There’s Got To Be a Better Way
- Wednesday, 03 September 2008 10:35
- Vince
- 30 Comments
Billy is the kid on the tricycle in my logo. That icon has been with me since 1996 when I first used it to brand a skateboarding event in San Diego when I was working at Shadow Mountain Community Church. Since then it has stuck with me and it has a deeper meaning than you might think at first glance.
I was commenting over in the wonderful sandbox that is the inprogress blog and Tam made mention of it. People make mention of it all the time and I thought I would share.
Billy is doing an important thing in the logo. He is taking something that is already good, fun, true and pure (a tricycle) and using it in a way that it was not intended (standing on it and pushing). Billy has discovered a better way to ride his trike. 
This is me. I will never stop trying to find a better way. No matter how tried, true and tested things are, it is always worth taking a second look.
This does a couple things. It frustrates the status quo, and I am learning how to be more subtle about things.
It keeps me awake at night.
It energizes me to no end and I love it.
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30 thoughts on “There’s Got To Be a Better Way”
i heart billy!
isnt it just like a child to not be afraid to try something new, test it out, experiment. when do we, adults, lose that? what in the world happens? the “world”?
this is the most inspiring thing ive read all week!
thanks vince!
September 3, 2008 at 10:46 am[...] this avatar belongs to vince @ nikao – a collective. i’ve always smiled when i see this pic pop up. i asked vicne this week to tell the story behind it. he has today on his blog. it’s probably the shortest, most thought provoking and inspiring post i’ve read this week! please check it out HERE! [...]
September 3, 2008 at 10:54 amwhy’d you name him billy?
September 3, 2008 at 11:10 amFYI- Shadow Mountain church is only 2 blocks from my home. WOW
I will never stop trying to find a better way… What an Awesome message for me today!!!
September 3, 2008 at 12:15 pm@tam thanks for the encouragment
@alece growing up in Cali skate/surf culture it’s almost another word for ‘dude’ so it doesn’t mean a whole lot
@heidi Shadow Mountain! cool, I miss that place…and I don’t
September 3, 2008 at 12:39 pmAs always,
September 3, 2008 at 1:02 pmthanks for the motivation!
nate
NICE!! Kudos to Tam for blogging about you and this Avatar.. I LOVE IT!!
Who knew that something like that pic could mean SO MUCH!!
September 3, 2008 at 1:07 pmyou’re welcome.
but, thank YOU!
September 3, 2008 at 1:10 pmRight on!
I am with you and this is a great reminder for me.
September 3, 2008 at 1:12 pmsorry for the downtime, godaddy troubles
September 3, 2008 at 4:16 pmso…what would you do w/ a waggon and a waffle cone?
September 3, 2008 at 4:37 pm@cathi
great. thanks. now i will lose sleep tonight trying to find a better way to use a wagon and a waffle cone
September 3, 2008 at 4:56 pmcathi’s “gifted”…
September 3, 2008 at 4:58 pmfreaking awesome, bro. Love it.
September 3, 2008 at 6:19 pmcan’t think of anything ingenious to say… Billy rocks. always has. someday he’ll be rockin’ a walker!
September 3, 2008 at 6:51 pmhmmm…wonder what billy would do with a walker???
September 3, 2008 at 8:14 pmhmmmm… is there a better way to use my brain?
So i live and lead a life closer to that of Jesus? Hmmmm….
i like the intent… but i wonder if riding a trike the way Billy does is ‘better’ or merely more exciting? What does ‘better’ mean for each of us?
Do we desire to be different to be individual or different to be ‘truer’ to Him?
Is there a ‘better’ way to Jesus for all of us than the one we read in Scripture written almost 2000 years ago, say?
Is different always better… or rarely better?
We ( hopefully) all desire to ‘be’ better, truer to Him each day we live, and yet, perhaps, He gave us the best way already and it is simply a matter of doing what has already been done, by One, and not finding a ‘better’ way?
Can man ever hope to improve upon what He has Created? or just on what man has created?
How much ‘better’ have man’s efforts made the world since the time of the Flood? Noah was reported as being over 600 years old when he built the Ark. Have we improved our lifespan any living in a more technological ‘better’ world?
Dang – you’ve gone and got me using my brain now! ;-
<B
September 4, 2008 at 2:16 amI love it! Thanks to Tam for letting me know about it to read it… and another interesting tidbit that made me love the site before I read a word lol…. my 3 year old son’s name is Nikao
Bless God for this encouragement to be outside the sandbox – doing new things!
*looking for a tricycle to see if I can still stand on it and push it…. *
September 4, 2008 at 6:04 am@lovewillbringustogether // i think some ‘better’ a relative. whether they be personally relative or culturally relative. Obviously there are some things that surpass ‘better’ …Christ
some ‘betters’ are more global. try this…next time you’re getting dressed put your belt on your pants before you put them on. it’s better. it makes more sense. but for some reason we have been doing it wrong for years
September 4, 2008 at 8:04 amThat’s very cool! I have the same attitude. I won’t look at your avatar the same way again, thanks for sharing.
September 4, 2008 at 9:30 amvince – the whole belt/pants thing…never thought of that before. dare i sit and really think hard about the things i might do completely backwards?
hmmm…
September 4, 2008 at 2:07 pm@robert // that is cool rev 12:11 is my favorite verse with the greek word nikao in it
@tam // that’s the thing…can you actually take a second look at little things in your life and implement ‘better’
for me it’s compulsive and almost a disease. I literally can’t stop thinking through things. I love sitting in a room with people and thinking through absolutely anything
September 4, 2008 at 3:21 pmDude I am proud of you as a man and proud that I can call you my brother… as you know I have spent my life looking for the better… But now I have a new thought on that whole better thing… I cant wait to get dressed tomorrow and try the belt thing …… Not sure how that is better but I am gonna try it
September 11, 2008 at 12:00 pm@timmy // it’s better because you can see what you are doing and you won’t miss and loops. and if you actually need the belt to keep your pants up, then your pants won’t be falling off while you work on the belt.
September 11, 2008 at 12:21 pm[...] like to do things with purpose and meaning. Much like my avatar, my username also has more meaning than you might glean at first glance. I never thought to share [...]
November 24, 2008 at 3:51 pm[...] wasn’t digging my theme anymore, mainly because there wasn’t a place for billy to reside. With all that I have going on I don’t have much time to worry about what nikao looks like, [...]
January 26, 2009 at 7:38 pmHmmm… I've always loved the meaning behind this avatar. But I wonder, is there a "better" way to get your point across? I have to admit, the first time I saw the avatar, I didn't have a clue what it meant…
Just pushing buttons…
Love ya…
February 3, 2009 at 10:01 pmThe conversation (journey) is more important than the destination (meaning)
February 3, 2009 at 10:32 pmIs it??? What if the journey takes you down a road that you didn't have to go down if the directions had just been clearer in the first place?
February 3, 2009 at 10:57 pmYou'd be right…if God didn't use ALL things for good.
right?
February 3, 2009 at 11:02 pm