ok, so i've been reading this book, "the starfish and a spider: the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations". it's quite fascinating! i really have enjoyed it. it's about decentralized organizations, versus centralized ones. it was mentioned in an article written about house churches that was thought provoking, so i got the book from the library and devoured it. the book itself is certainly purely secular, but i love the implications for the church. so here are some of my thoughts.
i have a decentralized mentality at work. in essence, i believe we are all equal. each of us, no matter our position or title, has a role and a stake in what we do. we are all responsible for making a great latte and creating a great environment for each other and our customers. we have different roles and different tasks, but we're all on a team and work together for a common goal. if i'm needing help, someone else jumps in to help me, but essentially, i am responsible for my part. if i mess up, everyone has a responsibility to correct me. that doesn't mean jump on me, but no one can say, "it's not my responsibility." at the same time, if i mess up, it's my responsibility. i have the freedom and space to make mistakes, but i also have the space to realize it and correct them myself. if someone else needs help, i'm gonna help them. we're all in it together. i think that most of my co-workers feel the same way, at least to some extent. we all help each other out and treat each other with respect and space. if i mess up, it's on me, not on you. yes, there are shift supervisors and we have a store manager, and of course they have the final say in things, and i respect that.
but i realize this is my ideal, and not realistic. at least one of my co-workers (maybe more, i haven't thought about them all) has a more centralized, hierarchal view. it's all a tree of command, and if something is wrong, it's all on whoever is in charge. there is limited room to make and fix my own mistakes, it's all on the shift supervisors to correct immediately.
ok, so that's just one application for my life. but others, like wikipedia, are more well known. everyone can contribute, and if something is wrong, everyone has a responsibility to fix it.
all of it fits with my idea of house church: raising the bar on what it means to be a disciple, but lowering the bar on what it means to do church. we all have more responsibility, but we also have more freedom to pursue what God has put in each of us individually.
ok, on to a quote:
"The Values Are the Organization: Ideology is the fuel that drives the decentralized organization." (p206)
i thought i had more, but i don't. i would love to pull more quotes, but they all have to be in context to be understood. so i leave you with that.
Monday, February 25, 2008
the best day in a long while
so saturday was just about the perfect day for me. lots of quality time (my highest "love language", for those who have read the book), good food, and rest.
i woke up at about 1030a. i had some good dreams and was able to sleep late because my parents thoughtfully closed the hall door to the back of the house so i couldn't hear them bumbling around in the kitchen. i enjoyed a slow paced morning (or what was left of it :-P), drinking coffee (with hazelnut creamer, mmm), chit-chatting with my mom, doing a load of laundry (yay for my task-oriented side!), and got a shower. i even straightened my hair, which i do about twice a year. and since i cut my hair a few weeks ago, it only took me 30min!
about 1pm, mom and i left to go get lunch. i had a coupon for 2 bowls of crab and lobster chowder at the surf club, a restaurant that's in the wyndham resort hotel (the old ramada at 57th st). it was amazing!!! it's on the ocean, with a glass wall overlooking the water. there are about 6 booths in a lower level right at the glass wall, all shaped in a semi-circle, so we sat looking straight out onto the water. we had a view of about 100 boats about a mile off shore, fishing. also, the chowder was amazing! it definitely beats clam chowder from a can! we also ordered a crab and spinach spread, which was also quite delicious. and of course, great quality time with mom!
on the way home, ann marie called! she has been sick for the last week, and i was out of town before that, so i hadn't seen her in about 3 weeks. she was in a cookie baking mood (also one of my FAVORITE activities that i don't get to do enough of), and thought of me! so we made plans to bake later in the day. i then stopped at blue ridge mountain sports, my favorite store. i love just looking around at their clearance rack and seeing what sorts of new stuff they have in. while i was trying on pants (that didn't fit), amanda called! amanda was my roommate my sr yr of college at OU. we've been playing phone tag for about 2 months now, so i was SO glad she called when i had time to talk with her! i was also glad she saved me from trying on a sweater that i didn't have the money for, so i just headed for my car and made my way home. we talked for almost an hour, which was so good! i hadn't talked with her since her wedding in october. yay for more quality time!
i called ann marie when i got home and put in another load of laundry. 20 min later, ann marie arrived with chocolate chips (her husband joel's fave) and we baked up a storm. i love that girl! she can get me talking more than anyone else. i don't usually like to just spill all i know unless it's someone i've known for a long time, or i think the person legitimately wants to know. well, somehow, ann marie is very animated and inviting in conversation. it was great! i definitely felt like she really wanted to know what i was saying, even with crazy stories from a huge range of subjects. so i got to bake cookies, eat some dough, get quality time in with a great girl, and even finish a load of laundry. check!!!
next up, dinner and a movie with the girls. i had wanted to see "definitely maybe", so i made plans with mary and diane. we went to bangkok garden (YUMMY thai food!) and i had some masman curry. mary found the red curry she had in chicago but couldn't remember the name of. and diane, who loves tofu, enjoyed her pad thai tofu. YUM. more great food and great company. we headed off for the movie theater next, and the movie was good. not amazing, but cute and enjoyable. it made mary want to move to nyc! and at the end, in the credits, they thanked the university of oklahoma. i wish i knew why! hmmm... oh, well.
so i headed home and went to bed by 1030. i had to open at work sunday, otherwise i would have been up more than 12 hours! it was easier to go to bed than normal, because our power was out!! our block and the street behind us were the only ones affected. my poor parents had been in the dark since 6pm, and it came back on at midnite, then off again twice in the night. (and again sunday from 3pm to 10pm. craziness!) at any rate, my parents were bored enough to go to bed themselves, so the house was quiet.
yay for a great day!!!
i woke up at about 1030a. i had some good dreams and was able to sleep late because my parents thoughtfully closed the hall door to the back of the house so i couldn't hear them bumbling around in the kitchen. i enjoyed a slow paced morning (or what was left of it :-P), drinking coffee (with hazelnut creamer, mmm), chit-chatting with my mom, doing a load of laundry (yay for my task-oriented side!), and got a shower. i even straightened my hair, which i do about twice a year. and since i cut my hair a few weeks ago, it only took me 30min!
about 1pm, mom and i left to go get lunch. i had a coupon for 2 bowls of crab and lobster chowder at the surf club, a restaurant that's in the wyndham resort hotel (the old ramada at 57th st). it was amazing!!! it's on the ocean, with a glass wall overlooking the water. there are about 6 booths in a lower level right at the glass wall, all shaped in a semi-circle, so we sat looking straight out onto the water. we had a view of about 100 boats about a mile off shore, fishing. also, the chowder was amazing! it definitely beats clam chowder from a can! we also ordered a crab and spinach spread, which was also quite delicious. and of course, great quality time with mom!
on the way home, ann marie called! she has been sick for the last week, and i was out of town before that, so i hadn't seen her in about 3 weeks. she was in a cookie baking mood (also one of my FAVORITE activities that i don't get to do enough of), and thought of me! so we made plans to bake later in the day. i then stopped at blue ridge mountain sports, my favorite store. i love just looking around at their clearance rack and seeing what sorts of new stuff they have in. while i was trying on pants (that didn't fit), amanda called! amanda was my roommate my sr yr of college at OU. we've been playing phone tag for about 2 months now, so i was SO glad she called when i had time to talk with her! i was also glad she saved me from trying on a sweater that i didn't have the money for, so i just headed for my car and made my way home. we talked for almost an hour, which was so good! i hadn't talked with her since her wedding in october. yay for more quality time!
i called ann marie when i got home and put in another load of laundry. 20 min later, ann marie arrived with chocolate chips (her husband joel's fave) and we baked up a storm. i love that girl! she can get me talking more than anyone else. i don't usually like to just spill all i know unless it's someone i've known for a long time, or i think the person legitimately wants to know. well, somehow, ann marie is very animated and inviting in conversation. it was great! i definitely felt like she really wanted to know what i was saying, even with crazy stories from a huge range of subjects. so i got to bake cookies, eat some dough, get quality time in with a great girl, and even finish a load of laundry. check!!!
next up, dinner and a movie with the girls. i had wanted to see "definitely maybe", so i made plans with mary and diane. we went to bangkok garden (YUMMY thai food!) and i had some masman curry. mary found the red curry she had in chicago but couldn't remember the name of. and diane, who loves tofu, enjoyed her pad thai tofu. YUM. more great food and great company. we headed off for the movie theater next, and the movie was good. not amazing, but cute and enjoyable. it made mary want to move to nyc! and at the end, in the credits, they thanked the university of oklahoma. i wish i knew why! hmmm... oh, well.
so i headed home and went to bed by 1030. i had to open at work sunday, otherwise i would have been up more than 12 hours! it was easier to go to bed than normal, because our power was out!! our block and the street behind us were the only ones affected. my poor parents had been in the dark since 6pm, and it came back on at midnite, then off again twice in the night. (and again sunday from 3pm to 10pm. craziness!) at any rate, my parents were bored enough to go to bed themselves, so the house was quiet.
yay for a great day!!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
the concept of "human weather"
the following letter is a thank you letter written from a traveler, mark rubin, to GAP adventures, a tour company like the one i went to morocco with. the letter is clearly an advertisement for the company and was "published" in a weekly email the company sends to subscribed customers. at any rate, i like his idea of "human weather"...
Mark Rubin took a G.A.P Adventures trip to Peru and, after some amazing life inspiring experiences on his In the Shadow of Machu Picchu tour, he sent us his thanks and thoughts about a travel phenomena he refers to as 'human weather'. Here is his story...
I've traveled, toured, walked, swam, ridden, and run my way through most of the usual places on the planet - and a few unusual places. In all this time, it never occurred to me that the real reason I travel is to figure out the common patterns between people and history.
Like most travelers, I am intrigued by the weather. I am amazed by the patterns of rising air currents, warmed by our sun, with energy transmitted over vast distances. Everything depends on the heating and cooling of the planet, in endless cycles, caught by humans for a few tiny seconds as we try to make our way. The weather connects everything on the planet, so it is intriguing and empowering. I am intrigued by people for the same reasons I am intrigued by the weather.
Before I went to Peru, I didn't realize that traveling is simply a way of being in the human weather. Everyone has a past, has fears, has loves, and desires. All people are connected by the common aspects of the human psyche. G.A.P Adventures delivers an adventure that enables travelers to get to the root of the human experience.
At one point on my trip, I was standing on the top of a mountain, on a narrow path, built by industrious people who lived long ago. On my right side, the air was warm and moist, and it smelled like the jungle. On my left side, the air was cold and dry. My body was split in half by the two different micro-climates. As I stood there, with dense clouds on my right and a completely clear sky on my left, I started to think about the reason I like to travel.
Travelers are driven to experience situations at the confluence of things. We enjoy the places where the low pressure systems of poverty and strife collide with the high pressure systems of great leadership. We are attracted to the turbulent aftermath of conquest and desire that inevitably leads to the rising and falling of civilizations. After experiencing my trip to Peru, I have a clearer understanding of the Inca Empire, and the people who currently live in South America.
The human weather down there is fascinating, and the G.A.P Adventures team did an amazing job of bringing certain aspects of the experience to light.
I am about to launch a big, national venture. Prior to my G.A.P Adventures trip, I was having some doubts about my own ability execute against my plan. After experiencing the Inca Trail with your team, I now understand that I am only limited by my ability to navigate the path and lead people. My trip with G.A.P Adventures made me a better, more empathetic person. Thanks for putting together such a fantastic company.
Best wishes and good journeys,
Mark
Mark Rubin took a G.A.P Adventures trip to Peru and, after some amazing life inspiring experiences on his In the Shadow of Machu Picchu tour, he sent us his thanks and thoughts about a travel phenomena he refers to as 'human weather'. Here is his story...
I've traveled, toured, walked, swam, ridden, and run my way through most of the usual places on the planet - and a few unusual places. In all this time, it never occurred to me that the real reason I travel is to figure out the common patterns between people and history.
Like most travelers, I am intrigued by the weather. I am amazed by the patterns of rising air currents, warmed by our sun, with energy transmitted over vast distances. Everything depends on the heating and cooling of the planet, in endless cycles, caught by humans for a few tiny seconds as we try to make our way. The weather connects everything on the planet, so it is intriguing and empowering. I am intrigued by people for the same reasons I am intrigued by the weather.
Before I went to Peru, I didn't realize that traveling is simply a way of being in the human weather. Everyone has a past, has fears, has loves, and desires. All people are connected by the common aspects of the human psyche. G.A.P Adventures delivers an adventure that enables travelers to get to the root of the human experience.
At one point on my trip, I was standing on the top of a mountain, on a narrow path, built by industrious people who lived long ago. On my right side, the air was warm and moist, and it smelled like the jungle. On my left side, the air was cold and dry. My body was split in half by the two different micro-climates. As I stood there, with dense clouds on my right and a completely clear sky on my left, I started to think about the reason I like to travel.
Travelers are driven to experience situations at the confluence of things. We enjoy the places where the low pressure systems of poverty and strife collide with the high pressure systems of great leadership. We are attracted to the turbulent aftermath of conquest and desire that inevitably leads to the rising and falling of civilizations. After experiencing my trip to Peru, I have a clearer understanding of the Inca Empire, and the people who currently live in South America.
The human weather down there is fascinating, and the G.A.P Adventures team did an amazing job of bringing certain aspects of the experience to light.
I am about to launch a big, national venture. Prior to my G.A.P Adventures trip, I was having some doubts about my own ability execute against my plan. After experiencing the Inca Trail with your team, I now understand that I am only limited by my ability to navigate the path and lead people. My trip with G.A.P Adventures made me a better, more empathetic person. Thanks for putting together such a fantastic company.
Best wishes and good journeys,
Mark
Friday, February 08, 2008
so life goes on...
so the last 2 weeks have been a bit nuts. but mostly i'm the crazy one.
i hate to admit it, but i have been bored out of my mind. yet i don't have the motivation to do anything about it. i need to find another job, but i haven't. my few days at work i've just been a jerk to my coworkers and not patient with customers. ugh. i have watched the first 3 seasons of the office, tho.
i'm going to florida tomorrow! i'm pretty excited about that! i got an email about a sale on airfare, so i found a round trip to orlando for $145. i was already scheduled off for a few days, so i'm going to enjoy the warmer weather and see an old friend from college. it should be good! yay for warmer wx! i really should just move to florida. oh, wait, i'm moving to california. ;-)
i haven't talked to some of my old friends from oklahoma in a while. we played phone tag for a while, but we still haven't talked. is it time to just let those friendships go? or just stick to email? i have been so unmotivated to talk, i don't feel like bothering to call when i'm free. i guess i hope they call when i'm free so we can catch up.
for a while yesterday, there was another squirrel stuck in our fireplace. the cats sat with rapt attention on the hearth, trying to watch it or sniff it out. i guess it left the same way it came in, bc it isn't there anymore.
i watched a movie set in denmark the other day. it reminded me how much i loved copenhagen. it wasn't a city that was ever really on my list, except that i had to go thru it to get to places i did want to go. and it was another european capital that i could add to my list. so i stopped over for a few days. i really loved it! there were so many cool areas to explore, castles/palaces to see, the weather was beautiful, and it was just awesome. if only it were further south (and therefore sunnier and warmer in winter), i could live there.
i hate to admit it, but i have been bored out of my mind. yet i don't have the motivation to do anything about it. i need to find another job, but i haven't. my few days at work i've just been a jerk to my coworkers and not patient with customers. ugh. i have watched the first 3 seasons of the office, tho.
i'm going to florida tomorrow! i'm pretty excited about that! i got an email about a sale on airfare, so i found a round trip to orlando for $145. i was already scheduled off for a few days, so i'm going to enjoy the warmer weather and see an old friend from college. it should be good! yay for warmer wx! i really should just move to florida. oh, wait, i'm moving to california. ;-)
i haven't talked to some of my old friends from oklahoma in a while. we played phone tag for a while, but we still haven't talked. is it time to just let those friendships go? or just stick to email? i have been so unmotivated to talk, i don't feel like bothering to call when i'm free. i guess i hope they call when i'm free so we can catch up.
for a while yesterday, there was another squirrel stuck in our fireplace. the cats sat with rapt attention on the hearth, trying to watch it or sniff it out. i guess it left the same way it came in, bc it isn't there anymore.
i watched a movie set in denmark the other day. it reminded me how much i loved copenhagen. it wasn't a city that was ever really on my list, except that i had to go thru it to get to places i did want to go. and it was another european capital that i could add to my list. so i stopped over for a few days. i really loved it! there were so many cool areas to explore, castles/palaces to see, the weather was beautiful, and it was just awesome. if only it were further south (and therefore sunnier and warmer in winter), i could live there.
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