I am inspired very easily, and I blog every time I feel something. I let this inspiration flow through me and exit my fingertips.

I just happened upon a Ted Talk video that I had seen a couple of years ago. It’s titled “Start With The Why” and the man who is speaking goes by the name of Simon Sinek. This guy is brilliant. If you have 20 minutes, go to YouTube and type in ‘Start with the why.’

A few years ago, he established a concept called the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle explains how, even when competition has the same resources, technology, and media, some companies and organizations are able to fulfill excellence and soar above all. Apple is a prime example, and I will get into that.

Anyway, the golden circle contains a small circle (WHY), inside a medium circle (HOW), which is inside yet another, bigger circle (WHAT). Sinek claims that most organizations and companies begin with the concept of the outside circle in mind, the what, then venture on to establish the how… but they never get to the why. I’ll use the same example that Sinek uses, which is that of computer companies.

This is how the marketing message for most computer companies may look: “We build computers.” That is the what. “They are easy and fun to use, and beautifully designed.” The how. Wanna buy one?

Eh.

This is how Apple markets their products. “We believe in thinking differently and challenging the status quo.” The why. “We do that by creating products that are beautifully designed and easy to use.” The how. “We just happen to build computers.” Wanna buy one?

Probably.

This proves that people don’t buy what you do, but why you do it. They don’t buy Apple’s computers because they want to just give them their money; they connect to why they are built. They buy their products for themselves, not because they want to support the company. In other words, why do most people not know that that Dell created an mp3 player that nobody bought? Dell is a popular computer company, right? Well, they don’t begin with their purpose in mind, as Apple does.

How can this apply to your own life? Think about what I’ve written. GO* watch the video. GO* get inspired. Sit down and draw out a concept map of your organization or company. Sell the idea of why you are doing something, not what it is you are doing.

You’re not doing what you’re doing to make a profit, or to “help” people. You can go deeper than that. For example, I am in Habitat for Humanity. Why does this organization exist?

To eliminate sub-standard housing? To help people get off the streets and live in affordable housing? To be a better Christian or member of society?

NO! Those are all products.

The why consists of something much, much deeper than that. In Habitat, we believe in challenging the status quo, showing the world that students have potential to make a difference.

The how: we do that by creating opportunities for students to be a part of making a difference, eliminating sub-standard housing.

And the kicker: We happen to build homes.

Wanna join?

An account of my encounter with God!!!

Thursday, March 6, 2013

Estimated time: 12:15AM

I don’t normally share things like this, and I’d actually given up Facebook for this week, but this is a must-share.

So tonight after coming home from my very late playoff IM soccer game (which we lost), I was trying to find a parking spot in front of my residence hall. Finding parking at midnight on a weekday on Florida State’s campus is near impossible. Becoming frustrated through a combination of our loss and having looked for a spot for 20 minutes, I decided to compensate my sorrows with some Fast Food. I figured McDonald’s would suffice. I don’t normally go out to eat this late.

I had been a regular at Mickey D’s when I lived in Panama, and my usual was one McChicken, and one McDouble. Tonight, I decided to order one McDouble and TWO McChickens… why I was buying the third sandwich, I didn’t know.

After getting my food in the Drive-Thru, I parked my car in a spot at the restaurant and turned on some Worship music and leaned back, enjoying my sandwiches. Believe me, Worship isn’t my go-to genre of music to listen to, but I felt called for some reason to turn it on. As I was eating, I noticed in my mirror a homeless guy standing at the corner of the restaurant. In Tallahassee, many homeless frequent the streets, but there was something about this guy that God was drawing me toward.

I looked at my extra sandwich and IT CLICKED. I circled the restaurant and called the guy over. His name was Farrel and as it turns out, he had lived in Detroit for 19 years at Harper and Van Dyke. After talking for a bit, he said he felt so blessed and told me he thought God had sent him an Angel tonight to talk to him. I gave him the sandwich, bid him God Bless and good night, and we went our separate ways.

Overcome by emotion and amazed by the ways in which God works, I wept uncontrollably the whole way home. I hadn’t wept this way since we lost my grandmother last August.

Some may call this a coincidence, but I don’t believe there is such a thing. I call it Fate, a pure act of Divine Goodness. Thank you, God, for always reminding me how to live selflessly and righteously. Thank you for showing me the absolute minute ways in which You can work to bring me back to reality in in the midst of my hectic life. Thank you for allowing me to make a difference in that man’s night.

Oh, and as Fate would have it, waiting for me in the front row next to my building was that open parking spot I’d been looking for.

Why is it that the poorest of the poor have a higher level of happiness than the richest of the rich?

Let me explore this idea a little bit.

There is a legitimate explanation of what makes us happy… or unhappy. It actually consists of an equation containing three parts. Think of it as the pie of happiness. Everybody likes pie, right?

This is the first part of the pie: According to scientists, 50% of what makes us happy depends on our genes. There is actually a scientific explanation within our genetic makeup that creates happiness. Because I am not majoring in any medical or chemical sciences, I do not know how to accurately explain this. Maybe that is why I’m studying social sciences!

The second part in the equation of happiness, which takes up only 10%, depends on your circumstances.

Hold up… Only 10% of the pie?!?

Doesn’t it seem like happiness depends a heck of a lot more on your life’s circumstances than only 10%? The reality is this: your happiness depends very little on the situations you encounter in life, while it depends largely upon other things that I will bring up shortly.

Think about it like this. If we go through a time in our life when something goes great, it is very likely that we expect to experience this “high” feeling for a very long period of time. However, it is also very likely that the joy we experience in that moment dissipates very quickly. This is why I don’t like coming home from my mission trips; if you’ve been on one, you know that you experience a “mission-trip high.” But how long do you think that “high” last?

On the same token, if something terrible happens, a part of us expects to be stuck in this situation with no way out. Break ups is a prime example of this. Immediately following the break up, it feels as though we will never have the ability to find happiness again. But this is rarely the case.

So… that leaves 40% unaccounted for. The remaining portion in the pie of happiness is you. What can you do to make yourself happier? Which portion of the pie do you focus on? Happiness is like any other skill that you have to practice. It is an idea that needs worked, a muscle that needs exercised.

It seems simple. But a lot of the time, we allow our circumstances to overcome ourselves. In reality, we should focus on the portion of the pie that keeps us moving, the one we can control. We can’t control our circumstances. Keep in mind that circumstances only account for 10% of our happiness while our own actions take up 40%.

Benjamin Franklin is quoted once saying, “The Declaration of Independence doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.” In other words, we are only guaranteed the pursuit of happiness, not happiness itself. Nobody owes us happiness but ourselves. It is our choice of how to react to the things that we encounter in our life. A major ingredient in the equation of happiness is being able to overcome adversity more quickly.

I can’t stress this enough… DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY! Take a break from school if needed. Allow your creativity to flow, laugh, go for a run; exercise is scientifically proven to catalyze happiness. This may be the hundredth time you’re hearing all of this. But I find that it’s nice to be reminded every once in a while to do what really makes us happy. The stress of our everyday lives can sometimes make us forget…

Babies laugh 300 times per day, compared to that of 20 times per day for adults. What happens to us as we grow older? As a Sociology student, I am compelled to say that the aspects of society we are exposed to as we develop our sense of self cognitively is to blame. The things that society tells us equates to happiness is a lie. Money. Image. Social status. DON’T LISTEN TO IT. Maybe that has to do with why the poorest of the poor have a higher level of happiness than the richest of the rich…?

To wrap up, I’d like to share one of my favorite quotes by the deaf-blind Helen Keller. In passing, a reporter once made the comment to her. “Ms. Keller, it must be hard being blind.” Her response was a revelation.” It would be if I had no vision because we really see with our hearts.”

Happiness is a choice. Did you choose to be happy today?

It is not easy being a Christian on one of the most sinful college campuses in the country.

As humans, we are naturally reluctant to put ourselves out there for fear of rejection. More so, it is not easy for us to wear our beliefs on our shoulders when we fear it may be cause for conflict among our peers. So, as a result, what many Christians do is find community only with other Christians. Is this what we are called to do?

Maybe some people will find that comfortable. However, God did not call us to only find community with believers. My belief is that we are called to ‘live sent.’ Allow me to explain what I mean by that.

I would like to make it clear that I do not own these ideas. I heard these from a brilliant pastor who spoke at the church I am currently attending, Four Oaks Community Church here in Tallahassee, Florida.

He said that their are three types of Christians in the world. The first type is what he calls a ‘blender,’ the second is called a ‘remover,’ and the third type is that which I mentioned above, those who ‘live sent.’

According to this pastor, a person who is a ‘blender’ is one who lives as if he is sent to this earth by God to live for him, but the way they live does not parallel with the life they say they live. Their mouths say something different than what their actions portray. They claim to be living for God, but once engulfed in the culture of their environment, people observe their actions to be saying something different. Ya dig?

The second type of believer is a ‘remover.’ A ‘remover’ is a person who sees a sinful environment and denies it completely. They will remove themselves entirely from any foreign situation they are confronted with.   As a result of this, they only find community and relationships with people who are in their church circleof friends.

Last but not least, the third type of believer is that who ‘lives sent.’ This person emerges into the culture among non-believers and believers. It is my belief that God has called us to ‘live sent.’ It is extremely important, however, to remember who we are through this process (I can’t stress this enough). It is this type of Christian that we should all strive to be. He did not send us here to remove ourselves from all situations, nor to only live within sinful environments, allowing that to take over our entire existence.

As I stated at the beginning, it is very difficult being a student Christian on one of the most sinful campuses in the country. However, I feel that God does not call me to be offended by what I see happening on campus. Instead, I sense that He has delivered me to this earth to ‘live sent,’ creating community with all who I come in contact with.

Remember, God has strategically placed you where you are for a reason; explore that reason, and remember who you are amidst the craziness that this world has become!

Peace, Love, GOd.

Tonight I tried to go to sleep early. But I guess that I had so much on my mind that I couldn’t really sleep. A lot on my heart, too.

First, I cannot wait to be home. Laying in bed, I couldn’t help but think about what I will do when I get there. I’m going to spend lots of time with my family. I miss my mom and my dad and my sister. An of course the kitty and doggie. I can’t wait to go to church with them as well.

Secondly, I can’t wait to see my friends. Will and Ryan get home the same weekend that I do. I cannot wait for that!!!! The trifecta destined to change the world in one place again. That will be the highlight of my trip.

Third, I have a plan to travel to different schools in the Metro Detroit area to share the First Year Abroad program with future college students. Panama was the best 12 months in my life, and would love nothing more than for students in Michigan to at least hear about the program so they can have it as an option. I am very excited about that. It’s something that I am built for: giving presentations. Something to look forward to.

What else…

Oh, I finally have a great attitude about living in Tallahassee. I don’t know what it is about this week. I just feel great! I am making friends. I’m delicately observing the way that students interact with each other. I want to find a way to define the culture of Florida State University. I’m ready to not just make a change… I’m ready to be it.

I played basketball tonight with a kid I went to school with in Panama. We played three - on - three with some other guys. Let me tell you, the way we interacted on the court, the way we left it all on there, the way that the respect note court was so high… THAT is how I want to be able to define the whole culture of FSU. Even tho one of the guys admitted it was one of the most intense games he’s ever played for fun. There was something about our interaction that I liked.

But how do I do it? Where do I start? What exactly is it that I need to do? That’s where my support system back at home comes in, I think. While I could do this alone, I don’t HAVE to. That is my final thing that I am excited for about going home. I am ready to meet up with my high school buddies and talk GO*. Talk about how, even though we are in college, we can be efficient in our effort to change the world, and support each other in that.

This and much more is on my mind tonight. Hoping I can get some sleep tonight.

Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving Extravert.

Take time to listen to someone’s story; everyone’s got one.