Dec 11, 2020
Success Made 2 Last in New England….encountering extraordinary people and the best seasons of life.
Traveling back to New England to rediscover our youth and cherish the best seasons, we made a recent trip where we encountered extraordinary people and re-claimed the best seasons of our life.
My Dad built Mom a Grandmother clock back in the ’68 commemorating their 30th wedding anniversary. At the top of the face of the clock were two words that were branded on my brain. Tempus Fuget. (For those of you who didn’t take Latin, it means Times Flies.)
This week marks the 25th anniversary of our move from beloved Londonderry, New Hampshire to Boulder, Colorado. Where did that time go? This week, we head back for a reunion.
Looking back, our time in New England taught us many things:
- Raise your children to frolic in autumn leaves, build forts amongst the birch, joyfully pick apples, become real Indian princesses, laugh more, be lighthearted and languish in their youth.
- Live as a patriot. Fiercely love this great country of ours. Meet candidates running for President and ask them face to face questions as your queries really matter.
- Cherish seasons…. of nature, friendships, business careers, and of personal growth.
- When you live somewhere as precious as New England, savor every day, every friendship and carry that Live Free or Die spirit wherever you may go.
To New England….hello old friend, it was good to see you again!
Books I’m reading: A Whole New Mind- Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink. Here’s some of the buzz you will get once you read this audacious work-
- Pink, along with Gregg Easterbrook confirm a shift that life is getting better while people feel worse, a seismic shift from scarcity to abundance mentality. Stephen Covey must be smiling down on us!
- The Buffalo Springfield would say…”there’s something happening here”….this book will tell you that the new focus is on creativity, art and storytelling AND less on number crunching and analysis. Leave that to computers and AI.
- We live in a world of breathtaking material plenty. Our pursuits should be around purpose and transcendence. That’s a set up to chomp down Pink’s big six aptitudes.
- There are six high concept aptitudes to master- Design.Story.Symphony. Empathy. Play. and Meaning…all to engage in the new Conceptual Age.
- Like polymaths, the skill set of synthesis, not analysis, is in highest demand. We need talent that can cross boundaries and combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole.
- When you have seen enough metrics and swam in analysis, remember that a compelling narrative will need to be fashioned to tell your story. READ Daniel Pink’s book to start practicing the six high concepts.
Lastly, I’m studying Karim Rashid (www.karimrashid.com) , one of the world’s most versatile designers. He has a 50 point guide to life, most of which are stunning. Here are my favorite four.
- Don’t specialize. (Sounds like polymaths, right?)
- Consume experiences, not things.
- There are three types of beings- those who create culture, those who buy culture, and those who don’t give a shit about culture. Move between the first two.
- Think extensively, not intensively.
What I’m watching: Expedition to the Edge- Discovery- Sunday nights. Captain Clemmons is a possessed navigator cutting through the NW Passage AND an irresponsible dad. Good story arc. Congrats to the show producer- Jennifer Tocquigny.
Favorite quote of the week: “If laughter is so good for you, why not start a laughter club?”
Dr. Madan Kataria
