Lessons from 2022

On vulnerability Ties that are formed from a stance of vulnerability tend to deepen faster than relationships that begin in the midst of regularity. There is truth in the thought that vulnerability brings people closer. The humans whom I met in the middle of this trying time jumped from being strangers to good friends. Conversations

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

3 “I feel sorry for beautiful people. Beauty, from the moment you possess it, is already slipping away, ephemeral. That must be difficult. Always having to prove that there’s more to you, wanting people to see beneath the surface, to be loved for yourself, and not your stunning body, sparkling eyes or thick, lustrous hair.”

MasterClass: Effective and Authentic Communication by Robin Roberts

On public speaking: Engage your audience by establishing eye contact and looking at (a spot slightly above) them. Don’t spend more time looking at your cue cards. If you came prepared, there is always one audience member who’s paying attention to you, hanging onto your every word — find that person and deliver your speech

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Fortunate indeed are those who have a top-level goal so consequential to the world that it imbues everything they do, no matter how small or tedious, with significance. Angela Duckworth Interest → Practice → Purpose → Hope “Grit depends on a different kind of hope. It rests on the expectation that our own efforts can

MasterClass: Film Scoring by Hans Zimmer

The music diary of Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite lessons in Hans Zimmer’s class. It was a chance to look over the shoulder of a musical genius, peeking into his creative process when he pieced together the melodies, sounds, and tunes that later became an original score that earned an Academy Award nomination.

MasterClass: Advertising and Creativity by Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein

MasterClass: Style For Everyone by Tan France

Know your proportions. Know yourself. Tan France Like me, Tan is a huge fan of the classic, white sneakers. He wears it the same way I do, with the pant legs folded up to expose the ankles. He is also into folding up a coat’s sleeves and tucking out a bit of a loose top,

Disappointment With God by Philip Yancey

Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse. Philip Yancey Is God unfair? Why doesn’t he consistently punish evil people and reward good people? Why do awful things happen to people good and bad, with no discernible pattern? Is God silent? If he is so concerned about our doing his will,

MasterClass: Business Strategy and Leadership by Bob Iger

Business requires a lot of risk and Bob Iger is one of the lucky ones to be naturally comfortable with it. One would not be able to deduce his go-getter attitude by how well-mannered and soft-spoken he is and yet this CEO was behind several of Disney’s game-changing maneuvers. I particularly like the story of