Storytelling Up.

I went to see Pixar's Up with my wife and kids the other day, turns out it's a fun film and a great story. Go figure, Pixar...

The people at Pixar are masters of storytelling. From the thoughtful shorts to the depth ridden feature lengths you're given something remarkable every time. And here's what I've noticed. There is no one single Pixar storyteller on any given film but rather a system of storytelling teams.

Practitioners of collective dreaming, communal ideation and collaborative story creation. Believers in sharing.

How often do we try to write ourselves through life on our own?

Self-dependent. Even those accompanied by faith.

Attempting to produce a dream without a dream team.

A few friends and I started a group recently to take on communal story writing for our lives. We're not all from the same background, club, church, sport, school, etc...but therein lies the value, in the difference.

Different but in common.

I think we can all find people like that to write with.

100 Days to Change the World.

Listening to all the talk of Obamaʻs First 100 Days made me feel a little like I missed out on something. That maybe I shouldʻve been in on that challenge. Whatʻs not to like about the premise, you have 100 days to make the world a better place and at the end of that time your work is appraised. Public pressure and deadlines are great motivators.

Audible declarations.

"Iʻm going to read this book" (I never did but nor did I tell anybody I would)
"see this film" (check)
"lose this much weight" (N/A)
"run this marathon" (nah)

...after a certain amount of time you did or didnʻt.

Unfortunately the vast majority of the declarations/resolutions we manufacture revolve around us and not so much the world. Weʻre programmed that way. Scholastic checkpoints, vocational progress, life goals or daily "to dos".

Sure there are moments of generosity where weʻll box up some of our unwanteds and hand deliver them to the local thrift enterprise but in general others arenʻt the most important person in the room.

Anyway...Iʻm thinking Iʻm going to start my own 100 days and see what I can do to help the world. Looks like Iʻll have until August 8th. Iʻll post some ideas and weʻll see how I do.

Maybe you should join me.