Interrelativity: musings about interrelatedness
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On Friendship: Symmetry vs. Karma
I recently read Ralph Waldo Emerson‘s essay on "Friendship" in "Self Reliance and Other Essays". As with his essay "Self Reliance", there is much with which I agree, but some significant issues with which I disagree … most notably his emphasis on the requirement of symmetry in friendships. Among the themes Emerson emphasizes that resonate…
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Curt Rosengren: Discovering Career Passions
Curt Rosengren gave a catalyzing presentation on Discovering Career Passion at the EastSide Professional Networking Group (ESPNG) recently. He began with a simple and empowering definition of passion: Passion is the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do. Curt also invoked the Mayan notion of center as a direction (via…
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Amazon’s Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): Potentially Useful Curiosities
I was browsing through some books at Amazon today and saw a field I’d never seen before: statistically improbable phrases (SIPs). These are phrases that occur frequently in one particular book and infrequently in others, and thus likely to be "interesting" or "distinctive". As an example, the Amazon page for "Finding Your Own North Star:…
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Jan Jewell: Celebrating Entrepreneurial Perseverance and Open Book Management
Jan Jewell, co-founder and co-CEO of Celebrate Express, gave a presentation on "Open Book Management and the Celebrate Express Story" at the Northwest Entrepreneur Network Venture Breakfast Meeting this Friday. Jan led off with a history of her personal and professional ups and downs with Birthday Express (which evolved into Celebrate Express). Among the themes…
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On Karma and Being a Mensch
I just finished posting another goal on 43 Things: "be a mensch", in the sense that Guy Kawasaki describes in his book "The Art of the Start": Mensch is the Yiddish term for a person who is ethical, decent and admirable. It is the highest form of praise one can receive from people whose opinions…
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Building a Winning Team: Attracting Human and Financial Capital
Joseph Piper, Managing Partner of Integra Ventures, and Janis Machala, Managing Partner of Paladin Partners, gave a great presentation on "Building a Winning Team" at the MIT Enterprise Forum Venture Lab forum tonight. As with the last Venture Lab I attended — on the entrepreneurial passion and discipline required to "Build a Valuable Business" —…
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What is Joe Wining About?
I have launched a new blog, devoted to wine. I’ve been meaning to do this for quite some time now, and the prospect of setting and accomplishing a goal on 43 Things — and experiencing the [anticipated] accompanying endorphin release — provided the tipping point. It’s called "What is Joe Wining About?", and I plan…
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Goal-based Endorphin Release
When I told Melissa about 43 Things, the goal-based social networking service, she told me she’d read that endorphins are released simply by checking off a task on a to-do list. I did a little research (well, googling), and uncovered an inspiring article on setting and achieving goals: As you accomplish an important task, you…
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43 Things: Goal-based Social Networking
43 Things is a recent entry into the social networking services world that has received a great deal of publicity lately. What sets 43 Things apart from others is its focus on goals: the site offers members the opportunity to list their goals (those that they want to accomplish as well as those they have…