Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web.
Video of the Week
The Puzzle of Motivation, Daniel Pink. This TED talk looks at a common practice that we might all be doing wrong—motivating people. We’re all familiar with “if-then” rewards. If you hit this mark, then you’ll get a raise (or the opposite…gulp). And that might work for some tasks. But Pink points out that external motivators actually hurt us for most 21st-century jobs. So what does motivate? The magic trio of internal motivators: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Articles of the Week
At least You’re Married Or Single, Lore Ferguson. It’s a simple line that many of us give to each other, and it’s meant to be encouraging. But it often feels a little patronizing. Married people tell singles, “Well, at least you’re single,” because they recognize the freedom that singleness affords. And single people do the opposite: “Well, at least you’re married,” since marriage creates built-in community. Neither group is 100% wrong, but it’s often easier to see the blessings in someone else’s situation and not the challenges. Wise words here.
The Great eBook Battle of 2016, Trevin Wax. If you’re reading this, chances are good you don’t mind reading things online. But do you prefer reading on digital devices in general? Serious readers are starting to muster their forces, either for Team EBook or Team Print. Wax weighs in on the battle, offering his own winner in the fight (Team Print by a nose). You don’t have to agree with his conclusion, though, to benefit from this. Do your research. Boldly pick a side. And read.
Do I Have White Privilege? Yes. Now What? David Spickard. Many white people get uncomfortable with the phrase “white privilege,” because it can often be used as a war cry to prompt shame or a political talking point. But as Spickard points out, we don’t have to be defensive. Instead, we should be aware. More than that, Spickard points out three helpful steps for those of us in a majority culture.
Four Reasons Your Leadership Suffers When You Cheat Sleep, Michael Hyatt. One of the masochistic badges of honor in a performance-driven society like ours is to be so busy and working so hard that we don’t have time to sleep. But if you care about the people you’re leading, burning the midnight oil is the wrong way to show it. As he says, “If you’re cheating your sleep as a leader, your team pays the price.” So don’t be selfish: get more sleep. We’ll all thank you.
On The Lighter Side
Top 30 Christian Pick-Up Lines, Blimey Cow. Compare this with the “existential riddles” of a couple weeks ago, and you’re likely to find a significant drop in the level of maturity. Perhaps good for a slight chuckle or a shake of the head. (And, if you’re really at a dead end with the opposite sex, you could do worse…but not much worse.)
Wisdom For Your Weekend is presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from J.D. Greear. This is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
