Love your calling, not the applause of the crowd.
  • Your story is not about you. It’s about God using you to save many lives.
  • When you find a passion or purpose, you realize all the parts of your life have been leading up to it.
  • In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning. – Viktor Frankel
  • What if God created you because the world needed to feel the impact of your story?

Becca Stevens, priest and founder of Thistle Farms

  • We learn more from mercy than judgement.
  • Love heals.

John Richmond, Federal Prosecutor at Department of Justice Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

  • We are not entitled to anything. Every breathe is a gift.
  • Got wants to rescue us from thinking we have to measure up.
  • The ruler you choose matters, because it will rule you.

Shauna Niequist, author

  • God can give you a new name and a new story.
  • Hold up the hard stories in your life that have no place anymore. Lay them down and make room for new ones.
  • What are the old stories you are letting stand in your way?

Bob Goff, Founder of Restore International, Lawyer and Author of Love Does

  • See people for who they are becoming.
  • We’re afraid of our calling because we’re afraid to fail. Fail at the right stuff. Fail trying.

Joshua DuBois, emails daily devotions to President Obama

  • When we play the victim, life becomes about us.

Ryan Forsthoff, The Leadership Foundation

  • The most powerful moments in a person’s life are the moments in which they realize what they are capable of.
  • Great leaders recognize and respond to the capabilities of those they lead.

 

Don began and ended the conference with the question, “What will the world miss if you do not tell your story?” Um, that’s a pretty powerful question. I’m not there yet, but I’m pondering it. It definitely shapes the way I see things. I spend too much of my time comparing myself to others, and I think that was one of the things this conference does best. It reminded me that God created me. He took the time to form and shape me. I’m here for a reason. I better not waste it.

So…what would the world miss if you did not tell your story?


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Digital Atlanta Highlights

Image taken from Digital Atlanta website

Image taken from Digital Atlanta website

A couple of weeks ago, I attended Digital Atlanta, a social media conference, for the first time. There were two really great things about this event. First of all, it was in Atlantic Station, which I personally find a lot of fun despite some of the haters out there, and it was also nice to attend a conference in a different part of town since I feel like I’m always at the Gwinnett Center. The second great thing was that it’s super cheap—$25 for a week-long event! I made the early bird deadline, but I think it only increased to about $40. So, a great deal, especially for the content. It didn’t take long to make my money back.

I didn’t attend a session during every time slot because I just couldn’t spare the time, but I still ended up with about six pages of notes from nine sessions. I wish I could’ve made a few more, but oh well, maybe next year. I did, however, learn a few new tricks and tips.

Here are some of my favorite points that I’d like to share with you:

How to be a Rock Star Community Manager with Nick Ayres, Global Social Lead of IHG

  • A community manager handles strategic planning, content creation, crisis management, ushering conversations, campaigns and messaging
  • Instagram – one per day, avoid traditional marketing plans. People just want to see interesting photos.
  • Be intentional about where you build community. Don’t just use the new, popular platforms.
  • Celebrate milestones with partners, both yours and theirs.
  • Sign your name if space allows so people can see there are people behind the company.

 Social Media Moneyball with Rob Kischuk, CEO & Founder, Badgy

  • What you attract people with is what you will keep them with.
  • Put content in front of people that delights them.
  • Weighty content: Photos for engagement and clicks, but text for maximum reach
  • Take a look at the wealth of info in the new FB Insights.
  • How often should you post? Depends on your audience and content. No simple answer.

 Predicting Resonation with Dave Black

  • Look at needs, culture and identity over demographics.
  • People project an image of themselves on things/products/companies they like.
  • We admire people we want to be more like.
  • People project an image online of who we want to be, or a more ideal self.

Why Email Marketing is the Digital Hub in a Social and Mobile World with Simms Jenkins, CEO, BrightWave Marketing 

  • Nearly 1/3 of purchase from repeat customers are initiated with emails.
  • Email still gets the most shares. Also clicks.
  • Data: The more you ask from people, the less you get. Try to just start with their email address.
  • The new Inbox is mobile. Mobile is the biggest email game changer.
  • Keep good info/offers above the fold. Answer, “What do you want me to do?”

Evolving the Customer Lifestyle in a Social Media World with Ron Surfield, Marketing & Technology Consultant 

  • Connect social present to the core value of the product/service/brand
    • Ex: Red Bull, they promote the lifestyle over the product
    • Keep content engaging
    • Add value for them. Ask why you.
    • Position spending as investment, not cost.

Best Practices in B2B Online Marketing with John Waddy, CEO, TwentySix2 Marketing 

  • Break the deal up (shorter, smarter)
  • Get decision-makers involved early
  • Look for hidden friction (Why would people be hesitant?)
  • Try limited time offers (people will make up their minds)
  • InBound marketing is the new, best way (public speaking, blogging, word-of-mouth, press releases that matter)

Creating Brand Advocates by Leveraging Content Through Partners with Doug McLaulin, Director of Internet Marketing, eMeals.com

  • We see 5K marketing messages each day.
  • Partners give you new audiences. (bloggers, other companies)
  • Create a content calendar to keep everyone on the same page.
  • Keep bloggers informed of timely content, and give them everything they need
  • Leverage your strongest channels.

Engaging Digital & Data-Driven Volunteers: Stories from ATL Hackathons

  • Hackathons are like using “Google’s 20% time” – creative time for projects not related to their immediate job. Two days set aside (weekend) for creative process and innovation.
  • Get lots of different kinds of departments/people involved, not just those who typically do the programming type of work.
  • Work on project for two days and see how far you can get.
  • Shows deeper engagement with partners. You value their input.
  • Interesting way to find solutions.

The News Media is Evolving. So Should Your PR Approach with Anna Ruth Williams, AR|PR

  • People are getting their news from social media—20%. (55% via internet, 28% via TV, 5% via newspaper)
  • 25% share news via email or social media weekly
  • 59% of journalists use Twitter, 92% use LinkedIn
  • Create sharable PR content.
  • Repurpose some of your web content for social media, but not the dry stuff.

So, there you go! That’s just a taste, a byte if you will, of what Digital Atlanta was all about. I’ve already started working these items and more into my work, and am looking forward to the pay off!


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Catalyst Conference: Main Session Highlights

Me and my friend Daron at Catalyst

Me and my friend Daron at Catalyst

I can’t believe it’s already been two weeks since I was at Catalyst East. It’s been a whirlwind since then. But hey, I guess the countdown continues until next year!

This year’s theme was “KNOWN,” which was awesome because there was a lot of talk about identity and foundational faith issues alongside leadership, which is the conference’s main focus. Good, deep stuff.

I would say of all the main stage speakers, my favorite would be Malcolm Gladwell. And really, I can probably say that any time he speaks. If you’ve never read his books, you’re really missing out. Utterly fascinating. I definitely feel a lot smarter after reading them. And, well, I’d like to say he’s someone I’d like to sit down over coffee with, but honestly, I don’t think I could keep up with him. But I’ll listen to him all day long!

And without further adieu…

Andy Stanley, Co-Founder of North Point Ministries

  • We all have an appetite to be known, but what level of known is enough? (family? friends? fame?)
  • We all want to be known for something, and known by someone.
  • There is no amount of known to satisfy. You think it’s the next thing, but it’s not.
  • What’s applauded as exceptional becomes expected. Applause is intoxicating and addictive.
  • To survive being known, remember who it’s from, and who it’s for.
  • You have been given a stewardship of known-ness, for making Him known.

Dave Ramsey and his daughter, Rachel Cruz

  • You don’t own anything. You are a steward.
  • Money magnifies the person you already are.
  • Who you hang around with is who you become.

Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark

  • Fear makes us small. Love makes us large.
  • The world you see outside of you is a reflection of what’s inside of you.
  • You can’t have great breakthroughs without great failures.

Malcolm Gladwell, Journalist and Author

  • We do not know our own strength.
  • David wasn’t actually an underdog.
  • We underestimate the power of heart.
  • We underestimate the power of our faith.

Jason Russell, Co-Founder of Invisible Children

  • Too often we let our mistakes define us.
  • The only way to Truth and freedom is vulnerability.
  • Declare your priorities and make them so.
  • I think God’s first miracle was at a wedding as a reminder to live abundantly.

Reggie Joiner, Founder of Orange (This is the company I work for.)

  • Make what matters, matter more.
  • Sometimes we get confused on what God is supposed to do and what we’re supposed to do.
  • The Bible doesn’t say change your neighbor as yourself.
  • Love over time is believable.
  • Legacy is about others. It’s about what you leave in others.
  • Until a person is known, they can’t feel love.

Jud Wilhite, Author and Senior Pastor of Central Christian Church

  • Love the calling you have, not the one you wish you had.
  • Go and love your calling. Go and love your church.
  • God didn’t call you to fruit, He called you to faithfulness.

There were some other great speakers I didn’t get to hear as well: Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry; Lecrae Moore, Hip Hop Artist; John Piper, Founder DesiringGod.org; Judah Smith, Lead Pastor of The City Church and Author; Priscilla Shirer, Founder of Going Beyond Ministries. You can follow @CatalystLeader on Twitter or search the hashtag #Catalyst to find notes from these amazing people, and dig deeper into my highlights.

And if you missed my Labs recap, have a gander here.

Hope you feel smarter, more insightful and ready to take on the world. That’s what Catalyst does for me!