The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo New Year's Bonus

Happy New Year! I have never done this, but I am sending along a blog post I received over the holidays from a man who has deeply impacted my life, Seth Godin. Seth's blog is the only one I subscribe to and it regularly (along with his books) guides my writing and creative decisions. This one was so good and in line with what I teach that I just had to send it along as my New Year's gift to you.  I hope you enjoy and learn from it as much as I did!

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Doing what you love (but maybe you can't get paid for it) [I wrote this five years ago. As you plan the magical things you will do next year, I thought it was worth reconsidering:]

The thing is, it's far easier than ever before to surface your ideas. Far easier to have someone notice your art or your writing or your photography. Which means that people who might have hidden their talents are now finding them noticed...

That blog you've built, the one with a lot of traffic... perhaps it can't be monetized.

That non-profit you work with, the one where you are able to change lives... perhaps turning it into a career will ruin it.

That passion you have for graphic art... perhaps making your painting commercial enough to sell will squeeze the joy out of it.

When what you do is what you love, you're able to invest more effort and care and time. That means you're more likely to win, to gain share, to profit. On the other hand, poets don't get paid. Even worse, poets that try to get paid end up writing jingles and failing and hating it at the same time.

Today, there are more ways than ever to share your talents and hobbies in public. And if you're driven, talented and focused, you may discover that the market loves what you do. That people read your blog or click on your cartoons or listen to your mp3s. But, alas, that doesn't mean you can monetize it, quit your day job and spend all day writing songs.

The pitfalls:

1. In order to monetize your work, you'll probably corrupt it, taking out the magic in search of dollars
and
2. Attention doesn't always equal significant cash flow.

I think it makes sense to make your art your art, to give yourself over to it without regard for commerce.

Doing what you love is as important as ever, but if you're going to make a living at it, it helps to find a niche where money flows as a regular consequence of the success of your idea. Loving what you do is almost as important as doing what you love, especially if you need to make a living at it. Go find a job you can commit to, a career or a business you can fall in love with.

A friend who loved music, who wanted to spend his life doing it, got a job doing PR for a record label. He hated doing PR, realized that just because he was in the record business didn't mean he had anything at all to do with music. Instead of finding a job he could love, he ended up being in proximity to, but nowhere involved with, something he cared about. I wish he had become a committed school teacher instead, spending every minute of his spare time making music and sharing it online for free. Instead, he's a frazzled publicity hound working twice as many hours for less money and doing no music at all.

Maybe you can't make money doing what you love (at least what you love right now). But I bet you can figure out how to love what you do to make money (if you choose wisely).

Do your art. But don't wreck your art if it doesn't lend itself to paying the bills. That would be a tragedy.

(And the twist, because there is always a twist, is that as soon as you focus on your art and leave the money behind, you may just discover that this focus turns out to be the secret of actually breaking through and making money.)

And from a recent interview:

I wonder why anyone would hesitate to be generous with their writing.

I mean, if you really want to make a living, go to Wall Street and trade oil futures ... We’re writers. We’re doing something that is inherently a generous act. We’re exposing ourselves to the muse and to the things that frighten us. Why do that if you’re not willing to be generous? And paradoxically, almost ironically, it turns out that the more generous you are, the more money you make. But that’s secondary. For me, the privilege of being generous is why I get to do this.

585: Purpose Progress

I trust you are having a blessed and happy holiday season.  We certainly are as a family and I am writing this from California, where we are visiting my wife's brother's family and having a great time. Last week I received an email update from a woman in South Africa whom I met in 2007. She felt compelled to update me on her purpose progress and I was so elated by what I read that I asked her if I can share her report with you. She agreed, so here goes.

ERNA'S UPDATE

Dear John,
 
You may not remember me and yet I have a picture of the 2 of us! We met at a workshop in Pretoria that Glen McQuirck arranged with you. The outstanding memory of that day was the way that I could refine and confirm my purpose statement. Since then (2007) I was able to set focus on several things that I knew had to happen in my life in order to live my purpose.
 
A summary of these are:

1. I completed a honours degree in 2007.
2. I completed a Masters degree in social work early in 2012 – cum laude.
3. I was able to shed to whole lot of stuff from my life not in line with my purpose
4. I was able to stop commuting between Pretoria and Johannesburg for my work, and set up a home office, which simplifies my life tremendously (while I still do stimulating traveling to other parts of South Africa)
5. I was able to implement the findings of my Master’s research into a project in my work which I now find suits me like a glove – all my strengths, skills and values are wonderfully at work, energising me in a way that is astounding to myself and everybody around me
6. I am busy setting goals within my purpose for the ‘last part’ of my career – I will be 60 in May 2013 and humanly speaking I will retire from my official job at age 65 in May 2018 – after that I hope to carry on with consultancy work

John, I simply want you to know that your input was/is of real significance in my life. I thank God for opening my mind to listen to people who could stimulate me on the way. One example was your Monday memo in May 2011 concerning your graduation. I could identify closely with a lot you said, and I knew it was a matter of keep on keeping on . . .  no doubt my graduation day in September 2012 was a glorious occasion.
 
May you also continue in your purpose and experience much joy as you’re doing so – to the glory of God.
 
Yours in living on purpose.
Erna Möller
Pretoria – South Africa

PURPOSECOACH

Thank you, Erna, for sharing your story and progress, which I know will inspire many.  But what about you? As you approach the New Year, what are you prepared to do about your purpose progress?  To help you, I am reviving my PurposeCoach program of a few years ago, which was quite cumbersome to ship and manage.  Now I have digitized everything so that we can work together via email and Internet.

The PurposeCoach program involves six months of reading and study to help you find and fulfill your purpose, just like Erna did on her own. The cost is $199 but I am offering a half-price sale during January of just $99.  Once you pay, you will receive once a month for six months audio and reading purpose resources. You will also be able to communicate with me via email to get the help you need and, who knows, perhaps some face-to-face coaching, depending on where you live.

You can pay for your PurposeCoach Program via Paypal or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8881, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0881. Make the investment in your life today and who knows, maybe I will be including your purpose progress in a future Monday Memo just like I did Erna's.  Happy New Year to you and may it be the most purposeful ever!

584: Little Drummer Boy

I have to confess: the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy is not my favorite song.  In fact, I usually change the station when it plays. Yet today when I heard it, I discovered a purpose message in it that is relevant for both you and me. Let's see what the little drummer boy has to say about purpose, shall we?

NOTHING TO GIVE    

The song portrays a young lad who encounters the Holy Family and the baby Jesus.  But alas, the young boy has nothing to give that can match the size or value of the gifts that the wise men had already bestowed on Jesus.  He was intimidated and basically said, "I have nothing to give, nothing I can do, except play this drum."  Yet the boy decided that this was enough so, with Mary's permission, he played his drum for the baby Jesus.

The song ends with the baby Jesus smiling at the little drummer boy.

THE LESSON

The lesson is so clear that I don't know why I didn't see it before. The boy only had to give what he had and express the gift that God had given him to be pleasing to the Lord. And that's all you have to do, too. You don't have to dream of winning the lottery to give a big gift, or to be someone you are not.  You just have to be who God made you to be and express that real you.  When you do that, you have given God a gift in response to the gift(s) He has given you.  You honor God when you honor your purpose, when you say, "If God saw fit to make this like and give me this talent, purpose and gift, then I am going to express it to the world for the glory of God."

As you end another year and begin a new one, I trust you will make up your mind to do what the little drummer did. Don't minimize or denigrate your gift or purpose, don't compare it to anyone else's, and then express it for the world to see.

I want to thank you for another year of being a faithful Monday Memo reader. I have produced the Memo for 12 years now, and it's still as exciting and fresh for me as it was when I began - perhaps moreso.  I hope it is the same for you.  From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

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PURPOSECOACH:  On January 1, my program called PurposeCoach is coming back, bigger and better than ever.  This time, it will all be online and digitized, and on sale for $99, half off the normal price of $198.  If you are interested, let me know and I will send you some info and the link through which you can pay.

ISRAEL 2013: I am returning to Israel in September, 2013 and I am inviting you to come with me.  The

 brochure is attached, so read up and then let me know you are coming with me. 

GIVE A GIFT TO AN ORPHAN:  I have updated my website page that describes what  I am doing in Kenya and how you can help.  One of the new features is to give a gift of $35 to an orphan this holiday season, which will feed, clothe and care for an orphan like Obed (click to enlarge) for one month. Please check out the new page and then give generously to the cause through PayPal on that page or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsbugh, PA 15221-0882.

Download 1 Israel Brochure

 

583: Self-Promotion 4

This week we will finish our discussion of self-promotion, attempting to define what it is and if and when it is appropriate.  If you missed the previous three entries, you can read them here along with some great comments from you, the reader.  Thanks for taking the time to enter into the dialogue, and now let's wrap this up and bring it home.

THE STAR

It seems to me that the star the Magi followed was a promotion of sorts.  It appeared to promote or announce the birth and location of Jesus the Messiah.  It is fascinating that the only ones who saw it were some men from the East, and even Matthew is the only gospel writer who tells us the story:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:1-2).

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:9-11).

The star was precise and allowed the men to prepare in advance for their journey by bringing gifts. There were many other events that served to promote the birth of Jesus, but this one is special.  All the other events came to people who were passive and not involved in obtaining the promotions - the shepherds were at work when the angels appeared and God sovereignly chose Mary and Joseph (they had not been seeking any role in the Christmas story).

But the Magi were special because they were looking for the star and then travelled probably hundreds of miles at great personal expense and discomfort to find what the star was promoting.  When I realized that fact, I saw self-promotion in a whole different light, pardon the pun.

THE SEEKERS   

You see, the star came for those who had need, who were diligently searching for that star.  Somehow by someone, the Magi had been told that a King would be born and they and their ancestors had searched for centuries.  They had faith and they had need, for they came not just to honor the King but to worship Him. They were hungry for the things of God and God sent a promotional star just for them.  Perhaps other saw it, but no one else followed it but these Magi.

You should self-promote not for your benefit but for the benefit of those who are seeking who you are, what you have and what you can do.  If you can pray and people are healed, then healed people need you by the will of the Lord who gave you the gift of healing.  If you can write, then you let others know you can, for someone is out there searching for a "star," something to let them know the answer for their problem or need.

If you have died in Christ and belong to Him, then your gift, purpose and role in society are not your choice or call.  If God wants to make you a household name, it's none of your business.  There are some members of the body who are created to be behind the scenes, but there are some who are made to be seen. Into whichever category you may fit, your life is not your own. It belongs to God and others.

So let's get over this false humility that says, "If God or anyone needs me, they can come find me.  I am not going to help them by self-promoting, for that is not spiritual or proper." I say, "Get over it!" and let's allow all those who need to see your star rise do just that - see where you live and what God has enabled you to do.  Then they will do just what the Magi did - they will worship Him - and that is where your self-promoting activities should lead. Have a blessed week!

    Feel free to add your comments to those of the others by posting them here.

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LAST CALL FOR YOUR HELP:  I still need your help in two things. First, if you have not already, please take the free purpose assessment found on my website homepage, from which you will receive a score to let you know where I think you are in your PurposeQuest. Then, please send me what you believe to be your purpose statement. I need them both for my next book project that will provide a profile to help take the guesswork out of describing your purpose. You can send your purpose statement to me at [email protected].

OUR STUFF HAS SHIPPED:  You can read the latest news about our shipment of goods and resources to Kenya (pictured being loaded at right) here. Please read it and then give a gift to help feed the orphans there through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

GIVE A GIFT TO AN ORPHAN:  I have updated my website page that describes what  I am doing in Kenya and how you can help.  One of the new features is to give a gift of $35 to an orphan this holiday season, which will feed, clothe and care for an orphan like Obed (click to enlarge) for one month. Please check out the new page and then give generously to the cause through PayPal on that page or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsbugh, PA 15221-0882.

582: Self-Promotion 3

We continue this week with our discussion of self-promotion: what it is and is it permissible under any circumstances for a believer. You must read all the excellent comments from the past two weeks here to gain the full impact of our discussion, and by all means please add your comments to the list.

MAGNIFY THE LORD    

In the Old Testament, we are told to magnify the Lord. We have made that simply a matter of praise and worship where we exalt and describe God's attributes in clear and exuberant terms. Yet think about that word "magnify." Doesn't it also mean to take the smallest thing and make it larger so it is easier to see and examine. Could it mean that we are to take the smallest thing that God has done through us and in us and make it 'bigger' for all to see, not with the intent to see us, but in seeing us to help people see Him?

Is self-promotion, done with right intent, really any different than giving a testimony? When God does something for you - provides, heals, delivers or reveals - is it wrong to stand up and say what He has done?  So if God has given you a gift or purpose, is it any different to broadcast the truth of what God has done in and through you? And when you do, is that not the same as magnifying the Lord - taking His work in you and 'blowing it up' for all the world to see.

INTENT

Self-promotion can come from two sources: the desire to promote yourself, pure and simple, or the desire to further God's work through you as you serve others.  Consider what Paul said in Romans 11:13-14 (NKJV):

For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

Paul magnified his office (other translations say proud of, make as much as I can of, glorify my ministry) so he could win more Jews to the gospel. Paul promoted what he did because God appointed him and his work was critical. He was not concerned with what others thought; only what God thought.  He was telling the truth with the right motives, and therefore he magnified himself so he could ultimately magnify the Lord.

Your job is not just to magnify the Lord by behaving yourself and not robbing banks or watching bad movies.  Even heathen can do those things. What they cannot do and you can is to express God's love to His creation through you, specifically through your purpose, gifts and goals.  Perhaps it is time you faced the fact that your distaste for what you call self-promotion is really a means to protect yourself from criticism and being misunderstood.  Jesus and Paul 'promoted' and were criticized; can you expect any different treatment?

I think we will take one more week to look at this topic and then wrap up 2013 with some Christmas Memos from my archives.  I hope this has been helpful and I look forward to your feedback, which you can post here.

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STILL NEED YOUR HELP:  I still need your help in two things.  First, if you have not already, please take the free purpose assessment found on my website homepage, from which you will receive a score to let you know where I think you are in your PurposeQuest. Then, please send me what you believe to be your purpose statement. I need them both for my next book project that will provide a profile to help take the guesswork out of describing your purpose. You can send your purpose statement to me at [email protected].

LATEST FROM KENYA:  You can read the latest news from Kenya here, which is an update on our shipment of goods and resources to Kenya (pictured right). Please read it and then give a gift to help feed the orphans there through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.

ORDER COFFEE:  We have enjoyed our coffee from the Greater Bean Coffee Company and plan on ordering more! Greater Bean donates a portion of its profits to The Sophia Fund and I am grateful.  As you think of the holidays, order some of their coffee to serve or give to family and friends.

GIVE A GIFT TO AN ORPHAN:  I have updated my website page that describes what  I am doing in Kenya and how you can help.  One of the new features is to give a gift of $35 to an orphan this holiday season, which will feed, clothe and care for that orphan for one month. Please check out the new page and then give generously to the cause through PayPal on that page or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsbugh, PA 15221-0882.

808: Self-Promotion Revisited, Part 2

Thank you for your comments last week concerning the issue of self-promotion. If you missed the start of the series, I would encourage you to go back and read it along with the original post from November 2012. Make sure you read the comments people made and then add yours to the discussion at the end of this entry.The basic issue before us is this: What is self-promotion and is it inappropriate to engage in it?

YOUR LIGHT

My thought for this week is found in Matthew 5:14-16, where it says to do your deeds so others can see:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Later in the same sermon, Jesus gave this warning:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, . . ." (Matthew 6:1-2).

Here we have an important distinction. We are not to parade our righteous acts, such as giving alms, which will glorify self but we are to show forth our good deeds that will glorify God. Now, since God has given you your gifts and purpose that will enable you to do your good deeds, then I conclude that, in most cases, it is permissible to let people know what you are doing and  what you can do when God enables and empowers you to do so. Do you agree or not?

SERVICE

What's more, if God has given you gifts and a purpose and those are to be used to help others, then isn't letting people know what you can to serve them consistent with letting your light shine as we read above?  1 Peter 4:10 states, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." I can organize and do it quite well since God helps me do it. Am I permitted to say, "I have an organizational gift that is well developed; how can I help you?" It seems that adding the piece that my good deeds are to serve others as well as to glorify God makes self-promotion more acceptable and palatable than when it is simply to show off what I can do.

I hope you will "weigh in' this week and add to our discussion. Furthermore, I pray you will read what is being written so that you can develop your own personal philosophy that will enable you to comfortably promote what God has put into and done in your life so that others can benefit and grow. Thank you, and have a blessed week!

    Please respond to this post on the site where it is posted and let's keep the dialogue going.

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ISRAEL 2018: Don't forget to check out my trip to Israel scheduled for April 2018. Read all about it and then register on the trip site.