The Gift of Time

My wife and I recently returned from our autumn retreat to the pastoral mountains of North Carolina, where we had the good fortune of being housebound by the weather a good deal of the time. While visiting family there, I had a couple days of downtime to savor the insightful writing of author Ellen Vaughn in her latest book, Time Peace: Living Here and Now with a Timeless God.

Among her more piercing insights are this gem: “If we believe what we say we do—in a huge, sovereign, good God who created all things, including time, and has ordained both our days on earth and our entrance into eternity—we will not be anxious about time. We are in fact rich in it. We can enjoy God’s present. We can relax, and smile.”

As I write these words I am reminded of even more timeless wisdom found in “The Message” paraphrase of the Book of Acts 17:26-27: “He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God.” I particularly love the phrase, “plenty of time and space for living.” As we all enter the busy Christmas season, I pray we slacken our pace long enough to celebrate Christ and unwrap the gift of time.

The Need for Speed

In The Age of Speed, author Vince Poscente presents the contrarian view that speed is not necessarily what ails us as a society. It is our failure to leverage speed that afflicts us, he suggests, and harnessing the power of speed is the secret to not only surviving but thriving in today’s time-crunched culture, keeping us ahead of the curve.

Featuring counterintuitive insights and provocative research, the book challenges readers’ assumptions about the nature of speed and its influence upon our daily lives. “We’ve been warned of speed’s potential to create problems, but we crave its benefits, so in many ways, we have a love-hate relationship with speed,” writes Poscente. “But to get the full benefit of speed, we have to detach our perception of ‘fast’ from the notion of ‘busy.’”

According to Poscente, it is only when one becomes agile by anticipating opportunities, aerodynamic by multitasking effectively and aligned by living authentically that one is able to succeed in the age of speed. He stresses the need for readers to heed the call to harness speed lest it become a burden instead of a blessing. Speed read the book and reap the benefits.

Trend Watching

It’s been a while since I shared about trends so I thought I’d highlight the latest issue of Trendwatching located at www.trendwatching.com/briefing. As the brief itself states, “Find out about the ‘why’ of trend spotting, the mindset required, the resources needed, the process of embedding trends into your organization and how to actually apply them.” And note that there is a big difference between watching trends and mere fads, which are here today and gone tomorrow. Trend watching, on the other hand, should ultimately lead to profitable innovation.

Joie de Vivre

I finally took the plunge the other day and ordered a couple of books from Amazon and I was not only pleased with the service but my selections also. One of the titles I got was Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living by acclaimed restaurateur Robert Arbor. I read it over one weekend and found it as delightful as I had hoped it’d be after reading sample pages using Amazon’s “Search Inside” feature at www.amazon.com.

The book’s title, which is French for “enjoyment of life,” captures the essence of its message: life is meant to be savored one sip at a time, not gulped down indiscriminately. Arbor is a French expatriate who has owned and operated several successful French-style eateries in New York City and still maintains a residence in the French countryside.

What I loved about the book is its elegantly simple approach to living a life full of meaning and merriment with the ones we cherish. Coupled with artful photography from the author’s wife, the book’s chapter titles are arranged in a type of culinary order, from the French love of breakfast to gardening, farmer’s markets and other simple pleasures.

For the cuisine-minded, recipes are sprinkled throughout the text, but in an unobtrusive manner for those of us more inclined toward the message than the menu. As Arbor writes, “A big part of comprehending 'joie de vivre' is understanding that enjoyment in day-to-day life is the true key to happiness. Finding happiness in small things means that ordinary days are filled with pleasures rather than obligations.”

To Be Continued...

My television viewing, that is. My last post dealt with both of our televisions dying within a two-week span last month and how it caused me to consider not replacing one or both of them. And after much thought and prayer, the verdict was to replace the primary one and dispose of the secondary one.

However, during the course of researching a prospective replacement online, I came across an advertisement for a local family-owned and -operated television repair place. The good news is after the manufacturer suggested that I carry our primary set to the curb, I was able to get it fixed, and to the tune of about a hundred bucks, much less than the cost of replacing it with a new one that had less features.

As for the secondary set, it was indeed carried to the curb this morning, and I am already feeling much better about owning only one television. Also, we have resolved to be even more discerning when it comes to what we allow through our eye and ear gates. Our guiding light is a favorite scripture of mine: “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts [Proverbs 4:23].”

Tuning Out Television

After eight years, our primary television gave up the ghost the other day. Fortunately, I was able to finish watching Wimbledon, which I look forward to every year, on our secondary television. However, at thirteen years of age, it also has shown signs of quitting. All of which has gotten me thinking about either not replacing them, or at least only replacing one of them and severely limiting the time spent watching it.

My wife and I know firsthand what it is like to live with little or no television in the house, as she grew up in a household largely devoid of the one-eyed monster, and I grew up in a rural setting where we were lucky to get good reception of the three major networks, let alone cable or satellite. And for the first five years of our marriage, the only television we had was a ten-inch black and white set with antennae, which we actually boxed up during our first year of Bible school.

What I’ve been reminded of lately is how little I’ve missed television. In its place, my wife and I finally broke out our vintage Scrabble set to play for the first time in our married lives, and on our nineteenth wedding anniversary no less. We’ve also read more, listened to more music, hosted friends for a pizza and game night, ridden our scooter around town, and enjoyed a host of other fun, albeit low-tech, activities.

One of the books I’ve read pointed out that the average American spends four hours a day watching television. That adds up to more than one day every week, two months every year, and a decade by age seventy, that we spend glued to the tube. I for one think that is too much, and we are contemplating what to do about it. So, stay tuned for details…

The Voice of Authenticity

I had a life changing experience the other day at a training conference at which I spoke. One of the other speakers, a voice specialist, stated that the most important aspect of a message is “authenticity,” which made me think about my message slated for the next day and how I would present it.

Rather than try to gloss over some trials I had been going through, I decided to be authentic and share my struggles with the audience. The resulting experience was one of the most rewarding of my life, as the message resonated with people in a profound way and led virtually all of them to share with me later how much it had touched them.

And speaking of authenticity, I also read an article by Mark Batterson in Ministry Today that articulated what I had been wrestling with: “Life is too short and leadership is too challenging to try to be two people! At the end of the day, I’d rather be disliked for who I am than liked for who I’m not.”

The Change Function

In The Change Function, author Pip Coburn explains why certain technologies get widely adopted and others do not. In Coburn’s words, “The Change Function says that users change habits—which might include adopting a new technology—if and only if the pain of their current situation is greater than their total perceived pain of making the switch to a proposed solution for their pain.”

In a nutshell, Coburn dispels the “build it and they will come” myth, which has obvious application for businesses of all stripes. According to Coburn, without a user-friendly focus, all the features and functions in the world won’t help convince a consumer who feels confused by mixed messages.

The classic case study is the overwhelming success of the iPod, which has achieved iconic status by simply adopting the Mies van der Rohe philosophy of design: less is more. What folks outside of Apple are only gradually coming to realize is that “feature creep” turns off far more than it turns on. If only Apple would design a universal remote.

The Nomadic Lifestyle

I must credit Fast Company for once again serendipitously guiding me to some cool content about the intersection of life and technology, which I study and write about. The reference in question is the Web site at www.thefutureofwork.net/blog, which was listed as a blog of the month in the latest issue.

As I perused several intriguing postings, I discovered the link to an article titled “Where Neo-Nomads’ Ideas Percolate: New ‘bedouins’ transform a laptop, cell phone and coffeehouse into their office.” What I liked so much about the article was how it depicted the nomadic lifestyle made possible by today’s technology, a trend whose time has come and that I’ve personally adopted as my own.

Adding to my ability to work when and where I like is my recent acquisition of a Vespa scooter. It is incredibly fun and enables me to tote my laptop and cell phone to my favorite cafes in style. Like my Macintosh, it comes clad in a cool color called Excalibur Grey, and, also like my Mac, it is elegantly designed and simple to use, a synthesis of form and function.

Uncommon Sense

I read in the New York Times recently the good news that the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission recommended cell phones not be given clearance for use on airline flights, with which I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised common sense leadership actually trumped lobbying for a change.

Suffice it to say that all too many people cannot be trusted to exercise good judgment with the use of cell phones, especially in the cramped quarters of an airplane. Case in point: one of my neighbors activated the speakerphone capability of her cell phone the other day and had it cranked so loudly that I could actually hear everything the other person was saying, all while I was more than fifty feet away and inside my house!

It remains to be seen whether or not cell phones ever make their way onto airlines, but I travel enough to welcome the electronic downtime that in-flight no-cell zones afford me. Without such helpful guidelines, the already not-so-friendly skies become even less so.

Early Eulogy

One of the most profoundly meaningful things I have done is record a special message to my wife just after we drew up our will and just before I traveled to Africa on a dangerous mission trip, for which I could not get anyone to underwrite a life insurance policy. While I fully trusted God for safety, suffice it to say that being faced with the prospect of death causes you to reflect upon the meaning of your life and the value of the ones you love.

It was not until afterward that I discovered an apt description of what it was that I had created. I later heard of such a note referred to as an “early eulogy” and I thought that fit. An early eulogy is simply communicating to another now, before one of you dies, what you think of them, how much you love them, how much they mean to you and others, and the like. To this day, my wife enjoys listening to the recording when I periodically travel overnight, as it reminds her of my love for her and how very much she means to me.

Just as it is wiser to give flowers to the living rather than the dead, I propose showering the ones we love with words of affirmation while they can yet hear them and be buoyed by the life they bring. For it is not the unspoken word, however thoughtful, that blesses, but the heartfelt sharing of one’s deepest and truest feelings that possesses the power to lift another soul and place them on an uncommon level, where they may rest in our love.

Welcome to Macworld

About a year ago my wife and I crossed the wild unknown to enter a new land called Macworld. We did so by purchasing our first Apple Macintosh computer, a 12-inch PowerBook G4 laptop. We fell in love with its elegant simplicity and user-friendly interface and once bit by the Apple bug, we proceeded to purchase an iPod Shuffle soon after getting our laptop. And one year later, we are also the proud owners of an iPod Nano as well as a 17-inch Core 2 Duo iMac desktop computer.

What’s more, our journey to Macworld took a literal leap earlier this year after we read in Macworld magazine [that we subscribed to soon after getting our first Mac] about the annual Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco. Blessed with some extra time and cash and looking for a good excuse to visit Frisco for the first time, we quickly registered for the expo, booked our flight, got our hotel room and prepared for our trip.

Not only is San Francisco one of the most beautiful cities to explore, we experienced a camaraderie at the Macworld Expo that we never imagined. Reminiscent of a school reunion, minus the awkward moments, the expo also featured a cornucopia of Apple-related products and peripherals, of which I purchased my fair share. But it was the friendly atmosphere and helpful people that most impressed my wife and me.

Being relative newcomers to the world of Mac, there is much for us to learn and we know it, but the learning comes so much easier with the gentle guidance of those who have made the journey and are generously willing to share what they know. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I dare liken the entire experience to an epiphany of sorts, for while technology can simplify life, it rarely succeeds at simply being fun to use. Yet Apple makes computing fun, and in my book, that is worth the price of admission to Macworld. For more about the conference, including Steve Jobs’ keynote, visit http://www.macworld.com/.

Leaving a Legacy Too

With the world events of the last few days fresh in the news, I am reminded of the fact that we all leave a legacy—it is simply a matter of what kind. Demonstrating this fact are the juxtaposition of the recent deaths of former American president Gerald Ford and former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

As I have watched the events unfold, I have been impressed with the striking differences between how each man passed from life to death and the subsequent ways in which each are being remembered for how they lived their respective lives. Gerald Ford, who had greatness thrust upon him, served as a healing influence during some of America’s darkest days. Saddam Hussein, who grasped power illegitimately and ruthlessly, drove his once proud nation into the desert sands of dysfunction and defeat.

Gerald Ford, a man of deep faith and a devoted husband for more than fifty years, is being remembered with a state funeral and regal honors typically reserved for royalty. On the other hand, Saddam Hussein massacred his own people—including those of his own family—and was unceremoniously hanged for his crimes against humanity while cursing his captors. Perhaps a New York Times headline captures it best: “Saddam Hussein never bowed his head, until his neck snapped.”

As for the rest of us, what lessons are to be learned? I, for one, commit myself anew to living life with a singular focus on faith and family. For in the very end, we shall all be judged by how we treat our Creator and those closest to us. In big and small ways, our legacy is lived out on a daily basis for one and all to see.

Holiday Presence

With the holidays upon us, I am reminded of how incredibly meaningful it is to connect with the loved ones in our lives. And by connection, I don’t simply mean spending time with them; I am thinking more of engaging with one another.

In my reading lately, I’ve come across a couple of excerpts I thought I’d share here that illustrate my point precisely. In The Restless Heart: Finding Our Spiritual Home in Times of Loneliness, author Ronald Rolheiser writes: “With the ubiquity of cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging and voice mail, we are more connected than ever before. But chatter does not equal companionship and large networks do not eliminate the feeling of alienation.” In other words, it’s entirely possible to feel lonely in a crowded phone booth.

And elsewhere, commentator John R. Ehrenfeld writes: “We drive around talking into our phones, engrossed in conversation but absent from the rest of the world. The result is what Linda Stone, a former Microsoft researcher, calls ‘continuous partial attention.’ We lose our sense of engagement.”

The bottom line is that there is a big difference between being in touch with someone and being in tune with them. When all is said and done, technology can enable connectivity but it cannot ensure community. Therefore, the greatest gift we can give each other during the holidays, and year round, is being fully present during the time we spend together.

Life Caching Revisited

Earlier this year, I blogged about life caching, or digital scrapbooking, a growing phenomenon spurred by the burgeoning availability of hard drive disk space. At the risk of appearing to be a spokesperson for Fast Company [I am not but it is a great read] I must rave about the cover story of the latest issue, available at www.fastcompany.com.

The article features Gordon Bell, a senior research engineer at Microsoft, who has embarked on an amazing journey to digitize his entire life, including recording his phone conversations, photographing his daily routine, scanning all his paperwork, etc. and making it all searchable with the help of Microsoft’s MyLifeBits software program, which is in the developmental stage.

I don’t know that I entirely embrace the concept but there are aspects of it that appeal to me, namely the enhanced ability to recall details as quick as the click of a mouse. For Bell’s part, he loves it: “It gives you kind of a feeling of cleanliness. I can offload my memory. I feel much freer about remembering something now.”

Design Aesthetic

While I blogged about design earlier in the year, I was recently reminded of its growing influence yet again through the pages of Fast Company, the latest edition of which is the annual design issue. The feature article, titled “Design Intervention,” is located at www.fastcompany.com and highlights the design aesthetic of one of the world’s premier design houses, Philips Design.

Philips is the autonomous design agency of the venerable consumer electronics firm that has brought us the light bulb, cassette tape and compact disc, among many other innovations. A couple of years ago, it launched a creative positioning campaign called “Sense and Simplicity,” which resonates with me and others like me seeking to simplify our techno-centric lifestyle.

According to the article, the chief designer at Philips, Stefano Marzano, “has been tapped to unify the company through what it calls ‘simplicity-led design.’ He wants to establish his design principles—the unity of form and function, ease of use, and, in Philips’s world, improving the consumer’s life—as an organizing framework for the entire company…right on up to the user interface on every electronic gizmo.” Now that is music to the ears!

Service Versus Hospitality

In the latest issue of Fast Company, there is a Q&A with Danny Meyer, the proprietor of several of the top restaurants in New York City. When asked about the hospitality aspect of his impressive operation, he stated: “One of the real keys to the success of our restaurants is understanding the difference between service and hospitality. Service is how well something is done technically; hospitality is how good something feels emotionally. I think we’re at the dawn of the hospitality economy, and the companies that prevail are the ones that realize it’s the quality of the emotional experience that sets them apart.” That's service with a smile.

The Statistics of Publishing

Fellow journalist Chris Anderson is the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine and the author of The Long Tail, a best-selling book on the economics of entertainment. According to Anderson, there’s untapped potential in the vast number of books and other media that sell relatively few copies, representing the so-called “long tail” of the sales curve.

In a recent article in industry trade journal Publishers Weekly, Anderson wrote: “Here’s the reality of the book industry: in 2004, 950,000 titles out of the 1.2 million tracked by Nielsen BookScan sold fewer than 99 copies. Another 200,000 sold fewer than 1,000 copies. Only 25,000 sold more than 5,000 copies. The average book in America sells about 500 copies. Those blockbusters are a minute anomaly: only 10 books sold more than a million copies last year, and fewer than 500 sold more than 100,000.”

And as if those statistics weren’t staggering enough, Anderson continued: “Today, there are about 32 million unique titles in America’s collective libraries. Only about two million of them—6%—are in print. Perhaps another 20%, mostly the oldest books, are in the public domain and legally free and clear to be scanned and put online. The rest—nearly three quarters of the knowledge, culture and history that lies in books—remains “out of print” but still under copyright.”

Book by Book

If there is one thing I like about life it is the serendipitous nature of it, especially when it comes to visits to the bookstore, one of my favorite places to frequent. One such recent visit resulted in my discovery of a title called Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life, which is authored by Michael Dirda, staff writer for The Washington Post Book World since 1978 and winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for criticism.

Dirda writes in the book’s preface: “For Book by Book, I’ve set down some of what I’ve learned about life from my reading. In its character the result is a…bouquet of insightful or provocative quotations from favorite authors, surrounded by some of my own observations, several lists, the occasional anecdote, and a series of mini-essays on aspects of life. Above all, I hope the result is, to echo the poet Horace’s old formula, dulce et utile—enjoyable and useful—a book to read slowly, to browse in, and return to.” I must say, it is that, and then some. Check it out by visiting http://www.amazon.com/.

Wired But Disconnected

While I appreciate the advances of modern technology, one of my pet peeves concerning it is that we’ve become what I call “wired but disconnected.” If you’re like me, you know other people—even friends and family members—who share the disrespectful habit of talking on their cell phones, checking their emails, etc., while you’re trying to engage them in meaningful conversation, often during meals or other such private times.

It seems that we’ve become tethered to our gadgets but unplugged from the lives of those around us. The irony here is that our widgets were designed to draw us closer together instead of coming between us. Of course, if used properly, technology and its corresponding toys are gifts that allow us to stay in touch with those we love.

The “disconnect” occurs when otherwise well-meaning people fail to acknowledge and respect the proper protocol for communicating effectively. For example, think of the “walkie-talkie” cell phone user who publicly chats away, obviously oblivious to life as we know it. And don’t even get me started with “crackberry” users who pay more attention to incoming emails than to the person seated in front of them for supper.

What it all comes down to is a need to practice the presence of people. The most important person we encounter at any given moment is the one we’re with at the time. And the greatest gift we give another is to be fully present with that person, particularly if it is someone we claim to love but typically ignore in our chase to be “connected.”