Your Double Feature

I was probably ten years old and out of school for the summer. My mom had signed me up for movie camp with all of my buddies. It was held on a weekday and we would be dropped off for four to five glorious hours of movies, popcorn and unlimited soft drink refills. To a ten year old kid it seemed like a summer oasis far from the rigors of school, chores and the piercing heat outside.

Each week the theater showed "surprise" features. We were guaranteed at least one great movie and we usually had to sit through some so so or outright sucky movie before we could get to the the really great one. I remember those anxious moments as we thankfully exhaled when the first movie was over and we waited for the movies to be changed and the "great" movie reel to begin spinning. It was exciting and almost cathartic to get through the bad ones because we knew we would be treated to something spectacular if only we were patient.

That summer I fell in love with Herbie The Love Bug, James Bond, a plethora of great Disney adventure movies and even some old, old movie serials from the fifties and sixties that they showed. My buddies hated those but I sort of liked their campy style and hyped action. But I digress.

I remember the week's movies provided endless fodder for me and my pals as we hotly debated what the next week's selections might be. It was fun and brings back a lot of great memories. Until today I hadn't really thought of that summer and the concept of a double feature since movie theaters don't do them any longer. The memory was only sparked by a single lyric in an unknown song on my iPod. The song and artist isn't important but maybe the thought it sparked while I rode my bike this morning might be.

What if we were to view our lives today like my buddies and I viewed the movies way back when? What if we were to look at no matter where you were before today, that was the first feature in this double feature movie we call your life. Even if the first showing held mystery and suspense, adventure and intrigue maybe the really good part of what lies ahead for you has yet to quite play out on your silver screen? What if today is that reel change and this slight intermission is your wake-up call and reminder that the really great part of this double feature is about to begin? Would you be as excited as a couple of ten year old boys wide-eyed and wondering what was coming next?

Would you sit a little straighter?
Pay a little closer attention?
Let your imagination run wild with thoughts of what is about to happen?
Allow your heart to race a little bit faster as the excitement begins to unfold?

I realize I took a look time and a lot of build up to get to one specific point but I make no apologies. Those memories and the ideas it sparked rolling around in my head this morning really got me thinking. What if yesterday and all the days that came before this one were just the first part of the movie? What if the really good stuff lies ahead in the second feature of our lives. After all it's a double feature ya know!?!

I've got my popcorn ready. My seat slightly tilted back. The curtain is slowly opening up and the familiar click of the projector is just beginning to come to life. It's time to settle in and see what great feature their gonna show us.

Ripple On!!!

What Value Do You Bring To The Time?

Last week I was on Twitter and shared a thought that apparently based on the emails, direct messages and the emails I received struck a cord. The Tweet went something like this:

You don't get paid for your time.
You get paid for the value you bring to the time.

When I put that Tweet out there I was simply trying to come to grips with some idea of value as it related to my own contributions; contribution to my various business interests, my leadership position, the new material I am adding to my forthcoming second edition of my book and of course the next big thing I need to be creating for Ripple.

Call it one of those theoretical Fridays that found me spending an unusual amount of time in my own head. I started looking at all the various investments of my time and trying to figure out where my input, my experience, my outright effort was best serving those "stake-holders" and projects which I find myself immersed in at the moment.

It is easy to be involved in so many things, which I am, to feel overwhelmed and not really contributing enough to any of them. I guess that's where I was when I started thinking about how I get paid for my efforts. To a certain degree I have never been comfortable with the concept of being paid for something that is not tangible - a product or service in which I directly had a hand in producing. I've always felt a bit uneasy to be paid for just my insight and experience though that is exactly how and why I am paid today.

That's when that little thought hit me. It isn't the tangible output that often people seek to receive from me and dare I say, you either. It's the time, the effort, the insight, the knowledge, the unusual angles in which I may take to examine and solve a problem. And yes...it's the connections. People and companies seek me out to help them identify, develop and grow the key relationships they depend on for their success. They seek me out because of what I bring to the table and the value I deliver for the time I invest in helping them.

I like to think I am a big picture guy when it comes to other people's ideas, dreams and visions. I will admit however, I am often a bit short-sighted when it comes to looking at my own. Friday was a bit of a breakthrough for me and it left my head and my heart more aligned than ever in the work that I am called to do. It also left me feeling more comfortable about how and why I am paid. Thank God for theoretical Fridays as they often lead to relaxed Saturdays.

So I have to ask....are you simply being paid for your time or is there another way you too should be looking at the value you bring to the table? It seems that based on the initial feedback I received from that little 'ol Tweet, that simply little statement got a lot of people thinking. Here's hoping it does the same for you.

Ripple On!!!