One of the reasons people struggle so much with life is they expect it to be something it isn’t. They expect to be fulfilled by products, relationships and even religion as though this is going to be the “Act 3 Climax” of life. But Biblically, the complete climax of life doesn’t happen at conversion, it happens when we are reunited with God. Adjusting expectations, therefore, frees people to be happy and grateful for the good things they experience on earth. A study done of the happiest countries named Denmark as the world’s happiest country. I believe America was 32nd on that list. And when researchers took a closer look, they realized the key characteristic that made people in Denmark so happy was, and you won’t believe this, they had generally low expectations in life. They were always pleasantly surprised at how things turn out. So in Christian culture, when we increase our manmade expectations (and trick ourselves into thinking this is faith in God) we are setting ourselves up for emotional instability. But the Bible does not set false expectations for us. The lives of the Apostles testify to this. So ours is a life filled with hope of what [...]
As you set out to live a great story in 2010, remember to create memorable scenes. In movies and in novels alike, you’ll notice writers tend to place characters in visually (or imaginatively) stunning scenes. When we were working on the screenplay for Blue Like Jazz, I’d often recommend our characters talk about something over coffee or in a dorm room, and Steve and Ben (the other two principle writers) would shake their heads to say no. Scenes in coffee shops are boring. Movies should be memorable, visual, exciting and different. Now I see it in movies all the time. Writers place characters on top of buildings, in beautiful parks, on busses that bend like an accordions in the middle and so on. Anything to make the scene more memorable, and thus the dialogue more meaningful. The same principle is true in life. Many of the scenes in your life you remember best were the times you jumped off bridges or smoked a pipe on the roof. Once when some friends and I were embarking on a long paddle in British Columbia, some friends at the camp we were leaving put on giant animal costumes (think mascott size) and jumped [...]
I’ve written my goals for the year: to eat healthy and exercise, to pay down my home, and to dig deeper into friendships. But while those are great ambitions, if I left them as just ambitions, or resolutions, chances are I wouldn’t get them done. Most people don’t stick with their new-years resolutions. But it’s not because they lack the resolve. It’s because their goals aren’t embedded in the context of a narrative. I’ve discovered something better than resolutions. If you’ve read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, you know I’ve reorganized my life into stories rather than goals. I don’t have any problem with goals. I like goals and still set them. But without an overarching plot, goals don’t make sense and are hard to achieve. A story gives a goal a narrative context that forces you to engage and follow through. People who are in great shape and have their finances in order probably don’t set goals to be in good shape or get their finances in order. They probably set goals of running a marathon or paying off their house. In other words, they think in narrative rather than goals. The goals get met in the [...]
The Million Miles in a Thousand Years book tour is leaving the Pacific Northwest and heading to California, Arizona and Colorado. The book releases in one week, though you can already get it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and even some stores, but the live event has been running for a week. The crowds have been great so far, and we are certainly having a good time on the road. When you come to an event, you’ll be treated to Susan Isaacs who performs a piece from her one-woman show Angry Conversations with God, then a full hour in which I talk about my experiences since writing Blue Like Jazz, writing the movie and what I learned about life while editing a fictional version of myself. Search Twitter if you want to see what people are saying about the tour. Our next few dates take us through the San Francisco area and into Los Angeles. If you’re looking for a fun night, we’d love to see you in person. Here are the next few dates: Freemont, CA 9/24 TICKETS Azusa, CA 9/ [...]
Earlier this year I had the privilege of spending a couple days in Washington DC with Jeremy Cowart. Jeremy is a premier photographer whose photos are seen all over the world. We had lunch at a little Thai place near Georgetown and I asked him how things were going. He was about to accept a job traveling with Brittany Spears as the official photographer for her tour, so things were good. But he also wanted something more, he wanted to give back. He had an idea, and it was a good one. Jeremy talked about the need for everybody to have a good photo of themselves. In the age of social networking, where our pictures are everywhere, a good photo is an advantage. But he also mentioned that not everybody has a camera, or somebody to take their picture, or even a way to get that picture onto a computer. He specifically mentioned single moms looking for jobs, and that of course got my attention. His idea was to call all his photographer friends and have them set up their equipment on one specific day and take pictures of anybody who needed a good photo. And then give those people [...]
