Influence | christopherhildreth

Archive for the ‘Influence’ category

Large Hadron Collider – Big Bang Come to Life

September 10, 2008

As you may know, I am a big fan of TED, a conference held each year that focuses on technological and design information that has global impact or probable global impact. Today the Large Hadron Collider is on-line and questions that physisists have been asking about matter and the universe may be answered or create more questions. In October the first experiments will be held. Here is a talk by Brian Cox who has been working on the LHC. His ability to discuss the complex in understandable terms has earned him the moniker of the “rock-star physicist”.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Large Hadron Collider – Big Bang Come…“, posted with vodpod

Truly an incredible achievement and interesting days ahead.

Categories: Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

Comments: 1 Comment

compact fluorescent light bulbs

September 10, 2008

Sunday I requested that everyone bring a package of dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs with them to this Sunday’s service. If you haven’t purchased your light bulbs yet, they can be found at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart and Target among other places. Our goal is to replace all the light bulbs in the church with energy efficient compact fluorescent ones.

You may be a reader and not live in the Middle Georgia area and would also like to help. If so, mail your light bulbs to Lifepoint Church, 120 Walker Road, Byron, Georgia 31008. Also, take a look above you and around you and see if you could replace your own bulbs. Try just one package a week and you’ll be surprised at how quickly they can all be changed.

Each of us doing a little can ultimately do a lot!

Categories: Context, Influence, Life, Lifepoint

Comments: Be the first to comment

Grandad

September 8, 2008

About a week ago something great happened to me. I was in a funk and feeling particularly blah. Normally I would not resort to cleaning my office, but this time – I did. As I was sorting through papers and throwing things out, I came across the card pictured above. It has been several years since my Grandad passed. He and I had a distinct connection, and I could swear sometimes he is right in the room with me.

On this particular day, he was not only in the room, he wrote me a note. It had been written years earlier, but was right on time this day. Each day we are given opportunites to give tangible expressions of our true nature to others. When we send the card/email or make the phone call or go and visit face-to-face, we are being the hand of our Father stretched out to one of His children.

I know that my day was instantly better, but I also know that you are empowered to “instantly better” someone’s day today. Take a moment and make the call you’ve been meaning to make, write the note you’ve been wanting to write.

Make the connection because it just might outlive you!

Categories: Influence, Life, Me, People

Comments: Be the first to comment

BHAG’s

September 2, 2008

Big Hairy Audacious Goal’s (BHAG’s) was introduced to the world by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in 1996. This was one concept included in their groundbreaking book, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies.

The essence is that it is important to have incredibly outlandish goals in a corporation – and I would interject, in your own life. We can come up with doable goals, but when we go for the out-of-site big, huge ideas they are more likely to happen than the mediocre ones.

One reason for this, I think, is that the competition is smaller. In the land of mediocrety there are millions of people, but in the land of extreme success there are fewer who reside there. I’ve read that it is much easier to raise millions than it is to raise a few hundred thousand for the same reasons.

Take some time and think of some huge incredible goals for your life. One thing is for certain, if you never set out to do the impossible, you won’t even achieve the possible.

Categories: Awareness, Creativity, Goals, Influence, Leadership, Vision

Comments: Be the first to comment

“21”

August 29, 2008

Tonight I finally saw the movie “21” with Kevin Spacey. I had heard a lot of things about the movie – mostly positive. It ended up being a good movie. The plot was well delivered, although at points it was predictable. The setting of Las Vegas was great as well – you can’t go wrong with Vegas!

What struck me was a line by Spacey’s character Mickey. After the group of MIT students had perfected a strategy, Mickey says to the main character, who is still a little nervous and stressed, “just let the car ride itself”. The idea that we need to enjoy the success of strategies that are working is something that I know I struggle with. It is not easy to “let the car ride itself” because I want control of it.

The reality is that the only control I have is merely an illusion of control.

Once you have done all that you can, sit back and enjoy the ride. It will be thrilling and sometimes scary and probably won’t end up how you thought. However, you will have stories and memories that would not have existed if you had not tried. Each moment we are creating experiences and memories that have not existed before. Instead of letting them happen, take part in the creation of those experiences – take part in creating your future!

Categories: Awareness, Creativity, Influence, Life

Comments: Be the first to comment

Archaic Furniture

August 28, 2008

In Dee Hock’s, Birth of the Chaordic Age, an intriguing book, he mentions that:

“The most difficult part [of forming a chaordic organization] is to understand and get beyond the origin and nature of our current concepts of organizations; to set them aside in order to make space for new and different thoughts. Every mind is a room filled with archaic furniture. It must be moved about or cleared away before anything new can enter. This means ruthless confrontation of the many things we know that are no longer so.”

This is such a profound and illuminating idea. Even scripture, with the parables of Jesus, compares our bodies as temples and houses. Being aware that something needs to be done is the first step, but then the moving or removal of mental furniture begins the real process of transformation. As Dee says later, a purpose must be agreed upon to direct the renovation. This purpose, both personal and professionally, has incredible importance in the “next steps” we take. It’s not something we spend five minutes on and then move – instead it can take much longer. Like other things in life it also is not static. There will be times when it will need reevaluating as well. This process is ongoing without ever arriving at a destination, but the result is a life fully lived and, as Jesus said, “more abundant”.

Categories: Awareness, Belief, Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Goals, Influence, Leadership, Life

Comments: Be the first to comment

Personal Platform

August 27, 2008

We are in the election season in the United States. This means that we have primarily two parties, who each have a nominee for President of the United States. The way we know what these nominees believe and what they plan to do is by their “platform”. In each acceptance speech the nominees will list each “plank” of their platform. Subsequently, they will go all over the country and try to explain the differences between them and their opponent.

We are all used to this during election seasons, but what about yourself, what is your Personal Platform? What are the things that make you tick and cause your emotions to soar? Have you ever thought about writing those things down? Once something is written and articulated it gives you a piece of solid ground – your ground – on which to stand.

When you hear a speech, you know when someone is speaking from a paper or from their heart. Learn to live your life from your heart. Only then can the true You shine forth unabated by the filters of others.

Be clear and concrete and state your platform in vivid, unequivocal terms that will inspire and motivate others. Then read it out loud to yourself. See if you don’t feel a bit better and the future a bit clearer!

Categories: Awareness, Belief, Creativity, Influence, Life

Comments: Be the first to comment

How?

August 16, 2008

Normally I wait until I’ve completed a book to comment on it, however Peter Block’s “The Answer to How is Yes” has got my mind on overdrive – and I’ve just passed the first chapter. He suggests that the question “How?” could be more of an obstacle rather than a help to an end. He uses “How?” as a symbol because it is the most frequently asked question following critical conversations about changing directions in our jobs and lives. Coming to the decision that something should be done is often easy. The raising of the question, “How?” inevitably leads to a halt in progress until we have some perceived certainty.

One of the best observations I’ve read yet is when Peter says that, “if we were really committed to the pursuit of what matters, we might well be served to hold a moratorium on the question ‘How?’…If we could agree that for six months we would not ask ‘How?’, something in our lives…might shift for the better. It would refocus our attention on deciding what is the right question, rather than what is the right answer. It would force us to act as if we already knew how – we just have to figure out what is worth doing.”

What is keeping you from pursuing something that has captivated your mind? Removing the question “How?” from the conversation leaves us with only a decision to decide what matters most. Think about your life and after evaluating what matters most, make it a priority to take the first step toward seeing that “thing” happen.

Categories: Awareness, Books I'm Reading, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Goals, Influence, Starting, Vision

Comments: Be the first to comment

Wild Goose Chase

August 13, 2008

What has to count as one of the best recent examples of things coinciding has to be my wife handing me my copy of Wild Goose Chase at around 8pm last night. I had come home and had thought about the book, but had let the thought go.

I had promised myself that I would read the book when it came in, so when I was handed the package I knew that my current reading would stop and Wild Goose would begin. Little did I know that by 1:30am I would have devoured the book and had some major epiphanies of my own.

Now to the actual review:

I had previously held up In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day as one of my favorite books – especially books to give to people. In a Pit has been eclipsed by Wild Goose Chase, Mark Batterson’s second book. The greatest theme of the book is the paradox between a caged and wild animal. The caged animal is safe, fed, well taken care of; the wild animal is in danger, has to find food and is out in the elements. The question is – “Which one is really living?”

Then Mark states one simple wonder, “I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals.” From then on we are catapulted into a no-holds-barred quest for the life that Christ has really offered us. His thoughts on the story of Peter’s denial and restoration in Chapter Five are worth the price of the book alone. His emphasis on playing offense instead of defense with your life has made my own mind reel and re-examine some of my routine “plays”.

The book as a whole wields a blow to the modern constructed “inverted christianity” we are familiar with and breaks through to a “responsible irresponsibility” that needs to define more people who present themselves as Christ followers. If a fraction of the people who read the book actually do what is presented, we will see a major shift in both the practice and possibility of the Church.

The book is out in stores on August 19th. Check out www.chasethegoose.com and get Mark’s 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals. You can purchase the book by going to www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.borders.com, and www.cbd.com. This is one book you’ll want to buy 2 copies.

SIDENOTE: A major theme in the book is having big, huge, audacious goals and changing the world. I have a copy of Wild Goose Chase to give away and would like you to tell me what your big, huge, audacious goals for changing the world are. We’ll have a drawing and send the book to the winner, but we’ll also come together and do some open source global aid work and make some of our goals a reality – how ’bout that!

Categories: Books I'm Reading, Context, Creativity, Influence, Life, religion

Comments: Be the first to comment

Opening Ceremonies

August 9, 2008

Talk about overwhelming, visually appealing, stunning, creatively astute, dynamic, ancient/future fusion, and the list could go on. By far the best Opening Ceremonies ever. The ebb and flow of intensity was so provoking. More than just your mind, your soul was drawn into the story. For a moment I think we all became Chinese, empathizing with the suffering and struggle and experiencing a kind of global pride in humanity.

There was certainly a feel that the China of old was gone and the new China was breaking out. The experience left an indelible emotional mark that will continue to be felt around the world, and change the global perspective on China in the future.

Categories: Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Olympics, People, Production

Comments: Be the first to comment

Archive for the ‘Influence’ category

Categories

Archives