A few days ago Apple had another one of their BIG ANNOUNCEMENT DAYS! When they update products they always do such a great job at building the suspense. This round was no different!
Blogs were buzzing, people were speculating, mythical prototypes were drawn up, and insider info was leaked. When the day came for Apple to share the big news, I was all ears. One product they did a major facelift to was the iPod Nano. Bigger screen, a camera, and a pedometer.
Now all those features are cool and I am again amazed at how they can capture the media world with their announcements, but it did get me thinking… What cool new tool do we have access to or is being promoted/celebrated that will track how many important/meaningful conversations we have had as families in the past week? It is great that an iPod will now track how many steps I have taken as I try to lose weight, but what is tracking how many steps I have taken as I build/rebuild my family?
Random idea, get a dry erase marker and this week put a mark on your mirror, draw a smiley face, or a draw a stick figure (I don’t care what you draw) every time you have a significant conversation with someone in your family.
It could be something as simple as asking your mom how she has been and actually taking 10min to listen.
Give it a shot and let your sweet drawings on your mirror be your signifometer!
Quick Side note- This coming Saturday, September 26th at 11am-3pm, at hwy 95 and Prairie there will be an event put on by AFA Insurance. At this event you can get Rock Chip Repair, Tire Pressure Checks, VIN Etching, Food, and Bouncy Castle Sessions!!!! All of this is Free/Donation. Any money that is collected at the event will be donated to Mythos Project as we are ramping up to work with Lakes Middle School. I hope to see you guys at 95 and Prairie on the 26th at 11am-3pm!!! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tricia Ludwig at (208) 762-9310.
This is the recording from the night where Moe Smith told stories about his life and focused on the 1950’s.
Hope you enjoy hearing great stories like this and we look forward to seeing you at the next event on July 28th to hear stories about the 1960’s.
I can remember being a kid and completely dropping a friendship if someone wasn’t into the things I enjoyed anymore. I recall one buddy who started to focus on a sport I didn’t like… We were done in my book! It wasn’t an intentional decision, but it was OVER!
When you are young for the most part it is all about you and your likes/dislikes. Sadly, it is very common to sacrifice relationships for your enjoyment. Hopefully as you grow older you realize how important people are and especially family. Choose intentionally to enter into the phase in the process called maturity where you are ok sacrificing your enjoyment of an activity for enjoyment of a person.
For example, you go fishing with your brother. Do you like fishing… NO! Do you want a better relationship with your brother… YES! This “sacrafice” becomes worth it as your relationships grow; which makes it completely worth it to take a hook and harpoon a worm as you cast your line into the depths.
Who knows, over time you may even learn to enjoy fishing… if not, at least you now enjoy your own family.
It is amazing that I can officially say this is the first time my dad and I have spent 3 straight days together as just the two of us. It was an amazing time!
Stories were told and memories were made! I am telling you, spend time together! It pays huge dividends.
P.S. Look for the story about our next “Stories of Life” night in the CDA Press this Saturday!!!
Today I posted a video that gives some insight to the new trend of “Thrift”. This is a concept that needed to be brought back from the dead years ago! Our nation as a whole needs to stop spending in the wrong places.
It is hard because we all get caught up in the “trends” and it is nice to finally see a positive trend. Also, don’t miss out on our first story night this summer at Cornerstone Starbucks at 6pm June 30th.
Those who gather to remember the individual usually leave with a better understanding of who the passed person really was and yet there are still so many stories that will never be told. Stories that maybe even the deceased never fully understood.
The worst part is that so many people who live and die, never really understanding the story of their life. Many people just function allowing life to live them. Never thinking about what is happening around them or to them. This is sad to me because it is so easy to miss out on the intentional design of your story and as a result you never learn to enjoy the story and then because it is never enjoyed, it is never fully told.
Your story is full of tragedy, redemption, hope, confusion, purpose, etc.
Have you ever sat down and wrote your life out in chapters by locating the major events? Try it… Grab a notebook and map out your life so far. I am serious, try it!
As you do this, make sure to look for the major themes and understand that this story is a part of a much larger one!
Also, don’t forget that this summer Simple Mentoring will be sponsoring “The Stories of Life” series hosted by Mythos Project at 5 of the local Starbucks stores.
Each night you will have a chance to come and hear stories from other peoples lives and then we will have a q and a session. The purpose of these nights is to make you aware of the power and importance of story and to help you understand the mission and vision of Simple Mentoring/Mythos Project.
So come on out: All nights are on Tuesdays from 6pm-7:30pm
June-
30 Cornerstone Starbucks off of Prarie and 95- Stories from the 1930’s and 1940’s
July-
14 Post Falls Starbucks off of 41 and Mullan- Stories from the 1950’s
28 Ironwood Starbucks in Albertsons Complex off of Ironwood- Stories from the 1960’s
August-
11 Riverstone Starbucks off of NW Blvd- Stories from the 1970’s
25 Government Way Starbucks in the Costco parking lot- Stories from the 1980’s
Summer has descended upon us! I don’t know what changes in your town when school is out and the weather heats up, but I live in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In our city, the longboards can be seen rolling down the road and the ironman competitors come out in full force sporting the spandex.
In the same way that the community events, ironman, forth of july, hoopfest, Car d’Alene, begin to fill up the calendar and compete for your attention; so do personal events. One event by one event your summer begins to overflow with activity!
Build in empty space just to be a boring family spending time together. You don’t need the 4th of July to have a bbq!
So, before you summer becomes slammed with no room to breathe, plan some family only events!
Teens, be the one to implement the idea. You would be amazed at what kind of influence you have on your family.
