Years ago, I was exchanging emails with a coworker regarding some important decisions in the organization where we both served. This friend and I did not live with the same aspirations for the organization, and our communication was deteriorating from friendly warm to irritatingly chilly; icy enough, that is, to burn a permanent scar into the landscape of our friendship. Feeling nervous about this downward spin, I went to my brother Steve for help. Steve is one of those rare individuals who consistently offer beneficial advice. His counsel was simple, penetrating and life altering.
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All American writers since the mid 20th century stand in the shadow of Ernest Hemingway. Known for punchy sentences and muscular verbs, Hemingway established the standard for American story telling. He wrote, “Prose is architecture, not interior decoration, and the Baroque is over.” Leery of adjectives, Hemingway was a minimalist who dragged paragraphs through fire until the cheese melted.
The result? Stainless steel sentences. When challenged to write a story with six words, Hemingway responded with:
For sale: baby shoes, never used.
Minimalism is more than a method of writing. It is the relentless seeking for truth in a smoke and mirrors generation. It is the way of genuine freedom.
Minimalism and integrity somehow seem like they are related. If I am a story, make me a short story. I crave simplicity. Carve away my empty words. Sweep away my vanity. Give me someone to love, and something to die for and I will be content. Yes, I think I am becoming a minimalist. When the chaff has finally drifted away, and I breathe one last time, what else will matter but that which crosses the threshold into forever?
“Each one’s work will become clear; for the DAY will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work.”
I Corinthians 3:13
By Paul Richardson To me, wine tastes about as delicious as gasoline. Yet, having been a waiter for six years, I understand the wine drinking ethos. Most folks who order a glass of wine with dinner are simply casual wine drinkers. Their motivation is to impress their dinner companions, and they really don’t have a clue as to whether they are drinking something exquisite or worthless. Some rare people, though, don’t just casually drink wine. They are actual connoisseurs. Now, I must point out that you should not be allowed to say the word connoisseur unless you can pronounce it with a French accent, which counts me out. Wine snobs … I mean, connoisseurs, don’t just put wine in their mouths and guzzle it down like a dog standing over its dish. For wine connoisseurs, drinking wine is really more of an experience. Skipping stones is sort of like this.
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Have you ever forced your eyes open on a Monday morning and dreaded the thought of getting out of bed?
I sure have.
On some days we feel invigorated and activated; on other days we have little desire to do anything. For many parents, getting our children to practice the piano or finish their homework is a dreaded nightly chore of grumblings and drooping shoulders.
As a leader, I am so inspired when the people around me are highly motivated. Providing leadership for these individuals is like sailing a ship in the open sea or flying a kite on a windy day. Trying to lead people with low motivation is like rowing the Titanic with a spoon.
