What I learned from Steve Jobs’ sister
Since I first read Mona Simpson’s eulogy of her brother, Steve Jobs, I randomly keep coming back to one part that sticks out even more so than his famous last words.
Perspective
‘God is just what happens when humanity is connected’
Had dinner with some friends tonight, including Jim Gilliam. When I got home, I re-watched his PdF 2011 “The Internet is My Religion” talk. You should, too.
‘I can’t do everything, but I am one. I can do something, and I will do the one thing I can do.’
Love the anecdote at the end about a four year-old boy born in a Cambodian prison.
Smile more
“Smiling is one of the most basic, biological, uniform expressions of all humans.”
‘Spontaneous compassion’ and how 4th-graders are solving world problems
Favorite quote from this TED Talk with teacher John Hunter: “Spontaneous compassion.” From TED: John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4′x5′ plywood board — and lets his 4th-graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches — spontaneous, [...]
9/11, healing and the power of forgiving
If they can, so can we. From TED: Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi have a powerful friendship born of unthinkable loss. Rodriguez’ son was killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001; el-Wafi’s son Zacarias Moussaoui was convicted of a role in those attacks and is serving a life sentence. In hoping [...]
‘Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure’
Retired Army four-star general Stanley McChrystal gives an excellent TED Talk on leadership, especially as it relates to leading in the military in the age of new media.
The monk who inspired Martin
In 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr., nominated Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize. For many years I’ve admired Thich and bought or recommended his wonderful book Anger, among others, to many friends and family members. On this MLK Day, I thought I’d recognize the monk who inspired Martin.
Practical wisdom is the combination of moral will and moral skill
Inspiring Barry Schwartz TED Talk with great quotes and anecdotes. “Without wisdom, brilliance isn’t enough.” “People are inspired by moral heroes.”
Adora Svitak is adorable and brilliant
Adora Svitak’s What adults can learn from kids TED talk is adorable and brilliant. I’m reading Aristotle to Elias tonight. “The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adult, but rather better adults than you have been.”