Terry Storch Dispatch w.36.2019
Dispatch w.36.2019
How can we imagine what our lives should be without the illumination of the lives of others? —James Salter
This week I have been processing and thinking about pursuing discomfort. Not physical pain—though I have plenty of that because of the torn calf muscle! I mean a different type of discomfort. That might sound a little dysfunctional, but stay with me a moment.
We all have different discomforts, right? For instance, you may be more challenged in the emotional-expression arena, and stepping into that brings a lot of discomfort. Or, if you are extremely guarded and private, then pursuing deep, transparent relationships may bring deep discomfort. I could list out dozens of areas that may bring discomfort, but at the same time we must recognize: the other side of discomfort will bring a better version of you. Just like the basic analogy of working out—yes, it may be painful at first, but strength and stability come on the other side of discomfort.
For me, discomfort is in stillness, quiet, and rest. I have become more aware of this challenge recently with the addition of yoga. There has been major discomfort with my lack of flexibility, but a deeper discomfort comes from slowing down and appreciating the stillness and relaxation that comes from the practice. I could blame my wiring and natural bent toward execution and production, but I believe pursuing discomfort is a discipline we need to apply to all areas of our lives.
What is an area of discomfort you have been avoiding? Maybe it’s time to lean in to one of them today.
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? The Dispatch offers bite-sized chunks of leadership, technology and random tidbits I found interesting this week.
You can sign up here.
100% commitment is easier than 98% commitment. I know, this statement is easier for me as an “all-in or all-out guy.” In our LifeGroup, we are walking through the Enneagram, and I was reminded that the “all-in/all-out” tendency is very much tied to the Enneagram 8. So, back to 100% commitment: this 17-minute Ted Talk is a fantastic use of your time. Benjamin Hardy, Organizational Psychologist, unpacks how the 100% rule can change your life. Check it out. (watch now)
Are you maximizing your 401K? I know it’s not sexy or fun, but please, please, please get started now! If you are a parent, talk to your kids about it. Getting started early makes a difference because your savings and earnings will have more time to compound. If you started investing $250 a month at 25, you'd accumulate $878,570 by age 65, assuming an 8% average annual investment return. If you start at 35, you'll have just over $375,000. (read more)
On the topic of saving and investing. This past week I discovered Titan, an investment platform. I really like Titan’s approach: not specifically investing in ETFs but instead building a vetted and selected pool of stocks. You can see Titan YTD is outperforming the S&P 500. I personally moved a little over to Titan to play around and see how it works. If you want to try it out, use this link - it will reduce your fees by 25%.
I am a huge Tom Peters fan. This quote and the concept of MBWA has been a key to my leadership style for decades. This short video talks more about it and highlights Starbucks founder Howard Schultz. (MBWA is not that easy in a boot and crutches, by the way. ☹️)
A leader's Daily Activity #1 is MBWA (MANAGING BY WANDERING AROUND.) Daily. Daily = EVERY DAY. No excuses. Ever. And, if you don't LOVE doing regular MBWA, choose another career!!!
—Tom Peters
Tom’s latest book The Excellence Dividend is a must read!
Life.Church is continuing to grow, as well as my Digerati teams. I want to highlight one key role in each of my five teams. Take a moment and review the roles, and share them with anyone you know who might be interested. And speaking of the 401K, we do have amazing benefits and a top notch culture! If you have any questions, just click reply.
MarCom Director, Church Online Team
Product Designer, Interactive Team
Director of Cyber Security & SRE, IT Team
Site Reliability Engineer, Open Network Team
Software Engineer, YouVersion Team
All Life.Church careers listed here: