Happy New Year.
Before we jump into 2024, many of us might spend some time reflecting back upon 2023. Among the many questions we ask ourselves are those related to accomplishments; What did we do? What do we have to show for the year? What did we produce?
As I look back, I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with or been supported by so many talented, wonderful people and organizations that have allowed me to produce more than a handful of things that I can take pride in.…
The community turned out en masse. The line inside and outside the funeral home snaked; people waited over two hours to pay their respects to a man who was a pillar in the community for decades. The heat and the crowd swelled as the family received friends, colleagues and admirers for six hours. After texting my daughters that we’d be longer than expected and letting them know they would need to fend for themselves for dinner, one astutely noted in her reply, “a long line is a good thing.” …
The word “news” has been around since at least the 1500’s. The word “newsworthy” was only coined in 1890. The inference being people decided a new word was necessary as much of what was being shared as “news” was not particularly worthy.
I have for the last two years largely taken a hiatus from the daily news. Previously my days began and ended with a dose of it. …
Twice within twenty four hours, I heard stories referencing the idea of a young child’s experience walking down the street.
The first was during a conversation between the record producer Rick Rubin and podcast host Krista Tippett. They remarked about how wonderful – in the literal sense of the word – a child’s walk down the street is compared to ours. They have no concept of time and hence aren’t in any rush.…
I’ve been thinking about food a lot lately.
On Monday of last week, an essay series that I worked on with Fast Company and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched with this piece from Saru Jayaraman looking at the future of work for restaurant workers. In it, she asks us to imagine a future where “diners don’t just ask about where produce comes from but how well workers are paid.”…
Every holiday season, AMC puts the Godfather trilogy in heavy rotation. The timing is ironic on many levels. Including that one of its most iconic lines, “I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse” is antithetical to the very idea of giving.
As a verb, an offer is “to present something for someone to accept or reject as so desired.” As a noun, it is “an expression of readiness to do or give something, if desired.”…
Want to feel good? Read the definition of honor. It can be received, given, and felt deeply. It is about respect, reputation, reverence, and integrity. Most importantly it is about recognition.
Recognition not in the sense of receiving an award but in making sure we see and acknowledge what is important and good around us.
Yes we can recognize bravery in combat with the Congressional Medal of Honor but we can also honor our mothers by treating them with the utmost respect and living in a way that would bring honor to them.…
As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all of your support and interest in these weekly notes.
Thank you for taking a few minutes each Monday morning to read these emails.
Thank you for your emails to me filled with kind words and your own personal stories.
Thank you for forwarding these words to your friends and colleagues.
Thank you for posting them on social media.…
Beginning this month, Fast Company will be serializing Moving Up: The Truth About Getting Ahead in America on Fast Co.Exist.
Fast Company is inspiring its readers to think beyond traditional boundaries and lead conversations that will propel the future of business. Fast Co.Exist is their daily exploration of the latest world changing ideas and innovations, focusing on projects that can change the way people live in the next year — and the next 100 years.…
