Faith?

There was a young man that lived in the Kansas City, MO area. Often, he borrowed money from his friends and relatives to survive. His family thought he was a deadbeat and he was ridiculed. He had crazy ideas: fantastic ideas. And, it seemed like he was the only one that believed in his ideas. People believe in him now because he had faith to believe in a vision that could not be seen, but Walt Disney believed in the now, long before it happened. Walt Disney eventually became the father of the sound cartoon, media licensing, and many other innovations in entertainment. In the face of overwhelming odds and some very significant set backs, Walt always had faith; a belief in the face of overwhelming odds that he was changing the universe, long in advance of the evidence.

Faith changes everything.

There is another story about a man. After taking a monster leap of faith and moving his family to a foreign land, he was almost 100 and the dream he sought out remained illusive. No children to carry on his name, grow the small empire he had created and carry on his legacy. In the interim, his wife was given a revelation that she would give birth to a son. She did not have faith and her voice was taken from her. But, Sarah at the age of 100, she gave birth and through the faith of her husband Abraham the Jewish nation was established.

Faith in the face of certain and overwhelming odds.

Should we believe? Should we have faith? Is faith in a dream foolish?

I’ve heard this before. “As long as you don’t do something foolish/crazy!” or “You have to be responsible!”

I say, baloney! It takes no faith to believe that the mail will arrive tomorrow or when you flip on a switch the lights will come on!

Only big, hairy, audacious goals and dreams require faith! The invention of the telephone, airplane, light bulb, and the personal computer required faith. No luck. No chance. It was an absolute faith in the world, in God and in the power of the universe in the face of overwhelming and seemingly impossible odds that brought the vision of creative genius’ like Bell, the Wrights, Edison and Jobs into reality.

Faith is what makes us. Faith gives us peace when all seems doomed. Faith gives us the strength to rejoice, when we suffer and from that we learn to persevere and our character greater. This character gives us hope, which binds us to the Heavenly creator in magnificent ways.

Faith is what creates and one’s faith must be in something huge, foolish, crazy and irresponsible or there is no reason for it.

Conformity or Not?

Now let's repeat the non-conformists' oath:

I promise to be different! (repeat)

I promise to be unique! (repeat)

I promise not to repeat things other people/write say! (repeat)

Good!

-Steve Martin

I find so many people want what others have. I get requests "Make me a video like that one." - What they don't understand in life is that what makes us or our business special, is being unique. - Making the choice to blend in means you don't have faith in your concept or business. Success isn't about safety. - If what I create for you looks like what everyone else has, you don't get recognized. However safe it makes you feel to have what everyone else has, its death in advertising and business.

One of the most important things you do in business is getting the word out why you are different from your competition. The only thing higher on the list is your value proposition.

When it comes to faith, look at Jesus. He was never safe. Regardless of what some of my friends believe, Jesus was a radical of the highest order (and a salesman). But, we've dumbed down our faith to conforming and the status quo.

Its the same for anything else. Life, love, business, or your faith. We need to be radically on the edge in everything we do if we want to make a dent in the universe.

I probably need to learn more of that too.