Emily Rapp spoke to me as a Dad and as a human being like few have ever done. I strongly recommend this life-affirming article from this courageous and beautiful mother.
"On Rosh Hashana, it is written
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed:
Who will find fulfillment in life, and who will live a live in a constant state of longing; who will heal and who will harm; who will lay blame and who will share the burden; who will bend and who will break; who will use his power when he should, not just because he can; who will succeed and willingly risk failure and who will shine only when success is guaranteed, who will cry out for those who have no voice and who will scream louder only to hear the sound of his own; who will turn and face a broken world to see how he can mend it and who will look away because all he can see is a world beyond repair. "
A sincere purpose that creates a mission is the biggest driver towards action, according to this NYT article by David Brooks:
People who actually perform pro-social action don’t only feel for those who are suffering, they feel compelled to act by a sense of duty. Their lives are structured by sacred codes.
Think of anybody you admire. They probably have some talent for fellow-feeling, but it is overshadowed by their sense of obligation to some religious, military, social or philosophic code. They would feel a sense of shame or guilt if they didn’t live up to the code. The code tells them when they deserve public admiration or dishonor. The code helps them evaluate other people’s feelings, not just share them. The code tells them that an adulterer or a drug dealer may feel ecstatic, but the proper response is still contempt.
The code isn’t just a set of rules. It’s a source of identity. It’s pursued with joy. It arouses the strongest emotions and attachments. Empathy is a sideshow. If you want to make the world a better place, help people debate, understand, reform, revere and enact their codes. Accept that codes conflict.
Steve Jobs’s closest colleagues share lessons that they learned from their leader in this NYT article. Doing whatever it takes to please customers, patience, moving forward from mistakes, and passion, were all key drivers of Jobs’s success.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel
The news of Steve Jobs’ passing really hit me, in an unusually strong way. I don’t know if it is because he was only 56 years old, or that he was such a business icon, or that he transformed the way people live and created so much financial value and so much enjoyment for so many. Or maybe it was that in a strange way many of us felt like he was part of our extended family, as his persona and accomplishments have certainly captured our imagination and attention. He was a courageous fighter, against pancreatic cancer, for innovation, for positive change, for excellence, and for beauty.
Here is a link to his Commencement speech at Stanford.
God bless him and his family.
One of the joys of planting vegetables is that you can show kids the magic of nature – how a little seed can germinate and then yield flowers and fruits is truly a magical experience for your kids. And, frankly, for us adults too.
Another benefit is that you can learn how things look like in nature! I’ve written before about how most of us have been so disconnected from the growing process that we no longer know what things look like in their original form, or where they come from. {You can take this quiz to see if you can answer where things come from.}
But another thing I’ve gained even more appreciation for lately is how smart plants are. It is truly outstanding. These living organisms are far more complex than I ever imagined.
Just a couple of examples I’ve learned about recently:
· Cucumbers self-regulate themselves to bear fruits at the pace they know they can handle, based on the conditions of the environment they are in: some may yield many cucumbers at the same time, if the soil, water, and space conditions permit, while others will pace themselves and allow some to mature faster than others.
· Radishes (and many other vegetables and roots do this also) can judge if the conditions will permit them to bear fruit (not sure I am using the right term here, but whether to form radishes); if the conditions are not right, they can opt to skip that step and instead focus on building themselves into plants that will yield seeds so that their energy and growth are not wasted on a failed journey.
This great article in the New York Times illustrates the importance of occasional failure and the fortified character that it can build when accompanied by introspection. This story of two high school principles (one, of a privileged school in Riverdale, and the other from KIPP) and their quest for placing as much importance on character excellence and grit as academic excellence, is an inspiring one.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel
As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I went back and re-read a piece I wrote back then, which I think recaptures the feelings of New Yorkers during those days, and reminds us what the battle is ultimately about. The article, Etiquette and Resilience in the Face of Calamity, can be found here.
It is not money. In fact, financial incentives can achieve sub-par results when challenging people to perform cognitive tasks. As this video explains, the pursuit of purpose, autonomy, and mastery are far greater drivers to propel performance.
The following quote comes from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and was shared by my friend Ari Cartun:
"Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean."
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
To see the full context, read below.