Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 08-02-2010
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Every generation has that person that sets the tone for their culture. In Christian music nobody has set the tone like TobyMac. Dude has Grammy awards, platinum records, 5 kids, and still brings it to the job EVERY DAY. From dcTalk to being a solo emcee, Toby has a work ethic that is unbelievable. Even after “ahem” years of doing this thing he still works like a new artist trying to make his big break.
Tonight is a great album. You need to go buy it…NOW. I am not getting paid to say this stuff, I am not on the TobyMac team, I just believe in this guy. I am honored to call him a friend, and I promise you that if you sleep on this record, you will wish you had been on it early. He owns iTunes this week, so it wont be hard to scoop your copy. He is as good of a dude as he is an icon…get with it.
Also, the colabo continues with Israel returning the favor and joining Toby on a song on the new album. It is nice.
Check the REDUNK video by my man DJ Dust for the song ShowStopper. CRUNK.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 08-02-2010
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We never really feel we are currently deceived. Truth is that it is always in hindsight we realize the fact that we have allowed ourselves to become deceived. Kind of a crazy thing. As leaders, it is so important to surround ourselves with people who will ask hard questions, challenge us, and not allow us to become so caught up in “the thing” that we lose the vision for “the thing”. When we lose touch with reality, and become blinded by our own success, failure, or status quo…we lose the ability to achieve our original goals.
It always makes me sad when I meet people or organizations that have crazy potential but do not achieve that potential because they allow the appearance of success to keep them from REALLY getting there. They stop at 80% when they set out for 100%. They start to settle for GOOD when GREAT is right around the corner. And it all starts with little things. It starts with accepting OK in the small things, then never having anyone around to tell you…thats good but we can do better.
It starts with you. Today. Do not fooled. Do not give in. Refuse the status quo and the magnetic pull of settling for less than you know you should! Its that voice inside. That nagging little thing that keeps you from allowing things to pass that you know are just not good enough. LISTEN TO IT! It is an art.
I have heard it said that “The serious revolutionary, like the serious artist, can’t afford to lead a sentimental or self-deceiving life.” You are a leader. You are responsible for the GREATNESS in our life.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 05-02-2010
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Life is crazy sometimes. Work, family, community, obligations…it can all add up to stress, worry, fear, and sometimes regret. We can become SO overwhelmed by our situations and our lives that we don’t even know what to do next.
CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL.
Worry is imagination turned inside out. We can take the big things and the small things in life and turn them into these situations that paralyze us. We have to remember that in life we are only able to control certain portions or aspects of our surroundings. We have the ability to find success when we control the things we can control and we free ourselves from the things that we have no control over.
Manipulation comes with a stench that can not be washed off. When we try to control things that are out of our realm of control we start to drift from our vision, and we drift right into manipulation.
As we face the situations of our lives we have to remember: CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL and have faith that God will handle the rest.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 03-02-2010
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As kids, it was the magic and mystery of our Super Heros that made them…well…super and heros. They lived in mystery. No one could know the real truth about them or their secret powers. They lived a double life. It was awesome.
Now that we are older, our Super Heros have changed so much. The people who I look to as Super Heros now are still magical, but the magic power they posses is anchored in authenticity. They do not hide who they are. They live a transparent life and have the ability to be honest, full of grace, compassionate, and they give to others more than they take for themselves.
Have you identified the Super Heros in your life? You ARE someones Super Hero.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 01-02-2010
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Last week, totally overwhelmed, I posted the top 10 things that were on my mind at the moment. It was not planned or designed…more of a dump really. Seems people like dumps. I do not like structure enough to say this is how we will roll every Monday, but for now, lets let the rhythm play.
The book “THE WAR OF ART” by Stephen Pressfield is rocking my world right now. Resistance attempts us to keep us from doing the thing God created us to do…and resistance is EVERYWHERE.
Carlos, Vicky & John Mark videos…all in totally different stages of creation…all amazing in their own right. All eating my lunch. Great stories to tell.
Wrestling with the idea that the greatest stuff in the world comes out of our FEAR not our success. If we do not fear “IT”, then “IT” probably is not that great.
If we want to be great leaders we have to be great servants. But not just when the lights are on or there is a camera around. If we are not doing something when no one is watching, and keeping that secret, we may need to check the motives.
There is going to be a new “We Are The World”…FRESH
Trying to work out this thought: Do we practice self evaluation or self destruction? Find that thick skin. What we do is not who we are.
People who hate on one thing better be in the process of creating something better. If not, your just hating or jealous. (Thanks Jamie).
Proverbs says that friends will come and go but REAL friends stick like a family. (its in there, go read it) I am very thankful for this.
Middle seats on 4 hour flights suck. Especially without headphones.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 31-01-2010
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Over the course of life I am always amazed at how people frame the creative process. Often it is thought that creativity just comes to people and there is no work, no process, no effort put into that process. Ask any creative and they will tell you this thinking is false. We all have an inborn creativity. Sadly,over time, some of stopped exercising that muscle.
“Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.” -Black Elk
Black Elk was a spiritual man. He traveled the world learning, studying and working to advance his life and the lives of his fellow tribe members. Black Elk understood the importance of sticking to “it”.
Here are 5 steps you can take today to flex your creative muscle (or any muscle really)
1. Start. Get up, create space design time in your life to do “it”
2. Avoid distraction. Don’t be sawayed. You need to focus and commit.
3. Measure Expectations. You won’t have a jump shot like Ray Allen on day one of basketball training. Expect hard work and low returns early. Then over time you will get great.
4. Manage your wins and losses. You are in a marathon not a sprint so don’t let your wins get you to high or your losses to low.
5. Never give up. You might change paths, startegy, or tactics but remain true to your call, to your ethos, to that thing that makes you passionate.
Just like Black Elk’s tribe needed him, we need you. We need that thing in you that no one else can do the way you do it.
*This is a iPhone blog post. be gentle on the typos.
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 28-01-2010
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“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge — myth is more potent than history — dreams are more powerful than facts — hope always triumphs over experience — laughter is the cure for grief — love is stronger than death.”ROBERT FULGHUM
Fulghum has written 8 number 1 best sellers. The most popular being “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. I love the concept of this quote that I ran across today.
Knowledge is important, but knowing and imagining are different worlds. Anyone can learn, but not everyone is able to imagine anymore. As kids we have terrific imaginations then we are told to be realistic, to grow up, to mature…but I say lets revisit our imaginations and start to imagine all over again!
History is how we learn, but sometimes myth can be more potent, more powerful, and always more magical!
Facts do not inspire us. They might solidify what we are thinking, they are good for driving home a point, but rarely can a fact inspire us or make us feel. But dreams…dreams make us move. They give us targets to shoot for, they make us excited, scared, happy, sad. Dreams make us feel!
Experience is great, but experiences are our past. Hope is believing about tomorrow. Anticipating something that COULD happen. Hope is as biblical as faith. Lets create new experiences because we have HOPED!
Laughter is more than a medicine, it is a cure. It makes grief disappear just like sadness, depression, being lonely, and rain clouds.
Then there is love. The greatest of emotions. Love makes positive emotions GO and a lack of love allows negative emotions to stay. LIVE THE LOVE!
Posted by Brewster | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 28-01-2010
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I LOVE magazines. Like I mean LOVE them! It has always been one of my dreams to own and run a really cool magazine. That is why I was geeked earlier this week when my friend Matt showed me what he and his team had been working on. It is the the Integrity Digital Update. It is free and it is a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy it!
I am Stephen Brewster. My wife, Jackie, and I have 4 awesome kids and an amazing story for each one. I serve as the Sr. Director of Marketing at Integrity Music and have a serious passion to see the church take the lead in all things creative.
The thoughts, opinions, and views expressed on this blog in no way reflect the position or philosophy of Integrity Media or anyone else for that matter.
