Ten Reasons Why

Ten Reasons Why Corporations Should Love 20-Somethings

10. We're cheap: As entry-level or nearly entry-level salary qualifiers, you don't have to pay us very much. Unlike the 50-somethings who have been getting 3% raises for nearly thirty years, we are willing to be paid under $40,000 a year. In fact, in this economy, we're willing to bargain even lower.

9. We're quick learners: Post-college graduates are already used to being bombarded with new information on a daily basis. So give us a job we're not quite ready for, provide us with a role model or two, and we'll get done what needs to be done.

8. We're fast: Twenty-somethings are used to multi-tasking. We've been balancing class, sports, music, social life, work, studying, and dozens of other extra-curriculars since we were in elementary school. It's second nature. We can handle that 10-foot pile of work. And we'll do it with poise.

7. Technology is not scary: Unlike many employees, we won't throw a fit because you updated our Microsoft Office from 2007 to 2010.

6. We're dedicated: If you give us what we need, we'll give you what you need. While we may think family and friends are equally (more?) important than work, we will be there when you need us. We've pulled all-nighters for college finals. We won't have a problem staying late to get something important done.

5. We're adaptable: We've moved and been moving on and off for 4 or 5 years now. 9 months in one place. 3 months in another. 9 months in a new place. 3 months in another. We're used to change, so when you decide that you're going to change our job title, no problem! We'll happily take on a new challenge.

4. Relocation: Most of us are dying to move somewhere interesting so you can save your $2,000 in relocation grant money. We'll be happy to move to sunny LA on our own budget if it means avoiding Minnesota winters.

3. Spring Break: We're used to getting a break about mid-April, and since we'll only have one or two weeks of vacation, we'll be out of PTO by the time the summer vacation rush begins.

2. Facebook and Twitter: You may think these are reasons to stay away from time-wasting 20-somethings BUT you'd be wrong! Through these speedy media outlets, we are being bombarded with marketing in the 21st century, and we'll naturally have ideas about how best to market your products to well...everyone.

1. We are your target market: Chances are your business is trying to reach us. The quickest way to figure out what we want is from the inside out. Give it a try. We'll tell our friends. (Our facebook friends. All 1,000 of them. And they'll tell their friends... and...)

guatemeaning

I just returned from a trip to serve the people of the rural villages in Guatemala. My heart is full.

I think Nate put it beautifully when he said that this trip gives the members of our team an opportunity to reach those whom we can't help from inside our offices or our cubicles. Yes, we do meaningful work at home - raising kids, helping sick people through Mayo clinic, providing hospitality to families through our work, homes, and church. But that doesn't mean that our work in the world is done. This trip gave us an opportunity to reach out across borders, across miles, across our own personal boundaries, to help people who need it.

Heather said it well: Guatemala sticks to people. It's true. I have served in different places in this country - Kansas City, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, Tennessee... but I have never before experienced the warmth and gratitude that the people of Guatemala expressed to us. They lit a flame within us - a flame that will burn throughout the months to come, a flame that will remind us to keep on giving because that's why we're here. We're blessed to be a blessing.

My strongest impressions from my trip are of the people of Guatemala. Our interpreters, drivers, construction workers... the people whose teeth we pulled, whose stories we heard, who simply came to us looking for a little relief from the hard work they live through each and every day. One woman told the story of how her husband died a month ago. He was working on a cliff and fell. She expressed worry about pain in her chest, feet, legs, and worries about the fact that she had headaches and was quick to anger with her children. She was 32 and has 4 kids to support on her own.

I gave my Spark Story Bible to one of our intepreters. His name is Raul, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is one of the funniest guys we met, always filling the air with his infectious laughter. He also is one of the most gracious people we met. He expressed gratitude to us - the angels that have been sent to him to help him find his way. He praised his mother, who planted in him the desire to be good and do good and spread good to the people in his life. We couldn't have done it without him or Ivan or Jose or Fernando or Emerson or Alberto or any of the other Guatemalans who worked with us. They are grateful to us for giving them work, but we are more grateful to them for making it possible for us to do God's work.

Faith is not easy, but the people of Guatemala are filled with it. They think we were sent to be blessings to them, but we received countless blessings in return.

strengthsfinder is a bust

The more I read my StrengthsFinder book, the more I realize that a program such as StrengthsFinder has an impossible goal. Each of the billions of people on this earth is completely different, and it doesn't matter how many buckets you try to put them into because you can't. Put people into buckets that is. This realization is almost painful for me because I need to know. What am I? Who am I? Why am I that way? I want the pieces in place to I can say things like...Well of course I made that decision because my Arranger told my Empathy that I needed to Activate my Intellect. Got that? Me either.

But every time I take a test such as StrengthsFinder or Myers-Briggs, I have two experiences. One...I feel like I know where the questions are leading. It's easier to answer based on what I think it right than to really know what is strongly ME. And two... I am never sure I agree with the results.

Myers-Briggs puts you into big buckets. I'm sure their goal is to catch as many people accurately in those buckets as they can. INFJ - Introvert, Intuition, Feeling, Judging. Yeah okay I'd agree that that's me, but how do I really USE that information.

StrengthsFinder tries to give you information that you can use. They have many more smaller buckets, but because of this I wonder if the nuances between the types are sometimes lost. Input, Arranger, Empathy, Learner, Intellection. Yes, I suppose these describe me, but Input, Learner, and Intellection are so similar. Arranger is close to Strategic. Achiever and Maximizer are also on the same path. So many of the types have the same goal but different motivations. And I find it hard to believe that a series of questions can truly detect those nuances. One time I take the test I get Arranger. Another time I get Strategic. But truly, WHY did that change?

And when are they going to tell my why I always need to know WHY? No one's ever explained that to me, but I'll be darned if it isn't one of my most driving characteristics.

help! i can't relax.

I miss blogging. I can't seem to slow down enough these days to think about much of anything. And when I do slow down long enough to think, I begin to panic about one thing or another. How am I going to pay for my furniture? What if I lose my job? What would I do if he left me? What am I going to do for youth group on Sunday? When am I going to get the laundry done? How many miles did I put on my new car this week? When will I find time to go see Grandma? What if my nephews grow up without getting to spend any time with me? Do I have any food to eat? Why did I buy that? Why did I eat that? On and on...

I'm a bit nuts, it's true.

So I'm putting out the call. What do you do to slow down without letting the crazy in? What do you do to relax without letting your mind start whirling? I need some tips or I'm going to be 40 in heartbeats before I'm 30 in years. Yikes.

love in any language

At Bethany's suggestion, I've been (for free) reading about the Five Love Languages. I spend a lot of time trying to understand myself, and this is one part of myself that I haven't had much time to get to know. Everyone is likely a candidate for all love languages, and I'm no different. I see all of these in me. The languages are:

Words of Affirmation

Words carry a lot of power. And I am a Davis. Davises historically need to hear that they are doing well. We take negative things personally. We soak up positive words like sponges. Hearing that I am loved is warming. Hearing that someone appreciates me fills my heart. If I never heard these encouraging, loving words, I'd probably wonder if I really was loved.

Quality Time

If you were to ask me to respond in five seconds which love language I speak, I would respond with Quality Time. I thrive on phone conversations, walks around the lake, and 7th inning stretch Q&A sessions. I feel stressed when there isn't enough time in the day to fit in the communication, whether in person or on the phone, that I need to learn, understand, and grow in love.

Receiving Gifts

I am not good at giving or receiving gifts. I have also never been showered in flowers and candy, but this love language goes deeper. Buying Twins tickets or dinner, giving of yourself, and the occasional framed picture of us means a lot to me. It's easy to say how much you love each other, but it's harder to show it. Gifts, both physical and personal, give me a lot of comfort about love. If we're willing to go that extra mile, it must mean something important. But this could easily be a standard set by society that I've fallen for as opposed to a deep need within me. In any case, I appreciate gift-getting (and giving, too).

Acts of Service

While this isn't my primary language, I see this one, too. Bachelor pads can be scary places! A little vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, bed making, dishes doing, and bed making can go a REALLY long way. This is another way that I can see love, and I appreciate the dedication. But if you asked me whether a clean bathroom would make or break my relationship with someone, I'd say probably not.

Physical Touch

This is important in every relationship. There are days when I want to be enveloped by someone's arms. There are moments when I need my own physical space. In any case, the moments when fingertips and foreheads can communicate a million thoughts are the moments when you truly know that love is there.

I guess you're not really supposed to pick "one" love language that is yours. All of these are in all of us. It's a matter of taking the intentional time to learn what's important about these to your partner. We are all capable of touching, serving, giving, sharing time, and encouraging. You must, however, be willing to give of yourself the things your partner needs. Maybe you hate cleaning, but what matters most to your partner is having a clean house. Can you make this sacrifice for your love? Maybe, maybe not. My grandma always tells me that love and marriage aren't easy. And there are going to be some days when you'll hate each other. But both parties need to make it their responsibility to know the way to bring love back to the center.

what makes you laugh?

Laughter is so universal. Laughter is the physical incarnation of joy. Laughter clears clouds and soothes spirits. Laughter spreads smiles. People laugh in the face of fear and trial because our bodies and minds get so wrought with tension and worry that they must release. Laughter replaces discomfort. Laughter is a greeting and a farewell. Children laugh without effort. Megan Kailhofer laughs without sound. Laughter is pretty darn important.

I'm beginning to realize that the point at which I am most comfortable with you, the point at which I finally feel like I am starting to know you, is the point at which I learn what makes you laugh. If I can make you laugh, or if we can laugh together, we are friends.

Never underestimate the power of humoring the absurd.

what language does your soul speak?

Obviously, I am not a particularly regular blogger. I blog when I feel it will do my body, mind, and spirit a bit of good. 

Earlier today, I was remembering a story I heard last summer from a mother/grandmother/sister/friend/lifelong Sunday school teacher. The story when something like this:

"I was with my 5 year old grandson the other day and he asked, 'Grandma, what's a soul?' I looked at him and said, 'You and your daddy are both boys, right? Are you and your daddy the same?' He laughed and said, 'No, Grandma! That's silly!' So I said, 'Well, you and your sister are both kids. Are you and your sister the same?' He said, 'No!' I said, 'Well, what about you and me? We are both people. And we're family, so are we the same?' He said, 'No.' 'Your soul,' I said, 'is what makes you you. So even though you are a person, like me. And even though you are a kid like your sister. And even though you are a boy like your daddy, you aren't me or your sister or your daddy. You are you.'"

I don't think a lot about my soul, but it seems to me that my soul is the invisible, intangible fingerprint of my me. My soul doesn't speak to me with words or leave sticky notes on my mirror, but somehow it motivates me. It pushes me in one direction or another. Sometimes, my soul speaks in music notes and chords. Sometimes my soul speaks through colors. Sometimes my soul speaks with weather. Oftentimes, my soul speaks stomach ache. 

I read this article called "Soul Man" Monday on the bus ride to New Orleans. The article summarizes an interview with Paul Giamatti about the new movie "Cold Souls." The movie turns the souls of people into physical representations. Giamatti says of his own soul, “I’m seeing a hand-painted ceramic toad,” Giamatti said. “A nice one, though. Not a crappy Chia Pet one. Something decorative for the yard. It doesn’t pull the room together or anything, but it’s out there, and occasionally you notice it and you say, ‘Oh, I kind of like that thing, that—what is it?—that toad thing.’ ”

Other souls he represents with a doorknob, humming bird, or roasted ear of corn. It's hard to imagine what my soul might be if it took on physical form. An old three-legged chair with no arms? With a definite tendency to fall over. But used and overused nonetheless. Or maybe an old spiral bound notebook with lots of blurry pencil notes throughout its pages. I might be aging myself. I suppose it could be a half glass of water in perpetual motion. Or an old shag carpet in a faded green or orange. 

What does your soul look like? What language does it speak? What makes you different from the other 6.7 billion breathing, speaking, living people in the world?