In August 2019, I published my first book, Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life. A few months after the book was published, I realized I missed writing. So in November 2019, I wrote my first blog titled The Human Superpower. Since then I have written a total of 157 times on a wide range of issues and subjects. The year 2020 brought the start of the pandemic, social unrest in this country, and the Presidential election. It gave me a lot of material to write about. The untimely death of Kobe Bryant and the legacy of John Lewis. The lessons Stoicism have to offer us in times of massive uncertainty. The importance of virtues, like courage and love. The wisdom of paradox, a topic I have returned to often. These themes persisted in 2021 as this country reeled from an unprecedented transition of Presidential power and continued to adjust to the realities of a global pandemic. I wrote frequently about the need for kindness and personal responsibility, drawing inspiration from numerous sources including the television show Ted Lasso and the movie Nomadland. Last year was marked by a series of notable events, many tragic, like the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the Uvalde school shooting. I referenced these tragedies in my call for peace and the reminder that to stop war we must first choose to lay down the arms inside our own minds. Lately, I have written about an issue that I’m quite passionate about – the role of business in making the world a better place, a world that works for everyone.
I will undoubtedly have more reasons to write. The world continues to get more complex. And I find I have something to say, something hopefully valuable to offer, about how to lead and live in complexity. For the time being, however, I will likely reduce the frequency of my writing. Some weeks, like this one, I will simply offer references to articles, podcasts, videos, books, and quotes that I think you may find interesting. I trust that a new creative rhythm will emerge for me, and I appreciate your patience as I create space for it to do so.
Here's what I’ve found interesting over the past few weeks:
This TED Talk, “The Anti-CEO Playbook,” by Chobani founder, Hamdi Ulukaya, is as relevant and valuable today as it was when he delivered it in 2019. My favorite line of the talk: “This is the difference between return on investment and return on kindness.”
I’m quite fond of the writing of the conservative New York Times columnist David French. His most recent opinion, “The Right Is All Wrong about Masculinity,” is worth reading.
I’m a huge fan of Kevin Kelly, particularly his nuanced argument in favor of optimism. His recent interview by Tim Ferriss, “Excellent Advice for Living,” is wonderful.