Tag: inspiration

  • Uncommon Ideals

    Maybe it’s because I have a deep connection to the cold, dark sea and waves crashing on the shore? But I was totally infatuated with the filmmakers vision for this piece. My only wish is that there had been more surfing shots!

  • The Innovation Gap

    “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ~ William Arthur Ward

    “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

    “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” ~ Steve Jobs

    I don’t pretend to know what today’s problems are for you.

    But this much I do know–

    • The best ideas comes from those on the front lines. That’s the great joy of innovation. Today’s heroes count their riches while tomorrows heroes work all night.
    • Avoiding failure is a failure in itself. The trick to creating new stuff is to fail fast. Risk isn’t the enemy, comfort is.
    • Celebrate every milestone. A step towards your ultimate goal is still a step forward. Plus, moving forward will gain you momentum.
    • Every person has a creative mind. Don’t sell anyone short. Rarely are the best things innovated alone. Your best idea might come from listening to another person talk about the same problem.
    • Look at your problem from every angle. The best putters in golf walk all the way around their shot.

  • Moments of Awe

    Awesome is one of my favorite words. While my day is full of moments of awesome there are only a few moments in life described by the word awe.

    Here’s a few…

    • Hearing the words, “I’m pregnant” from your wife. (Trust me, as much “awe” is created the first time at 24 as at 34 when it wasn’t expected.)
    • Seeing the sunrise over the mountains or the sunset over the ocean for the first time. (Whoa, there are colors I never even imagined!)
    • Meeting a starving person who asks if they can pray for you. (Whoa, you mean you can really praise God even when you aren’t comfortable?)
    • The birth of your child. (Whoa, you and me doing that can result in this?)
    • Witnessing 50,000 worshipping God in a city where hundreds of thousands just died in an earthquake. (Whoa, how is that possible?)
    • A young lady sharing her deepest fear and how God showed up in front of her peers. (Whoa, her words are more powerful than mine.)
    • The realization that Jesus died for me. (Whoa, the son of God… was perfect… and gave his life for me?)
    • A jet-lag induced early morning walk through a crisply cold city in a foreign country. (Whoa, discovering this place is amazing!)
    • Riding the Maid of the Mist deep into Niagara Falls to feel the full force of gravities simplicity. (Whoa, I’m soaking and exhilarated at the same time.)
    • The moment you realize you both feel the same way and knowing you’ll spend the rest of your life with her. (Whoa, there really is someone just for me.)

    There are moments in life so full of awe that words truly defy them. I think that’s the history of the word awe right there. Something happened and a persons jaw dropped and said, “Awe.”

    Getting back, recreating them, and remembering them creates years of inspiration.

    Oh, that we might live a life inspired by awe.

  • Urban Farming Inspiration

    Kristen and I are now 5 months into our experiment. Our goal is to grow or purchase 25% of our food locally in 2010. So far, it’s been a fun experiment! And in the process we’ve found a hobby that the whole family can participate in.

    One thing that has been incredibly satisfying is knowing that we aren’t the only family on this journey. I’ve met a number of co-workers, friends, and youth workers who are leading their families on similar experiments.

    It’s been super encouraging and satisfying to discover that you don’t have to have a lot of acreage to feed your family. In fact, we’re pretty confident that if we keep improving the soil quality, expand to just a few more planting beds, and a few more seasons of experience under our belts, that we can actually produce much more than 50% of our families produce right here in the city. (Thank God for a landlord who loves gardening!)

    Here are two bits of inspiration for Kristen and I. One of which we discovered months ago while the other we only discovered this weekend.

    City Farmers Nursery This place is legendary in San Diego. A massive organic nursery in the heart of City Heights (aka, the hood)

    Path to Freedom One families attempt to live off the land in the city of Pasadena. Now they are launching a movement the are calling, Urban Homesteading.

    Here’s a rundown of what is growing in our garden right now:

    • Artichokes
    • Cilantro
    • Oregano
    • Coriander
    • Parsley
    • Rosemary
    • Thai basil
    • Sweet basil
    • Peppermint
    • Chocolate Mint
    • Mr. Stripey tomatoes
    • Traditional beefsteak tomatoes
    • Acorn squash
    • Zucchini
    • Cucumbers
    • Sweet corn
    • Eggplant
    • Jalapeños
    • Roma tomatoes
    • Yellow tomatoes
    • Strawberry
    • Spinach
    • Watermelon
    • Green beans
    • Green peppers
    • Tangerines
    • Grapefruit
    • Oranges
    • Peaches
    • Plums
    • Mandarines
    • Lemons
    • Sunflowers
    • Pumpkins

    What’s really crazy is that this probably only takes up 20% of our backyard. Here are some things we want to add in the next year:

    • Chickens!
    • Herbs in the front yard
    • 2-3 raised beds
    • Avocado
    • Triple our worm composting (we have 1 container, need about 3 more to capture all of our food waste)

    Some quick facts:

    • No, this isn’t taking over our lives. If anything, its a major stress reducer.
    • No, this isn’t expensive. There are some start-up costs with getting drip irrigation, basic tools, and composting equipment. We’ve spent less than $500.
    • No, we don’t have a rain barrel yet. Shame on us.
    • Yes, we are spending more money on gardening stuff and our CSA. But that is offset by less money spent at the grocery store. And we’ve already down-graded to the smaller box of our CSA.
    • Yes, the kids are involved. They love helping! There’s nothing quite like the joy of picking carrots or strawberries with your kids.
    • Yes, we really can have chickens in the city. Our neighborhood is zoned for up to 25. (No roosters) There are people near us with goats and pigs, too.
    • Yes, we really are doing all of this on property we rent!
    • Yes, we do live in the city of San Diego. (Though not a super urban neighborhood.) We live in a quiet neighborhood about half a mile from San Diego State University.

  • Inspiration: Street Art

    This stuff fascinates me. I love the mystery of public reactions. I love surprise and wonder. I love the feeling of “why didn’t I think of that?“

  • This Too Shall Pass

    Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

    HT to PJ

  • What inspires you?

    What Inspires You?

    This question has been on my mind a lot lately.

    Here’s what I know: When people are inspired emotionally they take action physically.

    Conversely, when I see people mired in inaction– I know that they are deeply uninspired.

    Inspired people are an unstoppable force. Uninspired look for excuses.

    Here are some things that inspire me:

    • Listening to an artist show and explain his work.
    • Meeting people for the first time.
    • Road trips.
    • Uninterrupted time to breathe, rest, play.
    • Biographies of ordinary people.
    • Teachers. I mean, how do they do it?
    • Short stories.

    What are things that inspire you to action? What causes you to dream big dreams, big enough to go for them?