If you are a fan of churnOn.com, then I believe you would enjoy knowing about The High Calling. "The High Calling is an online magazine and community founded on the belief that God cares about our daily work. On the site, you will discover a broad range of articles, interviews, devotionals and inspirational stories - all specifically created to help you find God in your work, family and broader culture."
The online community is the brainchild of Howard E. Butt and The Laity Renewal Foundation. I have recently added The High Calling badge to my blog. I like to start my days with Rev. Mark Roberts, who is Sr. Director and Theologian in Residence at Laity Lodge, where my kids go to camp every summer. His blog posts can be found at the bottom of the home page, but don't miss the other featured articles as you scroll down. I commend the site to you.
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This week, thus far, we have churned about taking initiative and responsibility, the word 'afflatus' and the very engaging DeLoss Dodds. You may have noticed that I recently added a logo on churnOn.com. The inspiration (afflatus) for the design came from my dad, who called to say, "If it's not butter yet, keep on churning." Actually he said, "If it ain't butter yet, keep on churning," but then quickly corrected himself as he knew his mom (the English teacher) would not be accepting of the slang. Lucy, my 11 year old daughter, then went to work and quickly sketched out ways to use the letters 'c' and 'o' in the form of an old fashioned butter churner. (I hope I did not have to spell that out!) Then it was off to the very talented Allison McDougall, my graphic designer and a graduating senior at St. Edward's University here in Austin.
Coming soon on The Churn: The six characteristics of successful selling - ELU times two.
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This is the sixth and final post in my series The Four C's that launched churnOn.com and this blog; as well as an ecosystem of social networking tools in just four weeks.
If you have followed this series, you know I am a big Stephen Covey fan and also have drawn inspiration through the years from Jim Loehr and his work at the Human Performance Institute. One of the basic tenets they both teach is that when we are living life from a place of purpose, when we are hitting on all cylinders, we move in and out (in a daily rhythm) of the four capacities that make us human. Here are some of the ways these four capacities can be defined, all listed in this order: mind, heart, body, and soul.
- mind, heart, body, soul;
- mental, social, physical spiritual;
- talents, passions, needs, conscience;
- to learn, to love, to live, to leave a legacy;
- vision, passion, discipline, conscience;
- create, connect, complete, churn;
We have looked at how I 'created' the website by first using a vision board in order to set the project in motion. Then we studied how the site gained momentum by 'connecting' with those who could cheer me onward, such as my buddies at the Apple store. Next we studied the third cornerstone in the model, ‘complete’ by discussing ways you can keep your attention on the essential task. This week we will look at the fourth component: churn.The timing is perfect, because this is the week I will answer the question family, friends, and professional contacts have asked throughout this process. What is churnOn? What are my goals for the website? What are my goals for the blog? Some have suggested that I need a ‘call to action’ and I know they are right. I have appreciated this feedback and I plan to answer the bell.In short, ‘churn’ is our conscience, our soul, our spirit. It is our desire to do what is right and what the world needs, and in some cases what the world might even pay us to do. We find our churn (what Covey calls, “our sweet spot, our soul’s code, our voice”) by oscillating in and out of each of the four capacities on a regular and rhythmic basis. We create, we connect, we complete, and we churn; and round and round it goes. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we mess it all up, but in the end it is about the process, about the journey, about putting yourself out there in a way that says, ‘Hello world, here I am, G. Page Singletary, now a half century smart, twenty years married to wonderful Georgia Peach, three amazing kids, pretty good juggler of the mind, the heart, the body, and the soul – though certainly not catching all the balls all the time.’ Stay tuned as we continue to explore:
- churnOn talents
- churnOn passions
- churnOn disciplines
- churnOn spirituality
And also learn why my father taught me, “If it is not butter yet, keep on churning.”This blog series (The Four C's) dedicated to Coach Dean Smith and the four corners offense. churnOn Heels - Sweet 16 for NCAA tournament-record 24th time!
