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Why There Is Unusual Comfort at Christmas

The older I get the more I feel an unusual comfort at Christmas. It wasn’t always that way. When I was a young child I remember having severe stomach aches and sad feelings at Christmastime. Maybe it was an illness. Maybe it was some sort of mental challenge. Whatever it was, it wasn’t fun. When I should have had the joie de vivre that any kid has at Christmas, there were a couple of years where I really felt buried under.

Closeup photo of family feet in wool socks at fireplace

Now I love this time of year and the comfort that it brings. I love going to the grocery store and seeing more smiles on faces, extra energy, and the displays that entice me to buy things that are unavailable other times of the year. There’s comfort in the hymns that we get to sing in church, with words like “All praise, eternal Son, to Thee, whose Advent (coming) sets Thy people free.” I can’t wait to eat the coffee cake my wife makes for us every Christmas morning (even though she doesn’t really like it; it wouldn’t be Christmas for me without it). It’s the same coffee cake my mom used to make for years and years, and now we have it in our home every Christmas (it’s a true “comfort” food).

There’s comfort in seeing Rudolph and Charlie Brown and Frosty. And even though I’m pretty sick of some of the Christmas music on the radio (can we please get rid of that Mariah Carey song??? …I won’t even mention it by name…), there is a certain contentment in resurrecting particular songs year after year (my “go-to” album has become Over the Rhine’s Snow Angels … check it out and see if you don’t agree with me that there is some hauntingly beautiful music that simple must be resurrected every year).

These are the ways and places I find an unusual comfort during the holiday season. But I think it’s what lies behind them that brings the reason for unusual comfort at Christmas. As I thought about it I realized the thing that really brings comfort can be boiled down to one word: Tradition.

Tradition has gained a bad reputation in this day and age of new technology when everything has to be up-to-date and “relevant.” But there’s a reason why A Charlie Brown Christmas has been shown for fifty years. There’s a reason why I enjoy my wife’s coffee cake on Christmas morning. There’s a reason why the liturgy of the church and many of its hymns have lasted for generation after generation.

Tradition is why there is an unusual comfort for me at Christmas. Here’s why:

  1. Tradition reminds us that others have gone before us. I find comfort in knowing that generations before me have celebrated a World-Changing Event in the same way that I do. They have spoken the same liturgy, sung the same hymns, even seen the same simple TV shows.
  2. Tradition reveals the things that have stood the test of time. There is comfort in things that are well done, that one generation hands to the next. The older I get, the more I appreciate the things that aren’t “cheap,” the things that have quality.
  3. Tradition respects the richness of things that remain the same. In other words, there is comfort in things that are known, things that are understood, things that we’ve experienced before and bring back memories of joy, security, and contentment.

All of this put together brings about the unusual comfort that is felt during the Christmas season. So enjoy those old songs, enjoy those classic TV shows, enjoy that ancient liturgy. It’s all comfortable like an old pair of jeans or the soft clothes you put on at the end of the day. Celebrate the joie de vivre and the spirit of the Holiday.

Where do you find comfort during the holiday season?

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Creativity Friday: Time to Be Creative

Happy Friday: It’s time to be creative! It’s the weekend again and more than likely you’re going to have some extra time. Weekends are great for setting aside some creative moments, reading books to fuel your inspiration, or taking in a few articles to spur on your creating. Here are three articles to help you do just that.

Hello friday! Creative calligraphic card.

  1. You Have More Time to Be Creative Than You Think If you read only one of these articles, this is the one. Here are some fantastic tips to help spur on your creativity, and a great deal of motivation to taking and making the time that we far too often waste. There’s even a cool story here about Albert Einstein.
  2. The Incredibly Inspiring Life of Williams-Sonoma’s Founder Did you know that Chuck Williams didn’t start Williams-Sonoma until he was over 40? His interest in quality kitchen goods and interesting kitchen gadgets came on a two-week trip to Paris in 1953. From there, he rode the cooking craze started by Julia Child and James Beard in the 1960’s. Williams wrote more than 200 cookbooks. So, what are you doing this weekend?
  3. The Best Art Books of 2015 This blog post is a feast for your eyes. Have a look at the art from these books that graced the literary scene this year. The visuals are stunning, and you might even find a Christmas gift or two as you peruse the post.

So, what are you going to do this weekend to fuel your creativity?

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Why Quietness is a Lost Art

In 21st century America, quietness is a lost art. No matter where you go there is “noise” of some kind. You can’t walk into a store without music playing. You can’t enjoy a meal in a restaurant without some kind of background noise. We have stereos in our cars that play the radio, podcasts, or our favorite musical artists. Most of the time I enjoy all of those things. I think good music can make a restaurant, retail outlet, or coffee shop. I listen to music and podcasts in my car all the time.

Solitude

However, Monday is a day of quietness for me. It happens to be my “day off.” As a pastor I work most every other day of the week. And, truth, be told, I often do at least a little bit of “work” on Mondays, as well. But most of the time I do it in the quietness of my own home.

It may be a surprise to some, but I do have some introverted tendencies. That’s why I thoroughly enjoy Mondays as a time to get in a bike ride, do some writing, run some errands all by myself, and generally enjoy the quietness. Though I love my wife very much, while she’s away at work on Mondays, those few hours of solitude are just what I need most every week to recharge my batteries. Introversion isn’t about being shy, it’s about the source of your energy. Extroverts are energized by being in a crowd. Introverts are energized by enjoying some time of quietness and solitude.

Already back in 1985, Neil Postman wrote the book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. He makes the point that the influence of entertainment has been a detriment to politics, journalism, education, and even religion. Many people find it difficult today to be silent for any time at all, let alone a whole day. We love to be amused by our screens, the noise that fills our ears, and the general background rumble that helps us through the day. Quietness is a lost art.

But I would argue that every once in a while quietness is a good thing for everyone. Quietness helps me in the following ways:

  1. It helps me remain in touch with my inner self. Without noise of any kind I have the opportunity to pay attention to my thoughts, to set goals for the coming week, to think through problems or issues I may be facing at work, and to remember once again who I am as an individual.
  2. It helps me remain on task. Since Monday is a big writing day for me, the silence helps me focus on the topic at hand. I get to delve into the deepest places of my soul to find the words I’m looking to put on the page. I don’t have the distractions of TV or music that takes me away from my train of thought.
  3. It helps me remain centered. All the “noise” that influences me throughout the week can take its toll, put me off kilter, or leave me in a place I’d rather not be. Devotional time, quiet time, solitary exercise, writing down my thoughts, and simply doing some rather mundane tasks help me to remain centered and balanced.

I’d encourage you to practice the art of quietness. It may be a lost art, but it doesn’t have to be lost on you. Do your best to practice at least one period of quietness every week. It will bring you the benefit of a better week, a better demeanor, more thoughtful decisions and solutions, and a more peaceful self.

How do you practice the art of quietness, and what benefits does it bring to you?

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How The Piano Guys Gained More Than 4 Million Subscribers on YouTube

If you haven’t heard of The Piano Guys, you have now…and you will be more and more. Their spectacularly visual and inspiringly musical videos on YouTube have been viewed over half a billion times. They have more than 4.3 million subscribers on the video platform. The Piano Guys are Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson, along with their producer and cinematographer, Paul Anderson and Al van der Beek.

So how did these self-proclaimed geeky dads gain a following that would be the envy of most any business owner, celebrity, or author? In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, one of the members said:

You have to do something different that people haven’t seen before in order for them to want to share it.

So, here’s what The Piano Guys do:

  • They shoot musical travelogue videos around the world in exotic places
  • They once hoisted a piano on top of a thousand foot cliff in Utah
  • They have played at a massive waterfall in Brazil and on the Great Wall of China
  • They use their incredible gifts, talents, and skills in unique ways

All four of The Piano Guys understand that it can all be taken away as quickly as it came. But they were still willing to take a special risk when a big record label came calling. They said no to Sony Records six or seven times. They didn’t want to sign a contract at the expense of their personal lives. They insisted on working tours around their families.

But they were doing something different that people hadn’t seen before. Because they did that, they were wildly popular. That’s what put them in the position to be able to do things the way they wanted, to make demands that centered on their families, and carry out the kind of lifestyle that’s both comfortable and profitable.

What are you trying to do? Are you trying to build a platform for your writing? Trying to build a business? Trying to create your own, specialized kind of art? Maybe even trying to grow a ministry? Here’s what you can learn from The Piano Guys:

  • Do something different, even if it’s slightly different from what someone else is doing
  • Find a niche that’s an inch wide and mile deep
  • Don’t be afraid to ask people to “share” on social media what you’re doing
  • Be bold, outlandish, and honest

Live! (Deluxe Edition) (CD/DVD) is the latest offering from The Piano Guys, and it comes with a CD from their sold out concert at Carnegie Hall and a DVD of their concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It includes as tracks as diverse as “Let it Go,” “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets,” and “Rockelbel’s Canon.” Check out their art and see if it inspires you in your art.

What lessons do you learn from The Piano Guys?

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Creativity Friday, Christmas Countdown

Today is creativity Friday and Christmas countdown is on. Christmas is coming, a very creative time of year. We’re counting down the days now, as preparations are made in our hearts and homes for a very special Birth. The weekend is a great time to get to work on your holiday projects, decorations, or gifts. It might also be the time you start your blog, book, or new song. Take at least a little time this weekend for a creative pursuit. You will thank yourself.

Here are three articles to:

  • Tap into some classic creativity
  • Use a network to enhance your creativity
  • Recognize the power of “story” to unlock your creative block

Read on…

Hello friday! Creative calligraphic card.

  1. Behind the Scenes on “A Charlie Brown Christmas” How could we get through the Christmas season without at least one viewing of this classic. Take a look at some of the original scripts and original drawings. It’s guaranteed to inspire you with a little Christmas creativity.
  2. The Unfair Truth About How Creative People Really Succeed Here’s the story of Ernest Hemingway, and how a creative network really helped him succeed in his creativity. Where is the network you can join?
  3. Got Writer’s Block? Are you stuck on your current creative project? This article provides some great advice to tap into the “power of story” to unlock and unleash your creativity. Check it out.

What articles concerning creativity did you see this week? Please share them in the comments below.

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5 Creative Christmas Gifts to Bring Out the Artist in Anyone

It’s probably not a surprise to you that I like to encourage creativity by giving Christmas gifts that do the same. Christmas vacation is the perfect time for people to crack open their creative selves and start the new year on a fresh, creative note. I also find a deeper meaning in creative Christmas gifts when I remember that the Ultimate Christmas Gift was the most creative gift ever given. God, the Father, gave His Son into human flesh to bring about human forgiveness and salvation.

Packets of presents under the Christmas tree on the background of colored lights

Our human creativity is but a small reflection of the creativity of the Creator God. Why not encourage that wonderful gift in the lives of those we love?

Years ago I received a book for Christmas called: Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. It was a book that came with a paint brush and set of watercolor paints. I loved dabbling with watercolors, but had never really had any instruction. The book I received (meant for any age) gave me both simple instructions in watercolor painting and the opportunity to actually do what I was learning. The book was meant to be painted. It was meant to be an opportunity to experiment right then and there with what I was learning.

How about reserving one gift that encourages creativity for everyone on your list this year? No matter their station in life, everyone could use a creative boost, and whether they admit it or not, will appreciate a creative Christmas gift.

Here are my five favorite picks for creative gifts this Christmas:

  1. Drawing: For the Artistically Undiscovered (Klutz) I am not a great visual artist. Having said that, I’m better at painting than drawing. This book will do for your drawing what the aforementioned Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered will do for your painting. This book is great for either kids or adults. Unleash someone’s artist!
  2. The Steal Like an Artist Journal: A Notebook for Creative Kleptomaniacs Steal Like an Artist is one of my very favorite books on the creative pursuit. It’s simple, easy to read, and yet extremely profound. Now Austin Kleon has come out with a journal that will help you interact with your creative self and begin to make great art.
  3.  The Creativity Challenge: Design, Experiment, Test, Innovate, Build, Create, Inspire, and Unleash Your Genius This book will help you change the way you usually think to help you gain creative insight and art of any kind. There are over 100 different challenges and exercises to help you with new ideas and new possibilities in your work or play.
  4. 344 Questions: The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment (Voices That Matter) This book, entirely filled with questions, is a great way to spark creativity by thinking through things and jotting thoughts and ideas down right into the book itself. The book even includes the questions many celebrities asked, or wished they had asked themselves, on the way to success.
  5. Wreck This Journal (Black) Expanded Ed. The title of this book says it all. I’m the type who cringes when a page in one of my books gets folded or wrinkled. But this book makes me change my fastidiousness and gives me the opportunity to write, poke holes, fold, and generally wreck this book while at the same time moves me massive step forward in my creativity.

What gift would you give to spark someone’s creativity? 

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How My Mail Man Makes My Day

My mail man makes my day every day. You might think it’s because of the parcels and envelopes he leaves behind when he stops by my office. He usually leaves behind junk mail, magazines, or a rare card or note. Those are all fine and well. But every single day he leaves behind something even more important.

Mail box. 3D illustration isolated on white

My mail man barely spends five seconds dropping off our office’s mail. But he leaves behind something far better than a card or letter. When he walks in the door he leaves behind a positive attitude and happy energy. He comes bounding in the door at about 10:00 every morning and says the same thing:

You have a fantastic day!

Sometimes I’m not even in the same room, but I can hear him speaking to others all the way from my office: “You have a fantastic day!” It’s infectious. It’s inviting. It’s positive. It comes from the bottom of his heart. It lights up the whole room and everyone in it.

After my mail man spends five seconds in my presence, my entire day is made. If I am deep in thought or in the inner recesses of my mind, he pulls me out of it and makes me aware of the blessings of the people with whom I work. If I am getting ready to head out and visit people he transfers his attitude to me, and then I, in turn, transfer it to the people I meet. If I am trying to pull myself out of my early morning grogginess, he lights up the room and wakes me up.

Five seconds with five kind and encouraging words can make a person’s day. I’m trying to replicate what my mail man does for me. I’m trying to be an encouraging presence and a shining light in people’s lives.

You can, too. Let’s call it the “Mail Man Effect.” Let’s light up this year’s holiday season with the “Mail Man Effect.” Here are some ideas:

  • Ask the clerk at the store how her day is going.
  • Tip the waiter or waitress more than 20% and add a note of encouragement on the receipt.
  • Buy a few small gifts and give them to random people at unexpected times.
  • Say, “Merry Christmas.”
  • Take some Christmas cookies to your next door neighbor.
  • Drop a note in the mail to someone who has been an encouragement to you.
  • Give a candy cane to a kid.
  • Send an email to an old friend.
  • Throw a party.
  • Invite a friend to church for the Christmas Eve service.

Or, you could even greet your own mail man with the words: “You have a fantastic day!”

What ideas would you add to spread the “Mail Man Effect” this holiday season?

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Creativity Friday (Black Friday Edition)

This week’s Creativity Friday (Black Friday Edition) brings you:

  • Ideas for a fun and productive weekend,
  • An almost foolproof way of getting meeting’s with people,
  • 3 keys to good storytelling on social media,
  • And a Black Friday bonus article. 

Happy reading!

Hello friday! Creative calligraphic card.

  1. Success means being intentional about the way you live life. That includes using weekends in wise, creative, and reflective ways. Check out this article from Inc.: 5 Ways Remarkably Successful People Spend the Weekend
  2. Although this article focuses on getting meetings with people so that you can land a job, it would also work well for networking meetings, informational meetings, mentoring meetings, or creative content meetings. The Muse hits the nail on the head with this one: The Email Template That’ll Get You a Meeting with Anyone You Ask
  3. Let’s face it, wise use of social media is extremely important today, no matter your business or station in life. Fast Company shows us how Stephanie Horbaczewski does it by utilizing community, using the human touch, and meeting your users where they are: Master the Art of Storytelling with These 3 Lessons from Stylehaul’s CEO

Black Friday Bonus: This quick article from Lifehack provides exactly what it says. Use these 20 ways to get a real spike in your creativity: 20 Ways to Stay Ultra Creative

What articles about creativity have you seen this week? Share them in the comments below…

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You’re Welcome on Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving rolls around once again, I want to thank you for telling me, “You’re welcome.” I’ve been writing this blog for a number of years now (with a significant lay off over the past months). I am now back to writing two to three times a week. It feels good to have the words flowing once again. As I’ve written over these past years, many of you have said to me:

  • “You’re welcome to come into my inbox by way of email.”
  • “You’re welcome to come to my computer screen by way of Facebook.”
  • “You’re welcome to come across my Twitter feed multiple times a week.”
  • “You’re welcome to share your thoughts and ideas with me.”

thank you words written on the sand of the beach

Thank you for welcoming my thoughts and ideas into your mind and into your life. Over the next months I will be introducing some new things at tomeggebrecht.com, and I’d love you to be a part of them. I am finishing a book that will come out next year called, “Fully and Creatively Alive.” I’m also going to introduce a podcast under the same name. I’ll be interviewing people who are living out life “fully and creatively alive.”

If you enjoy or appreciate the things that you see here, I’d appreciate it if you would look to your right and fill in the blank with your email address so that you can receive posts right in your inbox. You’ll also be the first to be alerted when my book comes out and when the podcast starts.

Today I want to say you’re welcome:

  • You’re welcome to take my thoughts and ideas and translate them into your life.
  • You’re welcome to comment on my posts and let me know what you’d like me to write about.
  • You’re welcome to share posts with your friends and social media contacts.

More than that, I want to say Thank You. Thank you for reading. Thank you for responding. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for caring enough for spending a few minutes of your day with me.

What is one thing you’d like to have me write about? 

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Don’t Give Up

It seems like simple and obvious advice, but here’s my advice for today: Don’t give up. I was recently in the presence of a man who has given up. Life has dealt him a great many blows. He’s living in a nursing home. He’s been plagued with diseases that have his body and mind whittled down to a fraction of his former self. In his day he was active, and agile, and very, very smart.

Do not give up on blue chalkboard with the hand of businessman.

But now he has given up. You can see it in his eyes and sense it in his demeanor. I can’t say that I blame him. I hurt for him and hope for him. His life is a far cry from what it once was. I feel helpless when I’m in his presence. I want to tell him not to give up, and I want him to heed the advice with all his heart and have him translate it to his weak limbs.

May it never be said of me that I have given up. And here’s some encouragement that it never be said of you, either. There is to much to learn. There are too many opportunities. Technology has given us opportunity after opportunity to grow, and discover, and even draw or increase income. Information is exploding minute by minute and day by day. And we have access to much of it with just a keystroke or two.

I have recently been avidly listening to a podcast called “EOFire” (Entrepreneur on Fire). I am fascinated by each episode hosted by John Lee Dumas. Dumas interviews wildly successful entrepreneurs seven days a week. Each day he asks the same series of questions to his guest. One question he asks each day is:

What was your lowest entrepreneurial moment?

You should hear the stories. Successful entrepreneurs talk about the times when people swindled them, or they were down to their last dollars, or they had to close down a business. But in every single case the entrepreneur goes on to tell the story of how they didn’t give up. They kept pressing on. If one business failed they went ahead and started another. They knew they had it in them. They knew they could be successful.

One man was doing door-to-door multi-level marketing in Utah. He didn’t make one single sale. He finally realized that his problem was that he only cared about himself and about making money. He didn’t care at all about his customers or what their needs or desires were. So he quit his door-to-door sales and went into a business that focused on the customer. He kept plugging, and pushing, and going until he turned a profit and began to operate an extremely successful business.

There is always something you can do each and every day to work toward your goal. Start small. Keep plugging. Keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t let a day go by without doing something that will get you one step closer to where you want to be.

Don’t.

Give.

Up.

What would be your advice to someone who feels as though they want to give up?