ENTHUSIASM fuel

“Enthusiasm is contagious - 
and so is the lack of it” 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enthusiasm originally comes from the Greek language. In its original form and usage enthusiasm was associated with being possessed by a divine presence of a god. It was the word used to describe the energy, fervor and inspiration that people exuded when they were possessed by a supernatural spirit. Enthusiasm is associated with inspiration, intense zeal, focus and enjoyment.


The enthusiasts in ancient Greece did not see themselves as ordinary people. They saw themselves as peculiar people specially chosen by the gods to accomplish significant missions. Their enthusiasm and zeal was inseparable from their sense of self worth. They believed that they were destined to accomplish insuperable feats and overcome odds insurmountable to the ordinary folks.



Here is the interesting aspect of enthusiasm; your enthusiasm is unique to you!



Our friend Max Lucado says this:

"You weren't an accident. You weren't mass produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman."

And since you are unique your enthusiasm for life, relationships, and whatever you do is one of a kind also.  One of the greatest mistakes you can ever make is to see yourself as just an ordinary person. The fact of the matter is that you are peculiar in every sense of the word. There is no one with a DNA like yours. There will never be anyone with a voice or finger print like yours.  Each of us has been given gifts and  divinely appointed to accomplish greatness and your unique enthusiasm can fuel yourself and others to do the same.



I am not suggesting a fake "let's get going" cheerleading session. Luke 8:13 says:

"The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone.

 

We don't need a "fad" type of enthusiasm, I am talking about the things placed in you that you are passionate and driven by.....these are the things your enthusiasm will fuel....this is where your enthusiasm becomes contagious and inspires, gives hope, and encourages.



I have been in the midst of transition this week and have moved into a major project.  At first it was incredibly overwhelming, but now the possibilities and passion is starting to "kick in" and my "enthusiasm fuel" is starting my engine.  I hope your enthusiasm is contagious today!

“When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.” -W. Clement Stone

Have app will travel....

I am very excited to announce the 

in:ciite fuel iphone app!

If you have an iphone this is an easy way to get the latest in:ciite fuel blog posts sent directly to your iphone.  If you don't have an iphone this is a good reason to get one.....ok, maybe not, but this app would be a great addition to your iphone if you get one :-)



If you are interested in getting the app you can click here:  in:ciite fuel app or you can go to your itunes click app store and search for:  inciite



Let me know what you think!

LEAD like Favre

Thanks to our friend Mark Batterson (evotional.com) who gives us this great post on leadership skills observed in Brett Favre.

Even if you are not a football or Brett Favre fan I think you will appreciate these insights on leadership skills!

1) Slap your teammates on the butt. (figuratively of course)

No one does it better than Favre. Great leaders are great encouragers! They go around slapping people on the butt! (again figuratively not literally speaking of course!) Love the way he head butts his lineman too. Again, I would practice this one figuratively!

2) Call an audible.

On this one I'd say that the only quarterback who is better at it than Favre is Peyton Manning. Great leaders recognize when there are eight men in the box and they need to audible to a quick slant or screen pass. Leadership is not static. It takes all factors into consideration. It is the ability to process a ton of information in a short amount of time and make a good quick decision!

3) Throw a block downfield

One of the things I love about Favre is that he's not afraid to throw a block for his teammates. Quarterbacks don't do that. Favre does. Great leaders are great servants. They set the example they want others to follow.

4) Laugh in the locker room.

No one has more fun than Favre. Plays the game like a kid. Gotta love it. I think laughter is so critical to leadership longevity, especially in ministry! There's lots of crying so you need to counterbalance it with lots of laughing!

5) Huddle Up

Favre exudes confidence when he's in the game. You're never out of it with the old gunslinger in your huddle. I think great leaders build the confidence of those around them. Love the way Drew Brees does this in New Orleans too! Amazing pre-game chants!

6) Keep Watching Game Film

Favre has played the game for eighteen seasons, but he puts in the time watching game films. After every series you can see him coaching his young receivers and looking at pictures from the coaches booth. Leaders keep learning and keep teaching!

7) Don't be afraid of throwing interceptions.

Favre had his career-best when it came to interceptions this season, but he holds the all-time interception record. Lesson? If you want to hold the record for most touchdown passes you're probably going to throw some interceptions along the way! Great leaders aren't afraid of making mistakes. They're afraid of missing opportunities! Win or lose, they leave it all on the field.

Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity. Proverbs 20:28 (The Message)

Things I am STILL learning.....

Leadership is not about position. Nor is it about career stage, gender, or culture, although the way leadership plays out is influenced by these and other factors. -Stewart Friedman

It really doesn't matter what age you are or what you do for a living.  Someone is following.  It is that simple. It may be employees, friends, children, or strangers but someone is following.



I admit it....there are days I don't want to be a leader.  It seems hard, with too much pressure, and way too much responsibility.



It is easier to follow....but I don't have the luxury to be just the follower.



I have read books, attended seminars, talked to great leaders, and have had the great  honor to follow some great leaders.  There will never be a way for me to learn it all or to do it all but I keep trying and keep leading (even when I don't know I am). I will (and do) fail but have found some encouragement and simple leadership principals written by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 4.

Don't imagine us leaders to be something we aren't. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God's most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (The Message)

1.  "Don't imagine us leaders to be something we aren't"

Be Authentic (we are all full of faults....don't let people imagine you are something you are not)



2.  "We are guides"

A leader by definition is just a guide



3. "requirements for a good guide"

Be reliable (do what you say you will do and if you can't be honest and say I can't do it)


4.  Have accurate knowledge (leaders learn and share their knowledge)



The bad news....I will not and you will not be the perfect leader.



The good news....this does not disqualify you or me from being a great leader.

hello...a little house cleaning

hello friends,

Changing our name is exciting news but there is a bit of house cleaning that goes with the change.

If you have previously subscribed to this blog by email or RSS you will need to resubmit your email address or RSS subscribe again.  (if you have subscribed on January 15th or after you will not need to do this again) Sorry for the inconvenience. 

If you receive two posts it should only be temporarily!

Hey, thanks for reading and I look forward to journeying through 2010 with you!

faithully,

Chris

BIG NEWS!

We are changing our name!  

In 2005 we embarked on this great adventure we called Indelible Creative Group.  It has been an incredible almost 5 years and the next part of our journey is looking to be even more amazing and full of opportunities.  

So....we are preparing, and taking strategic steps toward how we step into our future.   I will not claim this has been an easy decision.  We have loved the name Indelible but as we expand and have more creative and business opportunities we want to define better not just what we do but "how" we do it!

The "why" is the same for us, our mission and vision remain at our core, but the defining factors of what business we are in: creativity, innovation, impact, technology and experiences actually reveals our new name:
 

I am appreciative of the support of all of you who have been following our journey through this blog, and if you have been following, you will not be surprised that the blog is changing to better reflect our new direction. So, a new look and new name is happening here also. Changing from "one indelible moment" to "in:ciite fuel"....the creative and inspiration fuel that propels our vision for the future.  We will also be launching our new and improved website (in progress) before the end of the month www.inciite.com.

Again, I wanted you to be among the first to know and stay tuned for announcements about exciting new adventures soon!  Below is the official name change announcement that will be going out soon....let me know your thoughts by email, facebook, twitter, or comments here.  

Indelible Creative Group is now in:ciite media. We are changing our name to reflect the company we’ve become, a growing music and film company that pushes toward moments where creativity, innovation, impact, technology, and experiences merge.  Although our name is changing to better define how we move forward, we are driven by mission and it remains the same, "helping build God's kingdom by creating remarkable experiences through media products that are culturally and spiritually relevant.

We believe that everyone is created with a divine destiny, born to live a great adventure, designed for a unique purpose, and absolutely called to fulfill a great mission.  in:ciite's vision is to create a place for people and stories to live, thrive, and inspire the next indelible moment. 

The SPONGE principle

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

I had a friend call this morning with a story of how some people he highly respected were seemingly doing something unethical in their business and it involved something he owned. He of course called them on it but at the same time to his credit he is trying to respond in an ethical and Godly way.

Times are tough now for most people and I think Martin Luther King's observation really comes to life. We are all being challenged and on some level probably have some controversy. I, probably like you, have this challenge on some level in my life and I also have the choice to take the right or wrong road.

An individual's true character always gleams through like a beacon in stressful situations. A good illustration of this, is that of a sponge which has been allowed to soak in a liquid until it is fully saturated. Whenever pressure is applied, whatever has soaked into the sponge is what comes gushing out. The same is true of a person...when pressure is applied, the true nature of their character will be revealed for all to see. --Jason Oelrich

This directly relates to my friend's issue, I really encouraged him to give the people he was dealing with the opportunity to do the right thing.....I would hope someone would do the same for me. How the people react to my friend when "pressure is applied to their sponge" and the decision they make will be very telling and determine who works with them in the future.

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

On the BRIGHT side....

• 

• hope-ful (adjective) -full of hope; expressing hope; exciting hope; promising advantage or success: a hopeful prospect.

I believe everyone wants hope...we are longing to do good, beautiful, and true things in the world but most of the time our circumstances, people, or just the challenge of the urgent necessities get in our way.

HEY LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, IT'S A NEW YEAR.... right?

But when you feel like your walking in a desert and things are hard, unjust, and just down right depressing, saying Happy New Year doesn't make it better....does it?

The book of Lamentations in the Bible is a place I found some hope. (hard to believe...just the word "Lamentations" sounds depressing and hopeless!)

Here is the wisdom from Lamentations:

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Lamentations 3:28

If every moment can be seen as "never the worst", then there is always room for hope. Concentrating on our present actions and finding the hope contained in them. The hardest part of our life in the present or the most painful part of our past are opportunities that can become the most hopeful part of your future (even though it doesn't feel like it now). Remember we have the free will to choose the way we view any situation or event in our lives. Despair may touch us, but it doesn't have to become an option. In spite of the fact that we all stumble and get depressed, we can choose to hope, and not to despair.

I am determined to live a hopeful life even though the news, the polls, and the statisticians of the world tell me "it is the worst of times" and it is going to get worse!!!

You may say, "you're kidding yourself Chris, your ignoring the realities". No, I see the realities but I am choosing to not only have hope but to help find solutions and bring hope to a world that was designed to thrive and give life not take it away.

Here is my prayer for this new decade we are entering...I am "hopeful" it can be yours too:

"Lord, I need a dream worth giving my life to.
I need a life worth waking up to each morning.
I need a mission bigger than me.
I want to believe not only for me, but also for this world.
Amen."