Jay Lynn

I usually try to “bloom where I am planted.” It seems like generally good advice for living – be content where you are, find opportunities to grow in any situation, give all of your effort to everything you do, and so on. I said “try,” but the truth is that I have to work hard to bloom where I’m planted. Too often, I am distracted by the new and shiny, or I want to indulge an underlying sense of wanderlust. I want to try something new, become good at it, then move on and tackle something else. That feels like growth to me. Many folks, however, can really and truly bloom where they are planted. No matter where they are, they become essential lynchpins to their environment. They become the…

As a Christian, I get irked by a lot of comments from atheist friends where the word “religious” becomes a pejorative term.  To many folks, the mere presence of faith or spirituality marks me as a fool or a willing dupe. To be called a Christian is to be labeled by default as intolerant and misinformed. The majority of the time, when I see the word atheist, I read “asshat.” Unfortunately, as someone willing to struggle with my own faith and ask tough questions about what it means to be loved by God and how I am obligated to share that love with others, I have the same reaction in the other direction. As someone who once served in professional ministry and now works in a secular environment, I am…

As individuals, we work hard to live authentic lives. But, how do we find authenticity for our businesses and organizations? It’s tough to do. We forget that organizations can be authentic. Worse, we forget that they should be authentic. If you want the short version, here it is: The world is run by and for PEOPLE. Understanding and remembering that fact is essential to maintaining authentic organizations. 1. Remember Your “Why” Why does your organization exist? Why does it do what it does? If your answer is “to make money,” then you’re full of crap. Do you make pornography, sell illegal drugs, support human trafficking, or  bilk little old ladies out of their life savings? If so, then maybe you are in it just for the money. Otherwise, your organization…

Why are some people content to do their tasks quietly and never aspire for more? Why do some people want all of the trappings of success but don’t want to earn them? Why do some people accomplish great things by guiding the efforts of others? How do some people build success from scratch? It’s all about work styles. Let’s look at a few: DOERS Some people are content to find their success in a job well done, be it painting houses, writing code, or putting food on the table. They may have simple needs, finding satisfaction in the completion of one task and moving on to the next one, or they may reserve all of their creative energy for other endeavors or personal projects.  In other words, they are content…

So let’s talk about jerks ((I wanted to title this “10 Ways To Know That You're The Asshat.” That’ really what I was thinking when I wrote this.  I mean, really; some people are just asshats, and some are just plain assholes. In the end, I succumbed to the cultural idea that “nice boys shouldn’t write essays with naughty titles,” and went with “jerk” instead.  I doubt if I would get much in the way of search engine love from the word “asshat” anyway.)) We know they’re out there. You see them everyday. Worse, you may be one. (Update: I was asked for a printable one-sheet short version, so I did it.) As Jeff Foxworthy might say, you might be a jerk if: 1. You think it’s all about you.…

A while back, I found myself in the middle of some heavy-duty business debt. How the debt got there wasn’t really that important, although that story will probably make its way into another essay at some point. What is important is the way that debt took over my life and the life of my family. Everything we did became colored by money – how much we had and how we could get more. It defined nearly every waking moment and every conversation, with questions like: “Can I spend an extra $10 this week?” “Can you wait until payday to buy that item?” “How will we pay for this?” “Can we afford it?” “Can we juggle this account to offset that account?” It really had an impact on my wife, who…

mensch |men ch | noun ( pl. menschen |ˈmen ch ən|or mensches) informal a person of integrity and honor. ORIGIN 1930s: Yiddish mensh, from German Mensch, literally ‘person.’   “A friend will help you move. A true friend will help you move a body.” Some friends are real friends, tried and true. If you need something, they’re right there for you, no questions asked. If you do something for them, they thank you and acknowledge the effort. While the best friendships don’t involve scorekeeping, there remains a certain quid pro quo in the relationship. Everybody gives and everybody receives. These are the relationships on which you should build your life. (For additional help in choosing friends, you can refer to my handy infographic.) Some friends are well-intentioned, but hopelessly disorganized…