Who Are They?

Conquering Them. Getting Them to agree with you. Convincing Them. Trust me, the obsession with others' approval of us is suffocating - yet also bewilderingly intoxicating. Our constant self-choking emphasis on the forces - the They - that hold us back from unleashing our potential creates a euphoric state of irresponsibility. If They won't let me do it - then it isn't my fault. If They won't agree with me - then my argument wasn't faulty. If They can't be convinced - then my efforts aren't necessary. But, dear friends, the minute we ask the important question is sobering. The euphoria is dissipated because it is then that we realize that They do not exist and that we can't blame Them for our own failure. So, what then are we to do? How are we to approach life in a different way?

Constant State of Beta

Kudos to Mr. Cam Cook for spotting this quote of the day from cnet. While writing a piece for this site not yet edited by companion-blogger Khooby, it occured to me the struggle with "those people" we face in churches or other organizations is tied into how serious they think we are with our plans. Are we in a test phase, or a has the plan gone gold? In other words, are you wooing an idea, or are you married to it?

If we approach changes in church calendars as experiments or alpha/beta tests, the opportunity for others to contribute still exists. If we are at a stage where it is a yes or no to our particularly narrow vision, then less people will support it because less people are contributing.

Is it ok to quash crazy ideas? Of course. Listening to those crazy ideas, thanking the giver of such ideas for helping you think further about what your vision is and then rearticulating how the exact idea won't really work for x number of reasons, is usually adequate to count that crazy visionary a supporter of your dream.

At all turns, avoid the pitfall of receiving crazy ideas in the presence of a large group of decision-makers. Know and prepare in advance with people who you suspect will offer ideas, no matter how helpful, before presenting to a larger group. Ultimately, this allows you to avoid the us vs. them fiasco of "They didn't like what I wanted to do."

Have Faith

"We can't do it that way. They won't like it."
"They are the problem."
"I don't know how they are going to react."
"That's not how they see it."

We would like to dispel the myth that "they" can hinder you.