Blog
We got a guy for that
Years ago, a producer from the biggest morning show in the country sent me an email. She was shooting a segment about wearing nametags, and seeking an expert to offer commentary on the topic. Initially, nobody came to mind. And since she was on deadline, they almost abandoned the piece. But then the producer did some quick googling on the phrase nametag expert, and only one person came up. Yours…
He loved cigarettes, but he loved her more
Love is the greatest performance improvement strategy on the planet. It’s an emotional forcing function and the ultimate behavior shaping constraint. Under the influence of love, we positively redirect our actions through the conscious consideration of another person. Because they see the good in us, and that inspires us to let that goodness grow. A coworker of mine used to be a smoker. Like most addicts, he knew it…
Chasing your little parcel of immortality
Historically, men have been particularly infatuated with the idea of legacy. Which makes sense, since our primitive instinct and biological imperative is to reproduce. To spread our seed and make our mark and leave behind a part of ourselves. That’s the fundamental premise of human evolution, right? It’s not about quality of life, but quantity of its replication. But let’s get real for a minute. Isn’t legacy just another…
Staggering under the trance of delight
Joy is a skill. It’s a daily practice. It may be free and ubiquitous, but it does require some emotional effort. It requires faith, the core belief that the things we love are legitimately good and worthy of our appreciation. Maisel writes in his groundbreaking book about rethinking depression how there are familial, cultural, and religious injunctions against enjoying pleasure. We have come to think that joy is too low a…
Two by two, door by door, god loves nametags and he wants some more
Mormon missionaries are unique in that they’re the only evangelists required wear nametags at all times in public. It’s one of the most recognizable visual features they carry. According to the church’s official wardrobe guidelines, they are required to wear their nametag on the outermost layer of clothing so that others may clearly identify them. What’s fascinating is, the badge not only dons their surname and appropriate title, but…
No longer in the urgent grip of lust
It takes time to build valuable things. Fruitful growth is slow. Even if we are driven by the ecstatic urgency to give rise to that which is new, whatever it is we want, it’s guaranteed to take longer than we’d like. In my twenty years of experience recording albums, publishing books and producing films, there’s no doubt in my mind.: Having patience is frustrating, depressing and most notably, expensive. But the…
Seeding your idea into society
The simple act of engaging with the world through a nametag has fundamentally changed my life in multiple ways. From communication to business to relationships to creativity to identity to spirituality, there are very few parts of my daily experience that have not been touched by this simple little experiments. Nametags really do stick, in every sense of the word. One subject that’s been deeply compelling to explore is…
This has become way too important to you
If you are working harder on someone’s life than they are, that is not love, that is codependency. Not a relationship, but an entanglement. Not benevolence, but people pleasing. It may feel satisfying to be the helpful hero, cleaning up after your dysfunctional friend or partner, saving them from their problems. But long term, doing these things for other people will leave you feeling drained, leave the other person…
They are blind to the meaning we derive
Being of service is one of our prime opportunities for making meaning, and therefore, experiencing fulfillment. But what we don’t realize it, service is quite the selfish act. It’s something that we perform for our own benefit. Like happy hour at my old office. Drinking isn’t my thing, but making guacamole is. And for me, that act of preparing food for my peers is a small expression of service….
Those who suffer stiffly and those who suffer flexibly
Nobody ages out of suffering. We’re never done dealing with bullshit. Each of us will always have our own carnival of nonsense to deal with. Regardless of what we feel we deserve, or what we believe we’ve earned the right not to deal with anymore, life will still find some way to hand us a pile of crap. It’s as sure as the tides. But there are those who…
