It’s hot.  Extremely crowded (10 million people in Bangkok alone).  The streets are confusing.  Traffic is awful.  And language can definitely be a barrier.

So why Bangkok?

Well, there are several answers I could give, so I’ll try and hit a few over the next couple of days. I’ll start with the big reason why.

The PEOPLE.

Thai people are just….wonderful!  They’re extremely friendly, warmhearted, and very, very kind.  In fact, so far in three visits to Thailand, I have never once (that I can remember) had an unpleasant interaction with a Thai person.  Even my argument the other day with the cab driver who was insistent on taking me to a jewelry shop so that he could get gas credit…well even that ended up turning into laughter as we both realized that we had no idea what the other one was saying.  (Just for the record, there was no visit to a jewelry store or tailor shop that time.  I learned that lesson the hard way on my first visit!)

There’s a reason why Thailand is called “The Land of Smiles.”  If you smile, they’ll return it.  Almost always. And oh yeah…they love our children – especially Alex.  Lots of soft pats and squeezes.  And the shyer he is, the more they love it.

Thai people are beautiful people.  You see it in the way they treat one another.  (Consider the way they cooperate and yield to one another in  traffic!  Quite a contrast from what we see in Chicago.)  You see it in the simple, yet  respectful way they greet one another and even outsiders (a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion).  You see it in their generosity and service.  You see it in the way they respect, love, and honor their king.  You see it everywhere.

Thank you Thai friends for sharing your beauty with the world.  There is much you are teaching us.

Read this great quote by Richard Rohr the other day:

How you get there determines where you arrive and what you arrive as.

I could apply this to so many areas of my life right now….but as I read it, I couldn’t help but think about it through the very practical lenses of the journey my family is taking to Thailand next week.

20 hour flight + 3 kids + layover + jet lag + trying to disconnect my brain from my regular pace of work and life = CRAZINESS.  There’s no way around it.  And unfortunately, I know my tendencies all too well – especially when it involves slowing down and transitioning into a slower pace.  Been there, done that….and quite often, not very well.

So I’m making some internal, up-front decisions about how I’m going to handle the crazy parts of the journey.  And I’m determined to be intentional about making the “how you get there” part as great of an experience as I can for everyone – or at the very least, contribute towards it in a positive way – instead of a way that will only add to the tension, frustration, and craziness that the journey will inevitably bring.  I have to….because Rohr’s right – the “where we arrive” and the “what we arrive as” parts depend on it.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

In less than two weeks my family and I will be boarding a plane and heading to the other side of the world for a six-week excursion through the beautiful country of Thailand!  This will be my third visit there and my family’s first.  As you can imagine, we’re all very excited and looking forward to all of the crazy and unique experiences I’ll look forward to sharing with you about!

As of right now, our plan is to spend time wandering the urban concrete jungle, Bangkok (population approx 10 million), soaking in the beauty of Koh Samui and the surrounding islands down south in the Gulf of Thailand, and experiencing the rich Thai culture of Chiang Mai up north.  We’re going to get it all – CITY, BEACH, JUNGLE.  And while we do have a plan, we’re also holding onto it lightly and with a ton of flexibility so that we can move fluidly and quickly wherever and whenever we decide.  I’m also looking forward to seeing and hanging out with a handful of friends while we’re there (and making a few new ones)!

We are so thankful for our staff, board, leaders, church community, and friends who have all been incredibly supportive and excited with us!  My sense is that the time we’re away for is going to be a significant time for The Orchard as well.  Our team is strong, engaged, excited, and will continue to lead with excellence while we’re away.  They’re also preparing to launch a great follow up series to YOU 2.0 that I believe is going to be incredibly relevant and challenging for our entire tribe!  I can’t wait to hear what God does while we’re away!

While I’m not totally sure what our Internet situation will be throughout the trip (should be pretty good), I do hope to share some of our experiences with you via Twitter (which feeds to my Facebook page), Instagram, and here on my blog.  You can also sign up to receive all of my blog updates via email by entering your email in the box at the top right of this page.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and love!  I’m looking forward to a couple more weekends together with our Orchard tribe before we leave.  Our departure date is May 22nd and we’ll be returning the first week of July.

Google map links: Thailand, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai

Ok…it’s been a while.  Here we go.

Just found what’s going to keep me occupied for my 20+ flight to Thailand next month. Genius!

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do – Fantastic.

Wow, this video of an elderly man reacting to hearing music from his era is powerful and touching to say the least.  Don’t tell me that art can’t help change the world.

Have you listened to Gotye yet?  If not, this video will give you every reason why you should.  (In the words of Ben Thomas, it is “holy crap amazing.”  I agree.)

Check out these Muppet chalk art murals on the walls of the Sesame Workshop office in NYC.  I want one.

Timeless Tag Designs.  It’s about time they get noticed.

A coffee faucet that brews the perfect cup of coffee.  Hmmm…this is kind of resonating with me.

The NYC’s Department of Records has released more than 870,000 images of NYC dating as far back as the mid-1800′s online.  These are incredible. More here. (via Kottke)

And lastly…Bookmobiles of the World.  Yes, I think this is cool.  Check out the one from Kenya.

About a year and a half ago I began getting a picture of some major shifts that needed to take place in my leadership.  They were big one’s.  And the clearer those shifts became, the more I found myself asking myself:  “Do I have what it takes?”

Fast forward 18 months – today – March 30, 2012.  

For now, I’ll skip getting into all the details of what’s transpired, but I will tell you that this past year and a half has been one of the most energizing, clarifying, and invigorating seasons of leadership I’ve ever experienced.  More on that later…

But here are a couple of things I’ve learned that might help some of you.

Don’t think that you are the only one asking this question.  

I’m convinced that the majority of (if not all) leaders who are leading anything that requires internal growth and change all have moments when they find themselves asking this question.

I also think it’s complete B.S. that most of them never get honest about it and aren’t willing to (at some point) share about their journey through it with those they’re leading.

Listen….people need to hear this.  It will be a great help to them!  They need to hear that there will be times when you will doubt whether or not you truly do have what it takes to lead.  There will be times when you will wonder if you’ve hit your lid and need to move on so that you don’t become a lid for your organization/church/whatever.

You aren’t crazy.  Just because you don’t always hear these types of things being talked about from the conference stage doesn’t mean that even the greatest leaders aren’t struggling with this question from time to time.

This is a good question, but I don’t think it’s necessarily the right question. 

I don’t think the primary question should be: Do I have what it takes?  The more important question is: Is this where God wants me to be?  Am I supposed to be here?

The question of whether or not you have what it takes is always secondary!  Think about it – Do you have what it takes in that moment when you’re asking yourself that question?  Probably not!

BUT….if you have a conviction that you are where you’re SUPPOSED to be….then it really comes down to an issue of trust.  Trust that God will honor your YES to him.  Trust that he will show you what steps need to be taken.  Trust that he will bring the right people around you to do what you are unable to do alone.

So instead of asking that question from where you’re at right now – reframe it and ask it through the lenses of faith and trust.  Ask it with your eyes pointed forward into the future.

Assuming that I am where God wants me to be….

• WILL I have what it takes….as I bring more and more of the right people around me to help?  
• WILL I have what it takes….as I continue to grow and stretch myself as a leader?  
• WILL I have what it takes….when God provides future resources that I’m unable to see right now?  

And the answer is.  (INSERT DRUM ROLL)……….  Yes, I believe so.

Now move forward and lead from there.

I’m not a big “model” guy when it comes to organizational strategy.  While I definitely recognize and admire fresh, innovative ideas that other people are accomplishing, it’s very seldom that I find myself jumping to adapt someone else’s idea or approach in the contexts where I’m leading or creating.  Don’t get me wrong, models certainly can be helpful, but if we’re not careful, they can also paralyze us.

Case in point…  A couple years ago I learned of a particular structure/model that was working very effectively for another organization that I really admire.  And it just so happened that it was proving very successful in an area that we were really struggling to make progress in.  So, I decided that we were going to adapt that approach and make it work for us.  The only problem was that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it to work in our context.  In fact,  the more I tried to make it work, the more frustrated and stuck we became!

Eventually, what I realized was that I was trying to force ourselves into a model that was birthed out of an entirely different story, culture, and DNA than ours.  Their approach was grown organically out of who they were, what they valued, and where they came from.  The most freeing moment came for me when I gave myself permission to walk away from the model and instead shifted my focus on our own context – who we have and where we’re realistically and currently at organizationally. 

And guess what?  We saw almost instant progress!

I think often times, models carry an assumption with them that says: “You have what it takes to make it work!”  But the fact is, you may not.  And that’s ok!  Chances are, it took some time for the other guys to evolve, morph, and grow into whatever “model” is currently effective for them.

Bottom line?

Allow successful models to inspire, provoke, and start conversations.  But don’t allow them to dictate or lock you in to a certain strategy or plan that you may not be ready for….or that may not even be right for you at all!

And if you are going to use someone else’s model….. ADAPT, ADAPT, ADAPT to your own unique context and DNA.

What would you add to this conversation?

An interview with Apple’s design guru, Sir Jonathan Ive.

Um. Wow.  Starbucks is rolling out some sweet concept stores – like this one in Amsterdam and this one in Fukuoka, Japan.

Seth Godin’s list of books he says are worth reading.

A great work shout out to Granger Community Church on their fantastic and creative use of infographics to cast vision and celebrate stories.

I’ve really been enjoying listening to The Soil & The Sun.  Thanks Ben Arment for the recommendation!

This is interesting…  Choosing the right cover for the New York Times Magazine.

I have no idea who this dude is, but dang….this is really cool.  Jim LePage has done some cool work creating designs for each book of the Bible.  Great work!

I love food trucks.  I’ve gone out of my way to stop and enjoy the food truck scene in Austin, LA, Venice, Portland, NYC, and elsewhere.  Here’s an article from Good.is: Why We Need Food Trucks In a Recession.  I say bring on the food trucks!  How about it Aurora??