Where Dreams Live

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Where dreams live

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When I first moved to Albany, Georgia, this was one of the first landamarks that fixated it's self in my mind. This statue of Jesus is perfectly situated in the middle of a graveyard. Now, the fact that this statue is positioned in a graveyard is not the idea behind this photo. If you notice in the background, there is a set of living quarters. People not only lay in rest here, but they also live here. To me, this was compelling...

Could you imagine waking up every morning of your life to a graveyard? Could you imagine having a dream inside of you so real, that you could feel it moving on the inside of you, YET dealing with the fact that everyday, the first image you encounter is indeed, a graveyard.

I have pondered this over the years... "Is this where dreams live?"

All over the country, everyday, this episode plays out. Perhaps it's a child with the dream of being President, yet every morning the first thing that he or she sees is a drunken mother, or an abusive father. Perhaps it's a 20 something with the dream of being and Astronaut, however; everyday, they wake up to an environment filled with gangs, drugs and prostitution.

Is THIS where dreams live?

Reflective.

President Barack Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Barack

It's an amazing time we are living in...

President Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is a HUGE feat. I am so blessed to be living in a time where I am able to see such great accomplishments. I am excited about this for two reasons...

1. This opens the doors to new possibilities and new belief systems among America's minority youth... It IS possible...
2. Dreams manifested... I am sure that this very feat of accomplishment is or has been the dream of many, and seeing this happen gives a visual "goal post" for the Dreamer to reach for.

I am inspired.

Be careful about killing giants

I have been meaning to write this post for some time, but for whatever reason I could not collect my thoughts in a way that would translate to the typed word and retain the conviction and power needed to exude relevance. I want to talk about killing giants. This does not pertain to designers only, it does not pertain to thought leaders only, it pertains to anyone who has been blessed with the gift of being able to dwell among giants.

I want to reference a biblical story, David and Goliath. David was a shepard boy, anointed by God to be King, when a Philistine giant by the name of Goliath challenged Davids people, who had fear of Goliath, David stepped up to the plate, took smooth stones and a sling and killed the Giant Goliath. This was of course the shortened version of this epic story, however; I am going to pull three things from this story...

1. David was a king
2. David had the anointing to kill giants
3. As descendants of king David we inherit the ability to kill giants...

This kingship, anointing, and ability to kill giants is unbridled power given by God, and can be yielded at will and in any direction. THIS is where it all gets tricky...

Giants come in many forms. You may be living with a giant. It may be your wife, who has the confidence and the audacity to have started a company from the ground up, and is the ruler of her universe. And IF you are not careful, and if you do not have your securities on check you can, without even trying hard, unleash your sling and kill the giant within her through insecurity and jealousy.

A giant could be the husband who had the unique ability to win the minds and hearts of people with ease, and as the wife of this type of giant, insecurities and a lack of understanding can be the sling that kills this type of giant.

Be careful about killing giants...

As human beings we have a desire to live in environments that are comfortable and nurturing. We want to be surrounded by familiar ideas, and things that are tangible and can be navigated. When something disrupts this idea, we instinctively begin to try to sculpt the environment into what we can understand. Stretching our understanding, coping with insecurities and exploring new paradigms can be challenging... Be careful about killing giants. If we try to bridle the power of a giant simply for our own comfort we may be killing the very thing we need in our lives...

Give giants room to be giant. Learn from them, nurture them, and give them the latitude to be authentically what they are designed to be... Husbands, do not be intimidated by your giant. Love your giant, because the bigness of your giant is simply the God within her. Wives, be secure about your giant, if people attract easily to your giant, be assured that the love you give your giant will be returned if given with a pure heart. The ability to win the attention of others is a commodity that even the chief corporations desire.

Be careful about killing giants...

Where most businesses stay when it comes to innovation

Tightrope-walker

With each business leader that I talk to about innovating and being creative within their organizations, this is where I find most of them (see the above picture)...

On a tightrope.

Most business leaders focus so much energy into the incremental increases found through "better mousetrap mentality" that they seldom ever reap the true reward found through authentic innovation. This is not only a disservice to the legacy of the business, BUT it is indeed a organizational creativity killer. We have to find a perfect balance between innovation and number chasing.

Truly innovative companies do not spend much time considering competition instead the spend time considering "possibilities". Apple spent time wondering about the possibilities of a device that would replace not only the cell phone, but the Mp3 player and the laptop in one clean sweep and they just about did it with the iPhone... The iPhone started as a possibility.

It's the possibilities that separate incredible design from good design. It's the possibilities that make tomorrow a better place.

Design Idea: Design towards possibilities and not the competition. Find that perfect balance between number crunching and authentic innovation... As fast as you can.