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The World Sends Us Garbage… We Send Back Music
Cateura, Paraguay is a slum built on a landfill. But in the midst of trash and poverty, the people of Cateura build instruments made entirely out of recycled materials. The kids, directed by their music teacher, have formed a “recycled orchestra”. This is a beautiful story, on so many levels. Listening to these kids talk…
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Give: Simon Sinek on the Good Life Project
The Good Life Project is a weekly web show hosted by Jonathan Fields that features interviews with amazing people who ask the question, What does it look like to live “the good life”? The interviews are long (40-60 minutes), which are a departure from the short snippets that we’re accustomed to digesting online. Fields is…
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Be Interested
In her book The Blue Sweater, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, tells of when she had to choose an internship after finishing her masters program. Given the choice between working in eastern Europe or New York, this globetrotting adventure-seeker was leaning towards the more adventurous overseas option, until a mentor gave her this…
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Jerry Seinfeld on How to Write a Joke
When you watch a great comedian tell jokes, it’s easy to assume that they’re just naturally funny. They seem to just go up there and talk, and everything they say is automatically hilarious. How do they do it? Jerry Seinfeld, a legendary stand-up comedian most famous for his sitcom “Seinfeld”, gives some great insight into…
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Don’t Let That Smartphone Kill Your Confidence
Do you ever use your smartphone for public speaking? A new study would recommend against it. “When people use smaller devices, their posture contracts, increasing stress and decreasing testosterone levels, say researchers Maarten Bos and Amy Cuddy of Harvard Business School.” Several years ago, I tried using my new Palm Pilot (remember those?) to write…
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I Don’t Know
I grew up watching The Red Green Show. If you’re Canadian you’re probably familiar with it. If not, consider it one of Canada’s best kept (or better kept?) secrets. It was a “man’s man” show, showing us how to fix any car trouble with duct tape and remove any barrier with explosives. A proud part…
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Blood Pressure
“Why can’t you be more like your older brother Why can’t you (blood pressure) Why can’t you do a little more for Jesus Why can’t you (blood pressure)” – MUTEMATH, Blood Pressure Ever feel overwhelmed by all the people telling you to be more and do more than you are right now? These voices are…
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Searching For Sugar Man
Last night I watched Searching For Sugar Man, the Oscar-winning documentary that tells the inspiring, surprising story of Rodriguez. Rodriguez was a Detroit musician who recorded several albums in the 1970s. Though there were high hopes for this talented songwriter (compared to Bob Dylan), his albums absolutely flopped. Well, in the USA they flopped. While…
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What Do You Want to Do When You Grow Up?
When you ask a child, the answer is easy: “I want to be an astronaut.” “I want to be a fireman.” “I want to be a nurse.” (As a kid, I just wanted to be like my dad). As we get older, though, right when the question becomes really relevant and immediate, the answers get…
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Life Lessons From the Creator of Calvin and Hobbes
In today’s fast-paced, spotlight-seeking, social-media-driven world, finding a public figure who avoids the spotlight is remarkable. But when you find a public figure who is completely embracing living a private life and rejects all fame, money and attention, it forces you to take pause. That’s what I recently found in the creator of ‘Calvin &…
