I love going to conferences, if I could do that for a living I would. But the more I think about the structure, the model, and the pricing of conferences I start to wonder if they are relavant for 20 somethings (and even teenagers)?

Here is my premise that brings conferences into question:

Everything is Changing

The way we have done things in the past are not the way we do things today.

Entertainment is changing
Education is changing
Music is changing
Publishing is changing
Food is changing

It seems that everything has a shelf life and the only way to last is to see the shift that is happening around you.

Looking through the lens of the 21st century conference scene, not much has changed. Sure the technology, clothing, and speakers have changed, but the structure is mostly the same. Thousands attend and millions are spent all in the name of (insert Church Conference 2011 here) being a life changing event. But what is the lasting effect that is being had on Generation iY as Tim Elmore likes to call 20 somethings. I love going to conferences but it is not the conferences that are shaping me.

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Simply put, Yes.

See this whole “Rob Bell Love Wins” controversy is way bigger then a book, a tweet, or even a man. In fact, it goes all the way back to 2007 when Bell preached a sermon entitled Love Wins. The message was simple and yet provided a whole new way to look at the world. The message in all of this sermon was that Love Wins.The reason Love Wins is because Christ overcame the world.

Love won that day because Jesus had a choice in how he would respond to the evil that was done to Him. To all the mockers, to his friends leaving him, to the guards that beat Him, and even to the ones that put Him on the cross. We all can understand a response of fight, of revolt, of getting even, but in all of this He always responded with love. He never responded with hate, evil, or for that matter stooping to the level of those around him.

The message of hate is one that is old. It is a message of the way the universe use to be. That was until the death of Christ on the cross. The way we use to operate was that we sought out ways to pay others back, to get even, and even to bring pain. If someone hurt you with their words you figured out a way to one up them with a quick comeback that stung just a bit more. We are use to a world that is all about overcoming each other rather then the ways of the world. We are use to getting ahead, doing whatever it takes to get to the top. But Jesus says “I have overcome this world” and in that very act of love and overcoming, the world has changed.

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I struggle memorizing anything. I took three years of spanish and the only thing I learned is that if I had to choose a spanish name it would definitely be Jorge and answering no hablo espanol on every test question will not get you an A.

Most of the reason for my struggles in memorization came from a lack of discipline. I was not motivated to study or work, instead I wanted it to be easy. That is how most of my memorization goes. I expect to read it one time and then store it away for all of eternity in my nice sized brain. So far that method has allowed me to memorize my phone number, people’s names (I am good at that actually) and my home address. But I often wonder, what if there was another way to memorize? What if you could use a trick to help you store information and recall it when need be?

I seriously think music has a great connection to learning. I can recall hundreds of songs and the lyrics as soon as I hear the beat (drop that beat DJ) or guitar riff. There is a connection to memorization and music.

This video talks a little more about using music to tell stories.

Soundworks Collection: Walt Disney Imagineers from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

How do you memorize things?

*kyle

On the journey of people pleasing, this question has to be asked.

Are you a Doorman or a Doormat?

Why is it an important question for people pleasers? Because everyone is a people pleaser. We all want to make people happy, have friends, make connections, and most importantly win (that was a charlie sheen reference). The people pleaser inside of you has to consider which kind of person you are, a doorman or a doormat?

Often times I think people pleasers get confused on which one they exactly resemble. It is easy to see both one in the same. Mainly because they both stand by the door. What is the door? The door is opportunity, the door is abilities, the door is your life. This door is the very thing that people walk through every single day on their own journey. It can get confusing standing so close to something that feels so personal. But the distinction has to be made, are you a doorman or a doormat?

A doorman opens the door for people
A doormat lets people walk over them

A doorman knows the people that enter through the door
A doormat only knows people who step on them

A doorman is known for being resourceful, possessing information, and having authority
A doormat is known for wiping people’s feet, being stepped on, and left to sit alone

A doorman chooses who to let in and who to keep out
A doormat has no choice

So which one are you?

*kyle

Today is another treat for you as my friend Chris Fenner from Atlanta shares his thoughts with you on creativity and community. Chris is a very very very talented filmaker and an incredible resource for great art. And the best part is you do not have to take my word for it because he is going to be sharing some resourceful sites in future post and I will share some of his great films like this one and this one.

We call our local Church a Community.
We call our small groups a Community.
We even call our group of friends a Community.
All these things are a Community, but what about people with our same skill set?
People who have the same passions as we do? Both the people who are better than us and not as talented as us.
Are we building community with them?

As creatives, it seems the people whom we might learn the most from, and teach the most too, are more often the people we don’t build a community with. These are the people we stay away from, unless they are from across the country (hello twitter! haha). Why is this?

I think it’s time to band together. Time to embrace the creative tension. So I propose another challenge for you creative types. Get to know someone in your field, just one person. Make sure this person is local, and don’t tell me there isn’t anyone! Look hard! You will find ONE person. Just get to know them. Build a relationship with them, have coffee, share a dinner. Learn and live together. Sure it will be awkward, and imitating for a while. But then a beautiful thing will happen….. You will make each other better. You will start creating and creating community, centered around a passion, and nothing beats passion. Start with ONE person. You will never regret this.

Do you see people shy away from creatives that are like themselves? Why?

Each shot in this video is awe-inspiring.

This feels like life.

Roots that are waiting to find a place to grow.
Potential that is waiting to shine.
Quietness to focus on life.

May we become like trees and grow

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

*kyle

I have this little red book that goes with me everywhere. No, it is not a book filled with phone numbers of girls, that is another book :). This book holds all of my thoughts, ideas, and work. I would be completely lost without this book.

I am a big list person, checking things off gives me more satisfaction then actually completing the task. Everyday I put together my list of things I need to get done and review it about 4 times a day. This keeps me organized, focused, and motived to get my list done for the day.
Here is what a normal day looks like for me:

My little red book is my brain.
It forces me to get stuff done and not sit back and watch my twitter stream roll-in.
It makes me declare my goals for the day and accomplish them.
Plain and simple, it helps me deliver.

A huge challenge I think people face today is delivering something. It is like we have this idea that things will magically appear and all will be good. But after a while you have to get tired of sitting back and watching.

I think today is the day you start to deliver something. Pick one thing that you need to accomplish and get it done. Maybe it is for a side project you are working on. Maybe it is that hobby that you have wanted to start. It could be exercising, flossing your teeth, learning how to make a good cup of coffee, or simple just reading a book.

But you will never be able to accomplish anything without first figuring out how to get it done.

For me it is writing it down and checking it off.

What forces you to deliver?

*kyle