Gen-Spoiler

 

“People often ask me how Lost is going to end.  I usually tell them to ask Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who run that series.  But I always wonder, do they really want to know?  And what if I did tell them?  They might have an aha moment, but without context.  Especially since the final episode is a year away.  That is to say, the experience – the setup for a joke’s punch line, the buildup to a magic trick’s big flourish – is as much of a thrill as the result.  There’s discovery to be made and wonder to be had on the journey that not only enrich the ending but in many ways define it.”

 

J.J. Abrams – Creator of the TV Series Alias, Lost, and Fringe; the director of MI3, Cloverfield, and the upcoming Star Trek prequel – from a recent article in WIRED Magazine

 

What does this generation have against “Mystery”?  The warning in red caps “SPOILER ALERT” appears in almost every article I read these days, especially if it concerns an upcoming book or film.   Leaked screenplays, stolen drafts, and pirated videos are almost as commonplace as influenza, and twice as nauseating.  Whatever happened to the “discovery of the journey…” as Abrams alludes?

 

I love Abrams’s work and creative philosophy, which he describes in my favorite TED video entitled “The Mystery Box”:

 

 

Now as much as I enjoy ranting about the Gen-Spoilers, I’m also a card-carrying Spoileraholic when it comes to God’s plan.  What’s the next step?  Where’s the money coming from?  Will my kid get good enough grades?  Am I going to be able to take that vacation?  Did my 401k drop today?  Will Ben Laden attack next month?  Yada, yada, yada, la tee la tee da.

 

I know God loves me but sometimes I picture His eyes rolling and Him saying, “Where’s the love, boy?  Where’s the trust?.”  Thanks, J.J. for the “spiritual” insight; I’ll try harder to enjoy the “…wonder to be had on the journey” that will not only enrich my “ending” but also, in many ways, define it.

 

 

Black Swans and the 4th Grade

 

Bob Biehl is a great consultant, an excellent speaker, and one of my favorite authors.  I’ve read almost everything he’s written; I’ve also attended two of his one-day seminars entitled “A Day with Bob Biehl.”  These workshops are usually held near an airport so that executives and ministry leaders from around the country can fly in the morning of the event and depart early that same evening.

 

I was so impressed by the first “day with Bob” that I took my son, my son-in-law, and a young sales manager from work the second time around.  The president of Focus on the Family, a Vice President from Chick-fil-a, a number of successful business owners, and directors of multiple international ministries were among the attendees.  

 

At the end of the day Biehl fielded questions from the audience on any topic.  One attendee asked, “Can entrepreneurship be taught?”  Biehl’s answer was, I thought, profound.  He stated that although some people can learn entrepreneurship later in life, most entrepreneurs surface in the 4^th grade.  Jaws dropped around the room, and before mouths could close, Biehl asked, “How many of you in the room are entrepreneurs?”  A number of hands went up. 

 

Beihl pointed at those raising hands one by one with the same question, “What were you doing in the 4^th grade?”  Without exception, all answered with statements like, “I had a paper route at 5:30 every morning,”… “I asked my dad for a job at his business,”… “I mowed lawns for extra money,”…”I fixed bikes,”…”I strung tennis rackets.”   I was stunned, and sobered at the reality of Biehl’s illustration – a point he had made at similar meetings for over twenty years.

 

Yesterday I downloaded version 2.0 of the iPhone software.  Several weeks ago I downloaded a video of Steve Jobs’s announcement of the upgrade to his industry leading communication tool (leading by about 10 light years).  The iPhone is a Black Swan (good bird), so is the iPod.  Both changed the rules in their respective industries.  I’d love to ask Jobs what he was doing in the 4^th grade.

 

Do you see the buds of a growing entrepreneur in your son; even if he’s only in the 4^th grade?  If you do, I encourage you to cultivate it and allow him to be involved in entrepreneurial activities beyond his age.  You may be planting the seeds of dreams that could result in Black Swans that rock the next generation – maybe the next iPhone, maybe the next cure…like this teenager:

 

 

The Mystery Box

 

This week I watched a video of  J.J. Abrams (director of Alias, Lost, Mission Impossible III, and the upcoming Star Trek prequel) delivering a great talk from the 2007 TED Conference.  He titled his talk “The Mystery Box”.   The talk is 20 minutes, but well worth the time to view (caveat – he curses a few times) 

 

 http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/205

Abrams describes his love for mystery – which is evident in everything he produces.  He also discusses his love for his grandfather, who cultivated his curiosity and love for story.  On one outing, Abram’s grandfather took him to a hole-in-the-wall magic shop in Chicagor where Abrams purchased a sealed package entitled “$50 of Magic for $15”.  

 

 

 

 

 

Abram’s keeps the still unopened box on his shelf as a reminder of 2 things:

 

His love for his grandfather

The hope of unlimited possibilities

 

Abrams also describes how often mystery hides itself in movies like Jaws and Die Hard.  The real story of Jaws is not a shark – it’s about a guy finding his way in a new community and culture.  Die Hard is not about crazy action (however cool the action is), it’s about a divorced policeman trying to reunite with his wife.  

 

Abrams isn’t alone in his love for mystery; God permeates his Story with mystery every day for every individual.  But how often do we trust him for the contents of our “Box”?   I have determined that if I embrace the mystery and trust Him for what only he can do – namely “unlimited possibilities” (as Abram describes it) – then each day can become an Adventure. 

 

The catch is… the box may hold a porcupine or even a live grenade, rather than an all expense ticket to Fantasyland.  We (as Abrams also states) often don’t know what the Story is really about.  I can’t be sure of the contents in my box, pleasant or non, but I do know Who created the package and my Story.  Based on Who He is and what He’s already done, that should be enough.

 

So here’s a suggestion – cultivate a love for mystery, for yourself and your children.  How about this for starters – order a small leather bound bible from Amazon and have it shipped to your house.  Amazon allows you to include a personal note in the package, so write something similar to this:

 

Even though mystery of this box is over, trust the Author of  the book inside this box for His next mystery.

 

When the package arrives, draw a large question mark on the outside and place the box in full view.  Tell your kids the box belongs to them, but ask them to commit never to open the box as a reminder of God’s mystery and infinite possibilities.  If they nag you to the point you feel you are being nibbled to death by a duck – then let them open the box and read the note.  Either way, lesson learned. 

 

The mental image of the above picture provides a constant reminder for me to trust Him, and when I trust – I get excited about unlimited possibilities.