Riddle me this…

I’m a husband, new dad, small business owner, a christian who earnestly desires to live a fully devoted life, and thanks to my new Wii and Wii Fit I got for Father’s day, apparently I have about 25lbs to lose to get back in the “normal” BMI range. Nice.

Bills. Small business time. Quiet time. Quality time. Kid time. Wife time. Romance time. Household chore time. Hobby time. Blog time. Workout time. Friend time. New idea time. Client prospect time. Client maintenance time. Staff time. Innovation time. New idea time. Sleep time. Sabbath time. Prayer time. Me time? Oh my! And what else am I forgetting?

We, my generation, are no stranger to the concept of mentors, but the reality is, they are few and far between.

So today, I stand for all those in my generation whose life applies to one or more of the above identities and responsibilities. Together, we ask the generation before us…

How do you do it all?

What success have you had in leveraging your time to become all that you want to be?

If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?

What is your key to quality relationships?

I’ve got an idea. I’ve been chewing on it for about six months. And like a cow chewing his cud, I am still chewing.

I’ve talked to people. I’ve asked questions. I’ve even began to put together documents to show how serious I am about it.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it. I see it’s need everywhere.

I would go as far as saying that it’s not just my idea, but that it’s a divine idea.

People have even agreed, it’s a good idea.

Unfortunately, it’s still just an idea.

We all have ideas. Some big. Some small. Some hopes. Some dreams.

The difference between an idea and a success? Obedience and unwavering commitment to make the idea a reality.

Success isn’t indicated by money in the bank (although that’s a nice reward); it comes by execution.

You may fail, but failure can also be a success.

What are you waiting for?

You were made for that idea.

You were made for success.

On a recent date-night, my wife and I ventured to see the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. While I can’t say that I thought this was a stellar, or even a good, flick, I did walk away with an unexpected surprise.

The context of the film is quite simple and common today, unfortunately. You have a guy who gets any girl he wants, except the one he really wants. So rather than pursuing her, he rejects, mocks and is audaciously crude in a weak attempt to conjure up a jealous reaction. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the story reveals that his Uncle taught him how to be “that guy” from an early age, based on the following statement…

Control belongs to the one who cares the least

Wow.

This is so remarkably profound that I have yet to be able to prove it wrong. In fact, I believe that it reveals a truth behind the majority, if not all, relational breakdowns experienced in marriage, parenting, friendship and even in the workplace.

Control is nothing more than displaced power. Ultimately, the best friend, spouse, parent, leader, manager—you name it—inspires others to live up to their potential. Moreover, they understand that relational power is delicate and very powerful when harnessed for the good. When harnessed for the bad, it become self-centered, manipulating and ultimately destructive for both parties; guaranteed.

In t-minus 53 hours and 22 minutes, my wife and I will load up the kids and start our drive to Destin, FL for a much-needed and anticipated family vacation. This year, my daughter will be almost two and my son is fast approaching five months. Needless to say, I am so excited about this vacation. I can’t wait to see the ocean and the sand through a two year-old’s perspective. I think it’s going to be a blast.

Because I own my own business, part of the challenge that I’ve faced for the past three-plus years is that it doesn’t matter when or where I go, I am always on call. This boundary has been almost impossible to set otherwise.

This year will be different.

Today, I committed to checking out of work responsibilities for the entire week. No phone calls and no checking or responding to email the whole week. I will turn off email on my phone, set an out-of-office responder and say goodbye, officially, at 5pm CST on Friday; buh-bye.

Why? Good question.

The number one thing that I’ve learned about living intentionally is to be fully present in every moment. If I’m going to have a chance of realizing the anticipation I already have, I have no choice but to say no to what’s normal. It is my hope that in doing so, that the time will be more restful, enriching and deeply satisfying. But as I dig deeper, this isn’t really about me; it’s about my family.

I hope that when we come home, we will have loads of memories, pictures and video of the little things that were capture and celebrated. From the sand castles we built, to the hours in the kiddie pool, to the sweet times we’ll have on the porch swing, these are the times that can be missed—quickly—if I’m not intentional and fully present.

So, let the games, movies, conversations, sleeping, dreaming, swimming, eating, shopping, exploring, laughing, loving, golfing, fishing, sleeping, sunsets, sunrises, beach time, sleeping, date nights….begin. I can’t wait!

When was the last time you unhooked and unplugged?

PS. Attention clients. I wouldn’t really ignore you, so I’ve set up an emergency email account that you can reach me anytime at—JUST KIDDING!

Lately, I’ve been uninspired to write here due to a variety of reasons. So rather than trying to come up with something creative, I thought I would take advantage of the Google Reader Trend statistics and share with you the top five blogs that I’ve been reading over the past 30 days.

If you’re a Google Reader user as well, you can access this same data by clicking on the “Trends” link in your navigation area.

Okay, here we go:

#1 Macworld – I am a Mac enthusiast and I find that Macworld offers one of the most comprehensive feeds for Mac related news, software and products. I read 25% of their posts.

#2 Advertising Age – Makes sense…I’m a marketing guy at heart and this is one of the ways that I stay tuned into what’s happening in my market. However, just tonight, I found Mediaweek which is a promising read as well. I read 25% of their posts.

#3 FlowerDust.net (Anne Jackson) – Anne’s blog is a new favorite. She is the author of Mad Church Disease, a book dedicated to helping those in ministry, vocational or volunteer, steer clear from burnout—which is a MAJOR problem. One of the reasons that I, and many others, enjoy reading her blog is that she is one of the most honest bloggers out there. Seriously, it stretches even me. Check it out. I read 100% of her posts.

#4 Nielsen Wire – I just recently found this blog. It’s written by the fine folks at Nielsen and it is FULL of great articles about what’s going on in our culture. Topics include, but aren’t limited to: TV, technology, trends, economy, and much more. Did you know that just over 1/3 of American’s have an HDTV and the average person watches 153 hours of TV a month? Yeah, that kind of stuff. It’s a must-read for me. I read 19% of their posts.

#5 Without Wax (Pete Wilson) – Pete is also a new favorite. He is the senior pastor at Cross Point church here in Nashville and is one of the more forward thinking pastors I know when it comes to how to use media, technology and the Bible, all in one blog post. He’s building a great community of thinkers, believers and activists at Cross Point and on his blog. I read 94% of his posts.

So there you have it. Five blogs that I read regularly that I think you might enjoy. Feel free to share with me some of your favs in the comment section. I’m always looking to expand my horizons.

When the Amazon.com Kindle was unveiled in the Fall of 2007, I, being a gadget guy, was immediately interested. What would it look like? Feel like? How heavy would it be? What would the screen look like? Would the Amazon claim be true that the screen looks like you are reading a printed book?

I like many others, have wondered and been interested in touching, feeling and holding a Kindle. Unfortunately, I have yet to have that experience. In my opinion, this is a major problem for Amazon. If they want people to spend $359 on the Kindle and now $489 on the Kindle DX, a sight unseen business model isn’t going to work for the masses. That’s the first problem.

The second problem with the Kindle is that it doesn’t convert the books that I’ve already bought. At this point, converting my current read and unread library to a digital format isn’t possible, thus requiring a re-purchase of the Kindle version—which is not likely. To be fair, the fine folks at Thomas Nelson have started a new program called NelsonFree that allows anyone who has purchased a printed book to gain access to digital versions, including the Kindle, at no additional cost. While this does allow me to enjoy a book in whatever format I want, it doesn’t solve the prior purchase issue.

If problems are really opportunities, then I see two:

1. A program that converts paper books into digital files. This would require origination or partnering with the copyright holders; just ask Google
2. Figure out a way to exchange a paper book for a digital one – Thomas Nelson is testing a similar idea on one of their new releases

Being that I am a gadget guy who reads a lot of books, the Kindle is right up my alley. However, Amazon is mistaken if they think that I will buy one sight unseen.

Come on Amazon. I only want to experience it before I buy it. Is that asking too much?

There have been plenty of times in my life where I was certain that my perception—the way I saw things—really was the reality of the situation. We’ve all been there. You think that your job is too difficult because your boss makes your life hard; a relationship is at a brinking point because you think that too many things have changed, and not for the better; your financially so unstable that anything could send you into bankruptcy; or that God must be so frustrated with my life that even He is disappointed.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to read through a book that’s being released tomorrow called, The Noticer by Andy Andrews. It’s an efficient but impactful story-based read on the lives of five people who found themselves at the end of their rope, or so they thought.

“I am a noticer,’ he said. “It’s my gift…I notice things that other people overlook. And, you know, most of them are in plain sight.” -p. 6

While I could go on and on about the book, the stories and the perspectives that were changed, I’d rather reveal two areas that I was personally challenged:

1. Timing

The Noticer always showed up in perfect timing. He would seek first to understand before he saught to be understood. His depth of knowledge about peoples lives made me realize that I move too quickly. He knew their names, kids names, life stories, personal facts, job status—he took interest in knowing the details before he offered anything. The result, people immediately felt understood and they felt as if he had their backs. His perspective that their story was only part of their future, their perspective about their story was what would move them from their dispair to hope.

2. Perception is NOT reality

While we’ve been told that our perception is reality, The Noticer clearly reveals that it is not. It may be what you believe to be true, but in fact, if you would allow the Noticers in your life to reveal a new perspective, your perceived reality would quickly change.

If you’re wondering if your perception really is reality, I’d highly recommend that you buy this book today. Chances are, you’ll find yourself in one of the many stories that The Noticer shares and in the end, you’ll find hope.

Warning

This book is not for stubborn, prideful or arrogant people. It’s offers depths of wisdom and paradigm shifts that you will be forced to face. If you’re currently happy in your misery perceptions, I’d recommend that you stay far, far away.

The state of the economy is finding all of us in an deep dig to discover and fully realize our core competencies. If you’re a small or medium size business owner, casting a wide net of products and service offerings no longer works. You have to find your niche and own it.  If you’ve been able to be relatively unaffected by the downturn in the economy, good for you, but gone are the days of running your business on assumptions. Why?

The results of the downturn in our economy are going to be better businesses, products and services, driven by people who are determined to make it no matter what. The only thing that’s going to keep your clients from moving over to the next company, product or service is loyalty. Are your current clients that loyal? If you think yes, then you don’t really know, unless you know yes. Read more

Update: Most of you reading my previous post this morning likely thought that pulling off the punk’d wasn’t possible; and honestly, the odds where seriously stacked against us. However, Ashton only had the success that he’s had today because he had an outrageous idea and gave it a shot. The result? He won, got on Oprah, Larry King Live, CNN Breaking News email blast and raised almost $1M for the fight against malaria, all because he wasn’t afraid of failure.

At the end of the day, I’d rather try and fail a hundred times than never try at all.

This morning at 1:17am, I received a CNN Breaking News Alert,

– Ashton Kutcher is first to reach 1 million followers in Twitter contest with CNN.

As of 7:44am CST, Ashton (@aplusk) has 1,026,082 followers and growing.

Now Ashton is always Punk’ding people. What if we punk’d him?

Today is #followfriday on Twitter. Let’s make today #unfollowAshtonFriday Friday and see if we can get him to drop below 1M followers. What would Oprah, CNN, Larry King, even Ashton have to say about that?

Join me and #unfollowAshtonFriday now!

Here’s a copy and paste retweet:

RT Join me in Punk’ding Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) and to get him below 1M followers TODAY! #unfollowAshtonFriday

Here we go…