J.C. Lewis

A mentor once suggested that I look at a career in thirds...

In the first third, you learn to do it.
In the second third, you do it for real.
In the final third, you reap the benefits.

That always stuck with me, and while I have only had 6 years of work experience and additional schooling, I wonder if I am entering the 2nd third of my career already.  Or, if not, then what skill do I need to continue to learn so that I can be effective when the next phase comes?  The question for me is, what did I do before?

I continue to benefit from the wonderful experience I gained working for one of the world's largest companies.  I think large scale all the time, I develop relevant solutions for large scale, I can design custom products, and I can proficiently buy a large number of items and manage their delivery.  Believe it or not, these are recent realizations.  These are only touched on in my resume, and likely not even mentioned in my past job descriptions.  There are some acquired skills that just come with the territory.  There are some skills that continue to be used even as you progress through an organization.

So what does it mean?  This background would make me some sort of consultant, possibly in supply chain or operations, or a similar manager at another major company.  That just doesn't resonate with me though, unless you're talking about the developing world.  There's the rub.

~JC

I have seen some interesting developments within the past year with regard to activism.  This also represents a new trend.  Our generation, until recently, has not had to protest.  We did not feel a need to speak out, and we were content to play by the rules society set forth.

However, we have seen the Occupy movement, Joseph Kony, and very recently the Treyvon Martin protests.  Regardless of your individual beliefs for each of these movements, the events, participation, and organization are conditioning our generation to do more than just see problems.  People are now becoming open to doing something about the problems.

I was in Union Square briefly last night during the Treyvon Martin protests.  During the time Iwas there, I saw a large contingent of police vehicles line 14th street.  It was an impressive show, and I saw it as just that... a show.  With lights flashing and an increased presence, the force was clearly there.  It sent the message it had to, and thankfully did not deter protests.

As we have seen, protest = awareness.  I am very interested in the organization side of it.  We live in a world where we have been desensitized to most things.  It seems as the pendulum is swinging in the other direction.  We are simply tired of seeing blatant injustices, and are now willing to say and do something about it even if it does not impact us directly.  This represents a major shift.  And, as time goes on, the causes will become more important, better articulated, and more and more difficult to ignore.

If I had to guess, I think Congress' turn is coming.  My father described Congress and its structure as being slow and deliberate, so that new programs are carefully vetted before implementation.  In other words, progress takes time.  However, we continue to see a broken system.  Over the past two decades, we have become a society that expects change quickly.  The internet and broad access to information has increased our expectations of how quickly we are "satisfied" in terms of answered questions and communication.  Our political system however, has slowed.  The increased polarization has led to a group that is largely unwilling to compromise in the interest of progress.  It has resulted in a handicap for our country, and one that affects us and will affect our children.

I do not know what the solution is, but again I have some ideas.  It comes back to us no longer accepting what we see today as the norm.  We need to imagine a future that makes sense, and simply work to push society in that direction.  It is not by force.  As with these protests we have seen, there are causes people can agree to and rally behind.  This is a big one.

~JC

Perhaps there are only two categories of people: Visionaries and Executors.  Visionaries see a future and garner support, while executors have a limited view of what lies ahead, but can implement a plan.

Growing up, I remember hearing my grandmother call my name from the kitchen.  It carried with it a sense of immediacy and sometimes adrenaline.  I always rushed to her to find a meal, a chore, or a scolding.  Regardless, it was always important, even though I often dreaded obeying.  Until recently, I felt the same when it came to God.  My entire life, I went to church and even attended a Catholic school from Kindergarten through 8th grade.  Last year, amid confusion about my future, feelings of loneliness, and a deep sense of being lost, I decided to put the many teachings into practice and started to truly listen and obey God's call.  Since then, life has been easier.  When I gave up trying to go my own way, the life and direction I always wanted became clear.  My purpose was being given to me, and was not something I was supposed to determine on my own.

What matters most to me is being obedient to going where God leads me.  In April of 2010, my pastor announced that there would be a mission trip.  I immediately dismissed the idea of going.  It was not for me.  However, the idea went from something I dismissed, to something I wrestled with.  The following is an excerpt from a letter I sent in September to family and friends.  This purely captures my heart and motivations.

In God's perfect wisdom, Haiti showed me exactly what I needed to see, and solidified the direction I am to head in.  As I built shelters, I brainstormed a design that was easier to build, however, I did not realize until the third day that we were never short of help from the villagers while building these shelters.  The labor intense design drew people to come and help rebuild their community.  If it were too easy, there would be no opportunity to help.  My process-oriented mind had been missing the point.

The goal is not to determine how to provide relief better, it is to do what is necessary to enable people to help themselves.  This builds individual spirit, which then builds a community.  The communities will build a nation.  This is my view of social innovation.  This realization is the reason I was sent to go to Haiti.

Social innovation is my direction.  I acknowledge I am on perfect journey to finding my purpose and doing good work in this world.  Once I decided to give up the life I tried to hold on to, I was shown the life and direction I always wanted.  This is why being obedient to where God leads me matters most.  In Him, I find peace, purpose, and victory.

~JC