Sunday provides us a day to relax, reflect, and refuel. On Sunday’s I like to sit back and ask a couple of questions. Maybe it sounds a little like those awkward games you play with people you do not know so that you can get to know each other better.

Lets just call it Question(s) for You.

1) U2 was in Nashville this weekend and I did not go. Why you ask? Because I am going to their show in St. Louis with my entire family. But it got me thinking, what is the one concert that you didn’t go to but wish you would have?

2) How many domains do you own?

3) Do you use an online calendar/task manager or paper calendar/task manager?

Answer them all or just one….these are Questions for You.

*Kyle

Do you remember those days of childhood where you wanted to do everything yourself?
“No, let me do it” is a common phrase that is uttered out of most children around the age of 3 or 4. It is the age where life becomes more about experiencing then watching. You could say that the age of 3 or 4 is the ownership age.

No doubt as a young child learning and experiencing is apart of every day life. That stage continues as responsibility starts to grow. But at some point that ownership moves from experiencing to following through. There is no more cute smiles when you say “I got this” or “I can do this.” Just looks of waiting for you to either succeed or fail. The life of a 20 something is much like the stage of a 3 or 4 year old. A lot of “I can do this” and “I got this” type of response. But what if 20 somethings don’t got this?
What if we are not as great as we think?

As a 20 something I believe that we have some of the greatest potential and talent ever seen. We have grown up in the information age of the internet, social networking, and social good. Never has there been more chance to accomplish major things then today, and you can do them all from your living room. We are living in one of the greatest times ever!

All that stuff is great unless we fail to do anything. 20 somethings like to talk a big game but have been known to fail at backing it up. It is what the ballers call “bringing your game” (obviously I am not one of them because I used the term baller. please forgive me). But instead of looking at if our game is good enough (referencing fear, failure, insecurities) maybe we should look at if we think our game is too good. Because the attitude today is that most 20 somethings are unwilling to listen, undisciplined, and over promising and under delivering.

It is a catch 22 of sorts…
Having confidence but also humility.
Having courage but also grace.
Having ability but also vulnerability.
Having strengths but also control.
Having ideas but also patience.

Maybe the issue with 20 somethings and responsibility is not that we want to do everything on our own but more that we want to do something greater then ourselves and just need help getting there.

Am I alone in this?
Do you struggle with this catch 22s? Do you ever wonder if 20 somethings are as great as they think they are?

*kyle

a conversation between a man and a mirror

“You are just not getting it…how do you not see that I want to accomplish everything I set my mind to? Why do you always doubt me? Why do you always say it can’t be done? Why do you stand there with a smirk on your face as I continue to struggle along? Answer me…” I said to the man looking at me. “What have you ever done with yourself?” Still no response.
“How many times am I going to have to have this conversation with you?” said the man. “The solution is right in front of you. It is staring you dead in the eyes.”
“Staring me in the eyes?” I said in a quiet questioning voice. “I sure don’t see it.”
The man fire back, “You ever think you are the very reason why you are not accomplishing anything?”

silence

It is easy to look at circumstances, others, or the world as to why we are not accomplishing what we want to accomplish. The externals factors are always a great place to look into why we are being held back.
But sometimes the greatest barrier that is separating you from accomplishing anything at all is yourself.

Try to get out of the way today

*kyle

This Will Make Your Eyes and Ears Happy

(via wired.com)

Folks, very few albums come along that you can call brilliant, today we have one of those brilliant albums. I will be honest with you, I was a bit skeptical of this Bon Iver. Was he a guy? Or were they a band? Well actual Bon Iver is a band that is fronted by Justin Vernon and yes he is brilliant.

I think you are truly going to love this Music Tuesday (but what Music Tuesday have you not loved right?)
Sit back, put on these tunes and let the spirit of creativity start to flow. I think you are going to enjoy. And if you figuratively “want your money back” let me redeem it with an interview Justin Vernon did with Stephen Colbert. Very funny.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Bon Iver:

You are without a doubt missing this goodness if you are reading this in your goo reader. Come here to listen

Was I right or was I right?

*kyle

(more…)

We like nice and tidy.
Things
To
Have
Structure
And
Form.

But spend any time in the world today and you quickly realize that things are messy.

I was talking to a friend Saturday about leadership. And as we talked I started to realize there is a break down in what leadership truly is all about.

I think leadership has a lot more to do with vision then it does movement. Most of the time it feels like the word leadership carries with it the idea of action and movement. The the best leaders are the ones that are caring “their team” forward and pushing ahead. But I think leadership is much more about seeing the future then moving the future.

Here is an example. We look at thought leaders today not for how they created action towards the future but because they saw the future and then they moved.

The problem with all of this, I truly have no clue what comes first or what is correct. That is why this post is not nice and tidy. That is where you come into play.

Is leadership more about movement or vision?

*kyle