My brain feels like a Stretch Armstrong. It’s been effectively pulled into 20 directions, and I’m working on reshaping it so it’s not flowing out of my ears.

I’m in Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference–a two-day event that inspires young (and certainly old) leaders in The Church to “stop doing church and start being the church” (Thanks, Christine).  The sheer content of yesterday’s six sessions reminding us that “Tension is Good” was enough to go home with and mull over for weeks (probably more like months). Today we’re going back at it again.

I feel like I need to go home, ask myself where I want to be in ten years, start a charity that changes the world, empower the people I work with, stop human trafficking, do more emotional labor, and figure out what it’s going to take to make my life more congruent with the Bible.  (If you figure out how to do all those things concisely, tweet me). Oh, and should I get a bowlcut (yes, that’s Chris Tomlin in the video).

The thing is, there are so many things I feel are urgent. So many world needs, so many opportunities to change the world around me, and my biggest fear is that I’ll go home and not do a darn thing different. I’m asking you to keep me accountable.

I’ve got big plans (that most certainly involve you) for my birthday and Christmas. Don’t let me get away without sharing with you the opportunities we have.

Let me share with you my biggest takeaways from Thursday’s sessions:

Andy Stanley

• There are constant internal tensions we have with our appetites.
• Our appetites for progress, responsibility, respect, winning, growth, fame, and achievement are constantly asking for more.
• Esau’s appetite cost him his birthright because he couldn’t control it and it changed the course of history (why we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob instead of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau)
• Ask yourself, “What’s my bowl of stew?” (what will tempt you to compromise your future)

Scott Harrison

• Guilt is useless. Charity is about opportunity.
• People want to help they just haven’t been told the right story yet.
• Tell a story that others want to be a part of.

Daniel Pink

• We’re all artists trying to give the world something it didn’t know it was missing.
• Money isn’t our biggest motivator. Autonomy, Master, and Purpose.
• Once you pay someone enough, more money no longer motivates in anything more than a marginal way. Pay them until money isn’t an issue, and then give them the freedom to do great work.
• At the end of the day, ask yourself, “Was I better today than yesterday?“

Christine Caine

• Sheep don’t wake up and say, “I want to be lost.” They get preoccupied.
• The Church is here to help people reroute when they are taking the wrong path and meet them where they are at.
• Compassion doesn’t start until you have to cross the street and use your time, treasure and talents to help people.
• A million is just a statistic until you meet one.

Seth Godin

• We go bowling every day. Trying to be perfect and avoiding gutters, hoping for a strike and afraid to make a mistake.
• Do work that people will miss when you’re gone.
• You win by being more connected, not by being more compliant.
• A resume is just a piece of paper with brand names on it so others can decide how good you are.
• Deniability is why people don’t do emotional labor–labor that makes you vulnerable, is draining, and is the only kind worth doing.
• Do you know how many people want your seat…your platform…your ability to do work that matters? Don’t take it for granted.

Francis Chan

• Put your life in the context of scripture and ask, “Does my life make sense? Could it fit in this book?”
• Ezekiel 16:9; Matthew 25:44-46; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 21:13 What are we doing to help the least of these?

Last Thought: At the end of the day, we need to simply ask ourselves, “Are we doing something that is impacting the lives of others?”