WEEKLY LINKS: Never Too Late Edition

I subscribe to 240 feeds in my RSS reader, but I get through them each day in mere minutes. However, occasionally I’ll run into a great post that I’ll set aside to give closer attention to. I thought that Friday’s might be a good day to start journaling those standout posts. Since I just decided this a couple hours ago, and haven’t saved all the links from the past week, this edition will be a little sparse.

1. (Funny… the first link for this feature is actually three links about the same subject.) When Obama’s selection for the next Supreme Court Justice came out earlier this week I thought about how everyone on the right will be scurrying to see what their talking heads have to say about that, and how all on the left will be doing the same. Neither will actually take the time to consider the qualifications with a different set of glasses because they are all so entrenched in their camp they can’t even fathom another perspective (Which reminds me… it’s funny how everyone can have an opinion on someone so quickly despite never hearing their name before Tuesday. Reminds me of Palin in that regard). So I’ve been sitting back and listening to everyone pontificate on the pick. These three articles really stood out to me — Here, Here, and Here.

2. You’ll see a lot of links from Seth Godin on Friday’s, I can tell you that much. Seth is consistently giving me material to work with. This particular article has to do with one of my favorite subjects—Challenging Conventions.

3. My favorite band (still hanging in there despite Angels & Airwaves making a great run for the title) has been working on a new album for 3 friggin years. Back in 2007 I saw their live show four times, and I’ve been dying for their new album to come out. Yesterday a new interview with Paul Meany was published, and he talks at length about the current status of the album, and the process it’s been to get there.

4. LifeChurch.tv and Craig Groeschel do some great work. I love how they’ve upped the ante on providing free resources for churches. That’s been an issue with me in the last few years, but a topic for another day. Anyway, today’s blog post is something I whole-heartedly believe in regarding church building—Not Just More, But Different.

5. Perhaps the most unexpected link of the week was this one about a Spanish Matador that got gored by an angry bull. At first you’ll look at the picture and shudder. Then you’ll read some of the article and think the author is crass. But then, if you’re like me, you might agree with him… I think he might have got what he deserved. Why do people think that provoking a bull by stabbing it with swords is fun to watch?

Hey, that was better than I thought. I touched on most of the main topics I think about in a given week—politics, marketing, music, church (sports?). I’m not sure this is how it will look every Friday. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’ll always be in the process of tweaking it, but you get the idea.

Have a great weekend.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Church, Links, Seth Godin

Click Me

» Six Ways To Assertively Handle Conflict – Got conflict?

» Top 10 Outdoor Survival Tools – I still prefer the Rambo knife.

» Why Bother Having A Resume? – Seth brings it.

» Retailmenot.com – The first stop when shopping online.

» Myspace.com/blakelewis – I won’t lie. I like his first single.

Ragaumuffinsoul waxing poetic…

Filed under: Blake Lewis, Camping, Conflict, Internet, Links, Seth Godin, Survival

Pick My Book

I need your help picking out my next book. I just finished Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, and I’ll be wrapping up the other two books I’m currently reading very soon. So assuming I get more than 2 votes, I’m going to take your advice on the next book I read.

Here’s the list I’m looking to choose from.

» Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. – Martin Luther King Jr.

» A Long Way Gone – Ishmael Beah

» Quiet Strength – Tony Dungy

» Purple Cow – Seth Godin

» The Innocent Man – John Grisham

» Left to Tell – Immaculé Ilibagiza

» Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

Vote away, and feel free to suggest something else as well.

Filed under: Advice, Africa, Books, C.S. Lewis, John Grisham, Jr., Martin Luther King, Reading, Seth Godin, Tony Dungy

The Forces of Mediocrity

(From one of my favorite bloggers, Seth Godin.)

Maybe it should be, “the forces for mediocrity”…

There’s a myth that all you need to do is outline your vision and prove it’s right—then, quite suddenly, people will line up and support you.

In fact, the opposite is true. Remarkable visions and genuine insight are always met with resistance. And when you start to make progress, your efforts are met with even more resistance. Products, services, career paths… whatever it is, the forces for mediocrity will align to stop you, forgiving no errors and never backing down until it’s over.

If it were any other way, it would be easy. And if it were any other way, everyone would do it and your work would ultimately be devalued. The yin and yang are clear: without people pushing against your quest to do something worth talking about, it’s unlikely it would be worth the journey. Persist.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” —Albert Einstein

Filed under: Albert Einstein, Mediocrity, Progress, Quotes, Seth Godin, Vision, Visionaries