Changing Seasons

The seasons are changing. Fall is falling. You can feel it in the air. Things are getting cooler and precious rain is falling. I love it. However, it won't be long before Winter will be blowing in and it is not a pretty thing in Texas. At least, not in Dallas/Ft. Worth. Our snow is ice and it can get brutally cold. Of course, people in Montana would not have much sympathy for us nor would those living in Michigan, Minnesota, or Alaska. It is all relative. However, even when Winter comes we know that the relief Spring is just aroung the corner and the birds will sing. For awhile at least, and then the blast of Summer's heat will be felt. We will begin to look for some place cooler to go or we will look for water to soothe our sense of burn alongside some beach. And then, Fall saves us again. Somehow, nature knows just what we need.

I think life has its seasons, too. Sometimes it is so hot we don't think we will survive. We can't breathe. It feels that was for many of us right now. Then, we will feel some welcomed relief. Things will ease. And, I think that is where we get confused. Somehow, when relief comes our way, we think it is going to stay that way. We believe that we will stay in the glory days of Spring and we throw caution to the wind. Life is good. And then, summer's blistering heat hits us between the eyes. We have to quit being surprised by the changing season's of life. Life, like nature's seasons, will change and we may not like the experience. So, what do we do? I think we invite them. I think we should learn from the wisdom change brings.

Think about it. In the midst of this brutal season of life, what have we learned. People are getting actively out of debt and they plan to stay that way. Others are realizing that life is more than a job. Still others are gaining new understanding of continued education. Learning is becoming a lifestyle for people who had otherwise become stale and tired. Without the extreme discomfort of this season, it would never have happened. It is like there was a need for change and it came our way at just the right time.

I think we need to realize life is dynamic. Like the seasons He created, God knows how life needs to turn. His timing is always just right. It really is good to believe and trust that Someone knows and understands. I think He can handle it. Do well, my friends.

What Do You Know?

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. So, what do you really know? It seems that most people grew up thinking that working harder was always the answer. Allen shares with us this week a few things on his list he really believes he knows.

1. Relationships are everything
2. That winning is not everything.
3. Tomorrow is a not a promise.
4. Learning is a lifestyle.
5. Motivation is personal responsibility.
6. Being a professional is more than a claim.
7. Acquaintances and friends are not the same.
8. Integrity is key to life success.
9. Love is a choice.
10. God is real and personal.

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How Long Does It Take?

I am involved in a several things presently that are creative ventures. One of them has been a work in progress for the past ten years. I have to confess that while it has been at work in my mind that long, it has too often gotten very little prioritized attention from me. The other is a collaborative effort that has been in motion for about three years, and it has gotten a lot of attention from those partnering with me. And, then, there is one that has received a lot of my attention recently and has been building for most of this decade.

All three of these projects seem to be getting significant levels of traction at this time, and yet often I find myself frustrated by the process. I don't know if you can relate. It just seems like it takes a long time to make things happen. To say that I stuggle with impatience would be an understatement, but I wonder if there isn't more involved. I wonder if my expectations about what it takes to create something of real value isn't just a little off.

I have been reminded before that it takes a diamond a number of years under great pressure to become the final product people die to discover and possess. The pearl is a marvel that resides in a most unusual context for a long time before the friction of its surroundings shapes it into the wonder it finally becomes. A butterfly with all of its beauty and grace doesn't begin that way. It seems to lie dormant in an ungraceful, not beautiful state for a period of time before it emerges with all of its glory. And on and on we could go reflecting on the wonders of the world. They all have one thing in common. They all take time. They all are shaped by forces without and within.

Maybe you have heard the anecdotal story of Michelangelo's creation of "The David". As the story goes, when asked how he created such a glorious piece of art, Michelangelo suggested that his job was simply to release The David from the bondage of the stone. Robert Fritz, in his work Your Life as Art, says that while it makes a wonderful story, it is simply not true. Michelangelo is known to have worked for years on The David through sketches and prototypes before he ultimately sculpted the treasure many of us know and love.

So, what is the point? The point I am making in reminder to myself is that it is undisciplined arrogance and immaturity to expect something of any real value to happen over night. It takes time. And, it takes the elements of creative tension to ever hope to bring them about. If I am going to be a part of creating something special, I have to regard it as a work first. Then, a work of discipline. Then, a work of symphony. Then, a work of love. So, that is my message to me. Maybe you need it too. Do well, my friends.

Doing The Hard Things

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. Do you ever get caught putting things off until the last minute? Has some unknown interference come along and kept you from completing the task you have put off? This week Allen spends some time explaining the disciplines we need to address those conflicts.

• Is it really important?
• What am I afraid of?
  
• Do I think there will be a better time?
  
• Who am I waiting on?
  
• What if I just let it go?

"STUCK MODE" mantra

1. It is important!
2. There is nothing to fear!
3. Now is the time!
4. It is my job!
5. I am committed!

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Creating Memories

This week we are celebrating the eighteenth birthday of my grandaughter, Savannah. During a celebration meal, my wife, Barbara, asked the family to share with Savannah "18" memories from her first eighteen years. It was pretty amazing to listen to how quickly we were able to remember and rehearse together "Savannah moments". We laughed. We held back some tears. It was a really special evening. Savannah is a blessing to our lives to say the very least. She is a gift.

I couldn't help thinking in the midst of that experience how important it is to live life with purposed intention to create memories. Think about what eighteen, or twenty-five, or fifty-seven memories people could remember about you and your life. I am convinced that to not live life memorably is a waste. What do you think? I think I have wasted too much.

So, if we are going to live memorable lives, it seems to me that things might have to change. To begin with, it will be important to get started. I don't think it is ever too late to create memories. You can't do anything about what you have already not done. The past is just that, it is past. You can choose to begin now. You can have a new beginning and create memories the world around you will celebrate.

I also think it will be important not to take yourself too seriously. I have learned that from my grandaughter. In some ways she has the insecurities of any teenager. But, in more ways, she is a free spirit. She loves to laugh. She doesn't mind people laughing with her or even sometimes at her. She does some bizarre things just to see if she can do it. Like, creating her own language and convincing a store clerk that it was legitimate just to see if she could. I have never come close to doing anything like that in my life. I might have to give it a try.

If we are going to create memories, we really are going to have to seize moments. Awareness of opportunity in a moment is significant. Moments do present themselves. Being ready to grab them, create in them, and live in them is the key. Intention is everything.

Bob Hope use to sing, "thanks for the memories". I hope someday people will be able to sit around a table and think about some "Allen moments". I am going to do my best to create some they won't forget. How about you? Do well, my friends.

Insanity

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. "If you always do what you have always done and expect something different is definitively insanity." With an ever changing market and to return to things you have done in the past or sticking to things you are doing in the present could be intellegence not insanity. Allen shares a few thoughts this week on change, and discipline.

• Don't Change just to be changing.
• Basica are not bad.
• Being stuck is never good.
• Signals need to be respected.
• Seek objective counsel.
• Approach every challenge with new energy.
• Stay fit for change.

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What Do You Have In Mind?

I am sure you have had this question ask of you before - What do you have in mind? The question signals interest in what you are planning. Typically, others would be asking you that question, but what if you were asking that question to yourself about today? What do you have in mind about living today? What do you really mean to be taking up space and air in this world? What is your purpose for living today, or any day?

It may sound pretty deep and it really is. However, it is the kind of deep water you really need to jump into. These times call for clarity. There is enough confusion all around you for you not to have clarity within yourself. There is enough depression living near you for you to not have a clear sense of direction within yourself. So, let's give it some thought.

To begin with, I hope you have recognized there is not another one like you in this world. You are a one of a kind. That, in and of itself, suggests, even to the most shallow thinker, that there is some reason for you to be living uniquely in this world. So, before you can begin to discover purpose, you must believe there is purpose intended for you. Check that off. You are purposed to live this life or you would not be here.

Have you noticed there are alot of other uniquely purposed people around you? They are all distinctively different from you. They don't think like you, look like you, or sound like you but they are all around you. What is that all about? Well, since you are no mistake and they are no mistake, it would seem that you are meant for one another. Your purpose begins with the relationships you create in this life. Your purpose is fixed in others and your relationship to them.

Now, before you begin to start getting all independent on me, it is important for you to get clear about the fact that your being here involved a relationship. It begins with the love of a Creator who put you here that flowed through a relationship, good or bad, between people who birthed you into this life. There really is nothing independent about you at all. You are an interdependent being. You were created to stand alone with your God and in love with the people in your world. Whether you know them or not, your purpose lies in your love for them.

So, here is the launching point. Your purpose and mine is to find someone to love today. When we do it, it's like being a fish in water and not floundering on some shore. When we do, we find wind beneath our wings like an eagle in flight. It really is deep but it is also real clear. You and I were created to love God and love one another. What a gig. Do well, my friends.

Let People Choose!

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. Do you struggle in relationships? One of the greatest challenges Allen has faced in his life is the challenge of letting people make choices for themselves even when he believes he knows what is better for them. Allen shares a few thoughts this week on how we need people and they need us.

1. Whatever choice a person is making is perfectly logical to that person.
2. People need for someone to listen to their story.
3. People do need objective input.
4. People do want to know what you believe.
5. You need to hear from other for your process.

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Discretionary?

There are alot of great questions being tossed around today. None more important than this one - "What is discretionary in spending today?" By definition, discretionary refers to things that are "unnecessary" or "non-essential". In commentary, it would be more about things we "want" as opposed to things we "need". I do not believe it is an overstatement to say that everyone in this country is rethinking their wants and needs.

It seems to me that we are facing a new normal in our life experience where things that are truly discretionary will be looking to qualify for endangered species protection. There are many companies, and maybe even industries, that are in complete denial about this 21st century development. I think it is time to come out of denial before it is too late, if it is not already.

To begin with, there is every reason to believe that our future, economically speaking, will not be as positive as our past. One author recently has suggested that one day in our future as a nation we will be looking back to '07-'09 as being the "good ol' days". Now, I hope he is wrong. However, I am a positive realist. I believe we can deal positively with whatever we have before us. I do tend to agree, however, that the unprecedented abundance I have experienced as a boomer will not be the experience of my great grandchildren and maybe not even of my children and grandchildren. Normal is being redefined, fast.

I believe it is vital to our future for there to be a response to this reality. Companies need to reshape their corporate expectations to reflect true change, strategically speaking. It is not good enough to simply downsize, although for many that change was overdue. Nor, will it be good enough to have people working harder and expecting greater results. New focus must be made upon this matter of "discretionary" spending. Products and services need to become strategically focused upon meeting the needs of the consumer public both corporate and personal. Companies and industries choosing to stay focused on appealing to the "discretionary" wants of the people and companies they serve should at least prepare for a shrinkng market. I personally believe they need to adjust their focus to serve the demanding needs of the people they call customers.

I think the future is going to be bright for those who answer this question creatively. I believe truly professional relationships will be grown, if not birthed, for the first time. Denial is a bad strategy. Responsiveness with a spirit of urgency is the professional way. I believe we have good things to look forward to if we are fit to respond. Check out my book this week, The Power of Purposed Performance, and focus on the distinction between being a leader and being a victim. Choose well, my friends!