Big Ideas, Volume 4 - Marriage

1. Think COVENANT, not CONTRACT ...

Think unlimited responsibility, not limited liability.
Think unconditional love, not conditional "like".
Think commitment, not convenience.
Think selfless, not selfish.
Think forever, not until the expiration of your satisfaction.

2. Know the story. Your spouse's past will influence the future of your marriage. Couples who take the time to learn about each other's lives (both the good and the bad) reap rewards of harmony and longevity in their relationship.

3. Learn the language of love. What says "I love you" to your spouse ...

... acts of service?
... physical touch and intimacy?
... quality time?
... affirmation?
... gifts?

Learn your spouse's love language, and speak it fluently.

4. The Power of Two. Honesty, trust, and mutual submission begat agreement, which is the prime source of power in a marriage. Remember that, in marriage, 1 + 1 = 1, and 1 * 1 = 2.

5. Nurture the gift. Your spouse has an independent purpose on this earth that will complement and supplement yours. Encourage and allow them the freedom to develop their gifts. Work in synergy, and watch it allow you both to accomplish what neither of you could do alone. Then together, you can reap the rich rewards of your common destiny.

6. Freedom of speech ... is tempered by the responsibility to be careful of what you say and how you say it. Value dialogue more than victory, and value listening more than talking.

7. Forgiveness erases, but suppression leaves traces. You can heal whatever you are willing to feel. Confrontation with gentle and loving intent makes real peace, while staying silent to keep peace ultimately declares war.

8. Make love, not war. Sex and intimacy are about far more than the culminating acts of pleasure. Speaking the language of love takes on many forms and facets, all of which will strengthen and deepen your bond.

Big Ideas, Volume 3 - Minding Your Own Business (MYOB)

1. Ministry begats entrepreneurship. When you serve the interests of people, you will gain entrepreneurial insight to their problems. Entrepreneurs develop and implement solutions before others see the problem.

2. Wise chickens lay the eggs first. Comprehensive, coherent, strategic plans catalyze sound budgets - not the other way around.

3. There is no such thing as "their" money. Spend "their" money like you would spend "your" money - carefully and wisely.

4. All money ain't good money. Value always takes precedence over cost. Money is the value you place on your time.

5. There is safety in a multitude of counsel. Seek input and feedback from savvy, thorough, trusted staff members on all strategic matters.

6. Information is understood data. Data fills binders; information drives sound decision making. Analyze data, then synthesize it into information and use it strategically.

7. Use technology to create it - not to consume it.

Copyright © 2010 Derrick Brown and KnowledgeBase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Big Ideas, Volume 2 - Math Education

1. Math is the study of patterns ...

· Arithmetic studies patterns of numbers.
· Algebra studies patterns of variable numbers.
· Geometry studies patterns of shapes.
· Logic studies patterns of thought.
· Calculus studies patterns of motion, change, and space.
· Statistics studies patterns of data.
· Probability studies patterns of chance.
· Linguistics studies patterns of language.
· Topology studies patterns of position.

2. Students must learn to do math, and must then learn what math does.

3. Language (how we use words and sounds to communicate) and discourse (verbal expression in speech and writing) are more important than vocabulary (knowledge of words).

4. Language mastery is the key to content mastery.

5. Language mastery is the key to self-expression - which develops self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

6. Content mastery is predicated upon using self-expression to build self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

Copyright © 2010 Derrick Brown and KnowledgeBase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Big Ideas, Volume 1 - Leadership

1. Every moment matters. What you observe intently and act upon immediately can make huge differences.

2. Respect and manage time properly. People want what they want when they want it, and you sometimes have to teach them how to treat you. Establish consistent protocols and firm boundaries that will minimize interruptions, and enforce them kindly.

3. Skills pay bills. Today's performance-based economy demands leaders who can delegate and demonstrate. Devote time to learning the "how to", even if you have people who will take care of it *for* you. It will engender a mutual respect - employees will respect your leadership, and you will respect what your employees do on your behalf. These acts of servitude and discipleship allow you to in effect multiply yourself.

4. Skills trump wills. In these times, working by brute force and burning the midnight oil only magnify stress and hasten burnout. To not grow weary, work well and efficiently.

5. Do not mistake activity for achievement. A dog that chases his tail looks busy, but accomplishes little. Current dog chasing techniques include back-and-forth email barrages that belabor the obvious and beleaguer the productive. Going-through-the-motion meetings are another example of this phenomenon.

6. "NO" is a blessed word. There are times when you must say "no" to another person's agenda to say "yes" to your purpose and mission. Do not be deterred from your priorities by trying to be all things to all people. Why do you think the letters "n" and "o" are adjacent in our alphabet? It is because they should be used together - say "NO" so you can stay "ON" course!

7. All ideas are great ideas, but no idea is a plan. Plan with the end in mind, but give a hearty respect and consideration to the means required to achieve the end. A shopping list created without consideration of cost or budget is a project disaster waiting to happen!

8. Authority is not power - it is the right to exercise power. Power is the ability to work efficiently. Those who work efficiently amass considerable influence in the workplace.

9. Perception is not reality, but perceptions *shape* reality. Just as perceptions shape reality, though, reality also shapes perception. Speak the truth in love to inform both your own as well as the perceptions of others. Those who think only with their eyes are often easily fooled. What a fool believes, he sees ... and no wise man has the power to reason away.

10. Those who tell often do not know, and those who know often do not tell. Excessive talking and posturing is a telltale sign of an unproductive person. Listen and work more than you talk and shirk (responsibilities). Enough said.

Copyright © 2010 Derrick Brown and KnowledgeBase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.