The mining debate

Tags

government, Mining tax

The government and the mining industry are at it again with the mining folks pumping millions of dollars into their advertising campaign.

Before you make up your mind on it all I reckon it might be worth checking a few facts out.

1. Who really owns the company.

2. Where to the profits go.

3. How did the companies get to own these minerals

4. Do you want the mining companies to decide where the royalties go or our elected government.

I’m still working all this out myself but I am certain I don’t just want to believe what the big companies and political parties want to shove down my throat.

Perspective

Once, at the Australian Tennis Open, Yevgeny Kafelnikov was commenting on how small the prize money is in mens tennis. Andrea Agassi was in the same tournament and at his press conference was asked what he thought and his comment was something like “Yevgeny needs to take his prize money and go buy a bit of perspective”. 

 

It is a pretty important point I think. I love the “First World Problems” stuff on the net at the moment, it’s making fun of ourselves while hopefully sensitizing us a little to a bigger reality.

I’ve been loosing weight over the last few months and getting very happy with my self. Today though I was reminded of a little perspective…in the past 6 weeks I’ve lost lots of kilo’s but the reality is I’ve still got a while to go before I even reach the weight I was the last time I went on a diet. Depressing? Yes, Terminal? I don’t think so, but it does give me a different perspective to see myself from.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve mentioned how much I’m sick of theory’s, books, academic works etc that sound good, look terrific and sell well but almost never really get played out in real life. They end in a speaking tour for the creator. Now I’ve never written a book but I have over the years done a lot of speaking tours and I can tell you that there are are times I’m full of crap. I’m saying things with authority that I’ve never truly done or made happen.

There is space for theory’s for sure but I don’t want to mistake them for actual measurable experience. Everything starts with a theory I think but beware the snake oil salesmen who keep adding layers of words without ever really have personal and extensive experience.

I’ve watched a lot of weight loss ads lately all of them have people giving their testimonies on how good and different this system is…It’s powerful and convincing stuff, not the science but the person standing before you currently experiencing the thing they are selling.

Then there’s me and my weight loss. I’m still over weight, in fact I’m more over weight than the last time I realized I was terribly over weight. I am not successful, not yet anyway. I have a long long weigh (pun) to go.

This applies to most of my life, Parenting, Husbanding, Leadership, Theology pretty much everything. I have a long, long way to go and all I can say for sure is that right now, at the moment I’m on the path way to learning. I just wish I could do a lecture series, training session or training DVD, anything I could earn a few bucks from.

 

Back to the scales. 

 

Easter thoughts

Easter has come and gone for 2012 and as is true mot years heaps has been written, spoken and thought about. Two many eggs, not enough eggs, to commercial, to religious, like I say heaps.

In think I find myself wanting to say I just really loved Easter this year, plain and simple. After so many years of being flat out over the Easter period this has been the first year my wife Sal and I got to spend the weekend together. A great morning at church followed by a wonderful parade in the city. Sal and I arrived as it was beginning so we held hands and joined the line. Our son Jonah was with us while Rubie and Daisy were further back, Lucy was in Melbourne! We sang Oh Happy Day and waved at the hundreds of people who were lining the streets watching the parade go past.

Best time ever. It’s probably selfish of me but I really just loved being in the crowd and actually celebrating Resurrection Day.

I’m grateful to Jesus and I’m also grateful to my wife and kids because I think it takes all of them to make it possible for me to be able to have any place at all in the unfolding kingdom story I find myself in.

Hope you glad a good one to.

I also got some gardening done on Easter Monday.

Dave

100 year guarantee!

Tags

briefcase, computer, Saddleback leather, ultimate.

When was the last time you bought something with a 100 year guarantee? When you buy a house there’s a cooling off period but no real guarantee that it won’t fall apart. A new car is the second biggest item most off will ever buy and we feel lucky if it’s a five year guarantee.
Most of he stuff that I buy has, to quote a mechanic friend if mine, “A concrete warrantee, once it’s off the concrete it’s out of warrantee”. In other words none at all.

Sal and I have always tried to give our kids birthday and Christmas presents that are good quality and things they really needed and would also enjoy. It’s been tough to keep it up because of the cost involved but mostly we’ve done it.
One year though I decided to change things, I’d noticed another family had mostly given their kids really cheap stuff, but lots of it. To me it looked fun so I gave it a try….Never again. There was a bit off fun but by the end of the day most of the stuff was broken or boring and all of it was crap.
None of it had a guarantee and even if it did $2 shop receipts are not the most reliable!

I think I’ve come to believe that if you need to buy something then buy the bet one you can reasonably afford. Don’t get me wrong…Sal and I just splashed out on a $7 jug to make tea at home. $7… Rest assured if it breaks after a couple months I won’t be returning it.

So when I was given a wonderful shiny leather computer bag by some friends I was very excited that it was made of high quality by a well known leather making company. I never saw the warrantee but I’d guess it was at least a year and likely 2 or 3 years, very good for a bag that will take daily punishment.

Well, soon after getting it all set up and enjoying how useful it was this terrific gift got stolen, along with all of its contents, (laptop and iPad etc). I was annoyed about the technology going but really sad about the bag, a huge loss of a very generous and helpful gift.

Long story short the very honorable insurance company covered the cost. Now I get to buy a new one. I’ve eyed off a particular bag for 3 years often looking at the website and dreaming how one day I might be able to get one, well as of 2 days ago I was able to put my order in for a new bag from this particular website. Saddleback Leather.

On the website it offers a 100 year guarantee and goes on to say “If you or your descendants have any trouble with this bag then bring it back to me of my descendants and we’ll be happy to fix or replace it”.

I wonder if the things I create could have such a guarantee? Not likely. I’d like them to though. I’d like to spend more time on preparing the things I start so they have a chance of staying around for a long time. By nature I tend to get things off the ground very quickly but end up having to keep fixing it along the way because I’ve been impatient.

Hmmm. Patience. I reckon that might be at least one of the keys to being able to offer a 100 guarantee.

If you want to know which bag I’ve ordered, look up the website and guess.
I’ll post some pictures when it gets here and write. Review. I guarantee you’ll want to get one, you’ll just have to wait until someone steals you current bag.

Dave

Sweeping the floor

We held a party tonight at our cafe, Hot Fusion Cafe. It was for. 19 year old young lady that doesn’t get out to many parties.

It was a lovely time, I made coffees, Sal made food and organized games and we all had fun.

At the end of the night most people pitched in to clean up and I swept the floor. 

There are other things about the night that were great but I still take away the same thing I always seem to, ” leadership is about sweeping floors”.

You will often hear people quote great leaders and their servant qualities but that’s as far as it goes.

I have to be honest, I am at best up and down with all this but I like myself more when I am putting effort into serving rather than spouting. 

Ultimately I would like to do as much as I can to help things happen rather than just be the guy “happening”.

About 2 years ago I took over a project that was about to close done. With the help of a few friends we have built a team of about 14 people who now make it all work, we’ve even managed to get sponsorship happening. In the beginning Ive been the guy out the front, the public face but I’m just about to hand over to another guy on the team who has been part of this project for 2 years. I’m a little sad in a way, I have enjoyed to role and the development but if it’s to grow and go on then I really need to let it go. I’ll give my support in the background but that’s all. It will now sink or swim…either way is cool, I feel I did my little it and now it’s right for others to take it where it needs to go.

I’ve got my eye on another project that needs a lot of effort to get off the ground. 

 

For more on this read a past post of mine on “Taking Hold, Holding On, Letting go.

Take care

 

Dave.

 

 

Truth?

Get a room full of people to recall an experience they all shared and you will discover something funny. They all have difference versions of the story and some are radically different. This is one of the challenges for the police I believe when they are hearing from ‘witnesses’.

The thing is we seem to recall the details that mean the most to us personally. I have discovered this in leadership over the last couple of years.

Quiet often I’ll hear someone talking as if a particular thing/programme/event/design etc was their idea when I can say for certain it was in fact MINE!

Actually I can’t really say for certain it was my idea at all in fact if I can be sure of anything it’s that there are very few things that are “Mine” at all. Why do I worry about it any way? I can’t speak for anyone else but for me it’s all about being seen and acknowledged. I’ve been in meetings where I’ll keep mentioning things “I’ve done” Sometimes it’s just informing but mostly it’s about being seen and acknowledged.

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Harry S Truman, 33rd president of US (1884 – 1972)

It’s also amazing how little you can accomplish if you do care who gets the credit.

The inability we can have to acknowledge others is part of what seems to be wrong with the Labor party at the moment and if I look closely at myself I can see the constant fantasy brewing that I’m a great leader with all the ideas. (don’t think I’m exaggerating, it’s true)

This year I would like to learn more how to lead through serving…real serving. Working B’s, washing up, mowing lawns, praying for others, making them a drink, cooking dinner and more are all things I want to include in my life, some are there but need to increase while others are missing completely.

PS. I’ve joined Weight Watchers. I’ll answer any questions on that if you email them to me!

Take Care

Dave

The Kevin and Julia Show

As George Negus said today, Anyone who thinks they can lead a country needs to have their head read.

I know it’s turned me off all of them! The very idea that the actually think they have the master plan or they have the answers for us all gives me very little hope in any of them.

Where is the Humility of Service?

Where is the willingness to put others first?

Where is the ability to submit to others?

I can’t support these “Self Proclaimed Leaders” in their pursuit to take what they think is rightfully theirs while in my little part of the world we are struggling to keep vulnerable mothers safe, a young people out of trouble.

I am totally over the kings and queens of theory and ask them all to get their own hands dirty serving for more than just a photo opp.

Am I annoyed? you bet I am, as far as I’m concerned they can have all the status and power they so crave while the others in our community actually do what our “leaders” can only theorise about.

For an example of some such servants can I suggest you look up http://www.unoh.org/  Kevin and Julia could do with spending a couple of years in that kind of service.

I may be in the minority but I would support and vote for the person who can serve others the most. And by “SERVE” I don’t mean “SERVE” as Prime Minister, I mean doing the dishes, mowing the lawns, packing up after others….

 

Ok….Dummy Spit over!!

 

 

 

Discovering Friends

Tags

3 friends, faithful friends, financial ruin, greatest friend, lonely childhood, married couples

Sal and I have been enjoying our extended break and now that we’re half way through I find I just have to write a little about an amazing discovery.

It’s probably because of a lonely childhood that I generally feel like I don’t have many friends. I’ve often said this to Sal who responds with that “amazement” crossed with “are you an idiot”  look!

So here’s what I think now. It’s funny how our past including our upbringing can keep us from seeing the obvious, which in this case is that I have some of the most amazing friends any person could ever hope for.

Recently 3 friends spread around Australia stepped in and basically saved us from financial ruin. Of course none of them want any recognition and likely feel it’s just a miracle from God…I agree but it came about because these 3 friends stood in front of Sal and I!

While in Tasmania we had an evening with 2 married couples who have been faithful friends and supporters of our work for as long as I can remember. Within seconds we are feeling completely at home and felt like family. These guys have to put up with our not visiting much yet not one word of judgement…just friendship. I love them and feel incredibly lifted by their unique commitment to us.

Then there’s a little group of people we have been spending Thursday nights with who are sending us to Thailand for a holiday!! Then there are others who call me, email, text, and visit faithfully and never seem to give up on us.

There are many others…

Anyway I guess my point is…actually I don’t know what my point is except to say this, If it’s true that during adversity you find out who your friends are, then I thank God for the adversity that has helped me see I am surrounded by the greatest group of intimate and committed friends a man could hope for.

Of course this does not automatically mean I am a good friend to others, I am again as always seeing that Grace is still my greatest friend.

Dave

The Problem with Vision

It must be because I’ve got time on my hands that I keep reflecting on the last year or so …

Continue reading »

A little Embarrassed

I just started my long service leave but that doesn’t mean I can’t help others out so I agreed to drive a truck to deliver food hampers for another organisation.

It felt good to be volunteering for something other the usual.

It was an overcast and hot day which meant it was very humid and yuck. Carry boxes onto a truck and then off a truck was uncomfortable to say the east.

There were two young guys with me both of whom had had about enough of this charity stuff and were not in the most friendly frame of mind. I was pretty worn out and weary as well so I guess we were all keen to get it done and move on.

On arrival with a truck full of goodies, all donated by local people and delivered by volunteers I was expecting a big welcome and a sense of excitement.

By the time we had unloaded all 400 boxes and bags from the truck in the spot we were told to, another lady came out and told us they need to go on the other side of the door!

An older lady offered us a cold drink which was lovely and gratefully received.

 

On reflection however, none offered to help unload the truck and not one person there said thanks. They don’t know who I am or at what cost is was for me to be there doing that nor did they know anything about the boys who were helping.

 

Well everyone in entitled to make mistakes so rather than frown at those guy who I’m sure are busy and weary themselves…It caused me to reflect on my own form.

Leadership is about a lot of things, there a thousands of books, seminars and training courses (and more) devoted to it. There seems to be no shortage of people who think they are leaders even now there are two “leaders” in some country I read about arguing over who is the rightful leader. Unbelievable. Imagine that…while their people are struggling these two self obsessed men are arguing about who’s in charge. I’ll tell you who is the real leader…neither of those two. It’s the woman or man or child that isn’t so wrapped up in their own identity that they are simply able to serve.

This is where the problem comes in for me. Am I a servant? Do I serve others? Do the people who I’m responsible for feel seen? Am I still just an empty shirt?

I hope I’m growing and changing, I hope there is more substance in my life rather than empty words that are not reflected in my actions.

How many people have given me their time, their resources even parts of their life and in turn I’ve been to self-absorbed to even notice?

 

This Christmas and these holidays I’ll be thinking through whether it’s time for me to learn more how to serve and see others rather than trying to be seen by them.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Dave