ELEPHANT sized DREAMS..or BIGGER!

Elephants are amazing creatures, huge and powerful, yet trainable.

Elephants have been trained and used by humans as work animals for as long as 4,000 years. How is it possible for a 175 pound man to keep an 11,000 pound elephant in captivity? When an elephant is very young, it is tethered to a four foot long wooden stake driven into the ground. This stake is physically able to hold the young, small elephant, despite the elephant's repeated attempts to escape it. After unsuccessfully trying many times to escape, the young elephant eventually comes to believe that escape is impossible.

This belief is carried into adulthood. When the elephant is full grown, it could easily break free from the four-foot wooden stake, yet it never even attempts to do so. This intelligent, powerful creature is held captive, not by any physical restraint, but by its own thoughts.

What are the thoughts and experiences that hold you captive? Or are you limited by what someone else has or is telling you?

Here are some of my favorite "limitation" quotes:

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

"While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility." -- Lee DeForest, inventor.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

'Stick to driving a truck, because you'll never make it as a singer'. -Grand Ole Opry to Elvis Presley 1954

As you probably know by now if you have read this blog much, I have the great honor and opportunity to work with Erwin Mcmanus. Erwin's latest book and the DVD that we have developed with him is Wide Awake.

Wide Awake is about how God created us to live beyond the limitations we put on ourselves and pursue the life He created for us to live. Erwin writes that sometimes the limitations we’re willing to accept establish the boundaries of our existence. He challenges us that our dreams, by their very nature, should stretch us.

If your dreams are supposed to be bigger than your life, then your life will always be limited by the size of your dreams. -Erwin McManus

So here is my questions for you today:

How BIG are YOUR dreams? What limitations are currently on YOUR life by your SMALL dreams? (your version of the elephant being held by a small stake and chain)

If you could give your life to ONE THING, what would it be? And if you’re not currently pursuing that ONE THING I gotta’ ask… WHY NOT? Go after it!

Dream BIG and Trust GOD!!

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)

The door to the GREAT UNKNOWN

I had some interesting conversation with family and friends this week about living our dreams!

You know the things you have passion about, those things that bring you life, the things you want to talk about and do....the great adventure you have always dreamed of! What is your excuse? inexperienced?, not young enough?, not old enough? set in your ways? (probably), too scared (more than likely)? don't know the right people? (you might or someone does....remember we are all six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon!......not sure how Kevin helps me....but maybe!)

It is never too late to start living your life....you want examples? OK...here you go!

Grandma Moses started painting at 64. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim museum at 91. Konrad Zuse was 48 when he invented the first computer. Benjamin Franklin was 81 when he signed the constitution. Thomas Edison was 64 when he invented the phonograph. Steve Jobs was 51 when he launched the iPhone. Walt Disney opened DisneyLand when he was 54.

The question for you?

What hidden talent of yours is aching to be released? What creative pursuit do YOU want to manifest, but have been too shy or doubtful or scared to let rip? What is that talent, gift, ability, that you know that God keeps urging you to use that your not because of fear or doubt?

Now's the time! Take your next step.

You have to start making yourself flexible and pliable again, because if you stop learning, you will stop growing and will never create a life beyond the one you have right now.

Do you remember the Parable of the Talents?

Here is the passage in Luke 19:26 in The Message:

That's what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.

Am I talking about not seeking wisdom before you walk through the door of the unknown? Of course NOT...God tells us to seek counsel and gain wisdom.

But I am saying according to this scripture, I believe God is saying that

playing it safe can be the riskiest thing we can do and that maybe we should consider that we will meet God in the unknown
place not the known!

I don't want to be a COUNTERFEITER

Yesterday was a challenge......it was one of those days where the challenges that were known...well, they were known.

It was actually stepping into the great unknown that was the biggest challenge. Yep, that's right, I had some surprises. Welcome to life....right?

Human instinct kicks at this point, I usually do everything possible I can do to stop the "unwelcome" surprises and embrace the "known" so life is not so.......surprising. correct?

I read an article about Swiss watchmakers that made me think about how I am dealing with the challenge of "the great unknown" in my life.

Here is what I read:

Switzerland exports 26 million watches a year, but counterfeiters ship 40 million, reports Christina Binkley in the Wall Street Journal (10/16/08). Even more troubling, “counterfeiters have been improving their technology faster than watchmakers,” too. It used to be the fakes were easy to spot, but not always anymore. “The counterfeiters have learned all the things that people didn’t know 20 years ago,” says David Hendry, an expert.

To combat this, “one Swiss watchmaker, Vacheron Constantin, has created a wristwatch that it says is impossible to counterfeit.”

“Tiny texts on the dials of some models — illegible without the aid of a magnifying glass.” Certain images, such as a tiny sun, “can be seen only under a UV lamp,” and even then only barely. Will this be enough to stop counterfeiters? Even the watch’s designer, Roger Pfund, “an acclaimed painter and designer of the Swiss passport” doesn’t think so. “They already have fakes of this watch,” he says. “Of course the movement is wrong — a lot of things are wrong.”

I have bought "fake" watches before. One day my wife and I were in New York and I bought her a Rolex (in Chinatown). It was beautiful! It had the signature Rolex logo and it even had a "sweeping" second hand, the Rolex "signature" because everyone knows regular "inferior" watches just tick on each second. (hey, I may be a cheapskate buying a fake watch but I paid extra for the "sweeping" hand technology!)

The next day we were flying home and we got to about 20,000 feet and the watch stopped. I guess it didn't like heights:-(

A few days later my wife took it to a jewelry shop thinking the battery might have died. The jeweler opened the watch and said, "I hope you did not pay to much for this watch, it is full of sawdust".

Here is the lesson I am learning; when things get hard and the great unknown is in front of me it would be a lot easier to take the short cut, do the "counterfeit" thing and everything will look beautiful on the outside.....at least for a while.

The hard thing is to do the real thing, the original, the thing that is going to last even when life takes us to 20,000 feet above sea level or even 20,000 feet below!

By the way, this is the point I wake up and run to the source...God. This is when it really helps to know the Artist, the Creator, the Maker of all of the originals, who does nothing that is counterfeit.

The more challenging your circumstances, the greater your opportunity to see God raise you to new levels of living. When life is overwhelming, it provides the context for you to experience something truly breathtaking. After all, if the earth were flat, there would be no mountains to climb. - Erwin McManus

Mr. Rogers = 143

Mister Rogers was a unique person. He was a children's hero, a TV star, and a man who genuinely cared about people.

He often befriended reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others.

Amazingly, it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a trip to a TV exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them. On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life—the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

Rogers’ had a daily routine (waking up at 5; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family; studying; writing, making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him; going for a morning swim; getting on a scale; then really starting his day).

Mr. Rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life. He didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, didn’t eat the flesh of any animals, and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine. And while I’m not sure if any of that was because he’d mostly grown up a chubby, single parent child, Rogers found beauty in the number 143.

Rogers saw this number as a gift, because as he said,

the number 143 means ‘I love you.’ It takes one letter to say ‘I’ and four letters to say ‘love’ and three letters to say ‘you.’ One hundred and forty-three.

Mister Rogers was always loving and taking care of his "neighborhood", but the impact he made reached across the world and beyond his lifetime.

I wonder what the world would be like if we modeled his behavior, started taking pride and joy in our own neighborhoods (our families, or clients, our countries, the earth). What if instead of fighting against things we started giving bear hugs to the people and situations in life that perplex us?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. James 2:8 (NIV)

The road to SOMEWHERE

I have an observation about our current media culture;

Our sophistication in marketing through media has reached an all time high in illusion. The media is becoming less trustworthy because we are truly not sure what is real.

It is easy to correlate issues and jump to conclusions.

For instance, what if a told you;

There's a clear correlation between foot size and being richer, owning your own house and having a better education. On the other hand people with smaller feet are often still struggling with potty training.

Guessed what the illusion is yet?

People with small feet are usually children, so of course they have less money, don't own their own houses and, haven't been to school yet.

What makes the "illusion" clear?

revealing the TRUTH!

plain and simple.

I think there is a growing hunger for truth and authenticity.

Why truth?

FREEDOM!

Jesus said,

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Luke 8:32

You see the "true" road leads to "somewhere"
and the "illusion" of the truth leads to nowhere!

Here is what Psalm 119 in The Message says:

I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me

The point? The road to nowhere is probably the easy road for the moment but if we are going to get somewhere, honesty builds value.

SEE YOU ON THE ROAD TO SOMEWHERE!

Poverty Mentality

I was telling some friends last night that I was going to be blogging about Poverty and participating in Blog Action Day 2008. Over 12,000 bloggers are talking about poverty and being a part of the solution to this worldwide crisis.

The conversation quickly turned to the current financial crisis in the U.S and how it will affect people's giving to this or any other cause. One of my friends made an interesting comment, "There is no less physical money in the world than there was a month ago." I never thought of it that way but that is true.

Which led me to this thought, because there is economic turbulence in the markets does it make us any less responsible to the people in the world?

Jesus was asked this question and this is what He said:

'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

"Jesus answered them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'-Matthew 25:44-45

So let's put this into perspective on how WE spend money worldwide:

Global Spending	$U.S. Billions
Cosmetics in the United States	8
Ice cream in Europe	11
Perfumes in Europe and the United States	12
Pet foods in Europe and the United States	17
Business entertainment in Japan	35
Cigarettes	50
Alcoholic drinks	105
Narcotics drugs in the world	400

And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:

Global Priority	$U.S. Billions
Basic education for all	6
Water and sanitation for all	9
Basic health and nutrition	13

The realization for me today is that no matter what is going on in the global economy it does not relieve me from responsibility. Jesus was very clear and did not give us exceptions to the rule and there are no loop holes.

Let's love, give and serve.

There are a lot of amazing organizations out there but if you need one specifically here is one that is doing great work; Worship2Action

Searching for AWKWARD

Do you like that awkward feeling? most of us don't....definitely not enough to search for it!

We don't like to feel awkward. Our natural desire is to fit in, not stand out, fill in the "awkward" silence.

But here is something strange but true; I have experienced recently that "awkward" is challenging....it pushes me to "different", and to work toward "better", toward "change".

I am not saying I like awkward or want to feel that way all the time but I am starting to see that maybe I shouldn't be afraid of it......actually I may need to actually search for it sometimes.

The reason we need to be in search of awkward is that awkward is the barrier between us and excellence, between where we are and the remarkable. If it were easy, everyone would have done it already, and it wouldn't be worth the effort.-Seth Godin

Well, that's my thought today. We have the ability to take our awkwardness and turn it into something valuable.....awkward = insight.

Insight into who we are and how we respond.....so when you feel that awkward moment, don't run.....embrace it!

And by the way, in an awkward moment is when we are usually less dependent on ourselves and more willing to lean on God and allow Him to help us.

That's right—if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God. - Proverbs 2:1 (The Message)

DON'T LOOK DOWN!!!

DON'T LOOK DOWN......To varying degrees, we tend to avoid that which we consciously or unconsciously associate with harm, presumably because our distant ancestors that feared spiders, snakes and animals with bad tempers and lots of teeth, were more likely to keep away from them and so increased their likelihood of surviving to reproduce.

This instinct varies widely: some seemingly have no fear; some can overcome it, some can’t; and some may even develop irrational fear of particular things – you know phobias.

Understandably, one of these dangerous things – includes HEIGHTS. People trapped at heights are often advised....DON'T LOOK DOWN!!

However, we also have the propensity to overcome such aversion, whether for the thrill of the challenge, overpowering inquisitiveness, or out of necessity.

Here is one of my favorite pictures:


These remarkable men who worked on skyscrapers in New York in the 1930s, apparently became so ‘immune’ to the fear of heights that they could lie down for a nap on the girder of a skyscraper.

We might jokingly call these guys crazy. But you see, this was their job....

they didn’t do it to die; the did it to live.

Did they have something we don't? Some kind of coincidental DNA affecting balance, the fear response, and innate willpower?

Beats me....but here is my point:

Feed your dreams or your fears.
Whichever one you feed will grow.

Fears will grow to control you and clip your wings.

Dreams will consume you and cause you to soar.

It is your choice.

If you live by fear, you will live a crippled and limited life. Your best work, your highest aspirations, and your most enchanting creations will go to the grave with you.

If you live as a person of vision, you may not attain all of your goals, but you will attain many and they will live on after you are gone. They will inspire others to dream and create. You will create a ripple that will grow into a mighty tidal wave of dreams and accomplishments.

Feed your dreams and starve your fears.

Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. Psalm 27:1

AND THE WINNER is......

Hey thanks for participating in the Travis Cottrell "Ring The Bells" CD give away!

Here are the winners!

Wooten's World
Symply ED
Jenny
Rosyrose

If you will email me at chris@indelibleonline.com we will get your CDs out to you and you can start celebrating Christmas EARLY!

Thanks for participating and look for other give aways soon!

CRASH SIGHT!

Have you ever thought about what "groups" of animals are called...for instance;
a group of Crows are called - "a murder of Crows",
Dolphins - "a pod of Dolphins",
Grasshoppers - "a cloud of Grasshoppers",
Monkeys - "a troop of Monkeys",
and of course Flamingos are "a stand of Flamingos".

One my favorites is the group designation for rhinos...
they are called a CRASH!!

You see, rhinos can run at thirty miles an hour, which is pretty fast when you consider how much weight they’re pulling. They’re actually faster than squirrels, which can run at up to twenty-six miles an hour. And even then, who’s going to live in dread of a charging squirrel?

Just one problem with this. Rhinos can see only thirty feet in front of them. Can you imagine something that large moving in concert as a group, plowing ahead at thirty miles an hour with no idea what’s at thirty-one feet?

You would think that they would be far too timid to pick up full steam, that their inability to see far enough ahead would paralyze them to immobility. But with that horn pointing the way, rhinos run forward full steam ahead without apprehension, which leads us to their name.

Rhinos moving at full speed together are a CRASH. Even when they’re just hanging around enjoying the watershed they’re called a crash.....because of their potential.

You’ve got to love that. I think we should live this way.

We don’t have to pretend we know the future. Who cares that we can only see thirty feet ahead?

That is where trust and faith comes in....God knows and God sees ahead of us!

Put your full trust in God, not men, not the stock market,
and by the way not a President!

God knows you, loves you, and sees
that next step the you and I can't see:-)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message)

RING THE BELLS

TODAY is the DAY! The much anticipated release of RING THE BELLS - Travis Cottrell's new Christmas CD!

We are very proud to release this project and can't wait for you to hear it! It is produced by Brown Bannister and features a duet with Natalie Grant on the title track.

We are getting unbelievable comments and response......it is #4 in the Holiday music category on iTunes right now!! Here is a review comment from CCM magazine online:

If you buy just one holiday record this year, this is it. Ring the Bells is the perfect amalgamation of Cottrell’s artistic abilities and distinct call, which has an overwhelming effect on the listener. Some may call it goosebumps. –Andrew Greer

I am going to give 5 CDs away....all you have to do is leave your favorite Christmas memory here on the blog and I will then have a discerning panel of judges pick the winners:-)

Ok there is your challenge bring the best memories and tell all your friends about Ring The Bells!

Merry Christmas!

A YEAR FROM NOW......

One of my favorite quotes is from Carolyn Lamb*(*can't quite figure out who she is, even with Google's brain as helper), goes like this:

"A year from now you may wish you had started today."

What did you put off today?

What did you wish you had started a year ago?

What if you don't try?

There are millions of examples but here is one.....one day Steve Jobs started iTunes

- Since iTunes started over four billion songs have been sold to date.
- On Christmas day last year, alone, over twenty million songs were sold (their best one-day record to-date).
- Over 125 million TV shows have been purchased.
- Over seven million movies.
- There are over 125,000 Podcasts listed in the iTunes Podcast Directory.

What you start may not be the next iTunes.....but then again maybe it is!

Today is YOUR day.....GO NOW.... start something:-)

"Let's make a dent in the universe." - Steve Jobs

Did you see that LEMON?

It is “part Halloween, part Indy 500 and part open-heart surgery performed with a plastic picnic knife,” reports Eddie Alterman in the New York Times (9/28/08).

It is the 24 hours of Le Mons, a parody, of sorts, of the “24 Hours of Le Mans” race in France. But unlike its inspiration, the “LeMons is a 24-hour brawl and, more defining, nice cars are not welcome. The rules say that teams can spend no more than $500 on their vehicles before adding safety gear.” The prize — to the car that turns the most laps in a 24-hour period — is “$1,500 — all of it in nickels.”

The LeMons was dreamed up in 2006 by a fellow named Jay Lamm, who didn’t think the idea had all that much appeal. “I thought nobody else besides my friends would be dumb enough to do this,” he says. “It didn’t occur to me back in 2006 that this was anything more than a one-shot deal.” But today LeMons races happen “several times a year at tracks around the country,” and Jay thinks he understands why: “You seem to get a more entertaining group of guys when you eliminate the checkbook-rich. Secondly, racing is boring when everything is going well. It’s when you’re trying to fix the car that things become fun and communal.”

Twelve hours into the race, the car voted People’s Choice is called in and awarded a cash prize; simultaneously, the car voted People’s Curse is called in and summarily destroyed. At the end of 24 hours, a gala awards ceremony plies the survivors with trophies, plaques, and four-figure purses in canvas bags full of nickels. What's not to like?

So here is your creative question for the day?

Is there something fun, innovative, outside the box

you can do with your brand, products, or company that might turn into

something worth duplicating?

The world is full of boring stuff which is why so few people pay attention. Remarkable marketing is the art of building things worth noticing right into your product or service. Not just slapping on the marketing function as a last-minute add-on, but also understanding from the outset that if your offering itself isn't remarkable, then it's invisible -- no matter how much you spend on well-crafted advertising. - Seth Godin

There is your starting line....now go make lemonade out of your LEMONS and live to impact others with your God given creativity!!!

Will you STAND?

Will you stand or will you fall?

a good question.

Today Seth Godin has a great post on his blog about standing for something. It is valuable advice and a good reminder of how we should live, what leads to success, and how to build value personally and in our brands. Seth said:

Standing for something helps you build trust, makes it easier to manage expectations and aids in daily decision making. Standing for something also makes it more fun to do your gig, because you're on a mission, doing something that matters. Of course, there's a cost. You can't get something for nothing.

It's frustrating to watch marketers, politicians and individuals fall into the obvious trap of trying to stand for something at the same time they try to please everyone or do everything.

To really stand for something, you must make difficult decisions, mostly about what you don't do. We don't ship products like that, we don't stand for employees like that ("you're fired"), we don't fix problems like that.

If you have to change your story because your audience is different (oh, I'm on national TV today!) (oh, this big customer wants me to cut some key corners) you're going to get caught. That's because the audience is now unknown to you, everything is public sooner or later, and if you want to build a brand for the ages, you need to stand for something today and tomorrow and every day.

I don't think it can be said better....
We all make mistakes and we all have probably at some time
have made wrong choices
or not stood for something when we knew we should.
But GOOD NEWS for you and me today;
today is a new day and the right time to stand up and do the right thing.

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:14 (The Message)