Posted by Grant on February 19, 2010 – 7:12 am
I always enjoy a good book and am continually trying to learn and better myself as a person. Here’s a few books I’ve read recently and a few that are in the on deck circle to be read…
- Drive by Daniel Pink – The subtitle is “the surprising truth about what motivates us,” which is a good summary. For the longest time, people have been motivated by what Pink describes as carrots and sticks. Do something good, you get a carrot (i.e. money). Do something bad, you get a stick (i.e. written up at work). But in today’s world, we’re motivated less by carrots and sticks and more by doing work that matters, working autonomously, and achieving mastery in our work. Great read. Also pick up A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation by Pink.
- Linchpin by Seth Godin – I’ve read most of the books Godin has put out and am a big fan of his blog. This book was basically about how to become indispensable in what you do and focusing on work that’s important. I thought it was a solid read, but I think it was a little wordy and repetitive at times, which is unusual because his blog posts do an extremely good job of cutting the fluff and getting right to the point in a short, simple way. Nonetheless, I still thought it was a good read.
- A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller – Donald Miller is a unique writer that really can cause people to think. This was an interesting book because of how it was written. It’s the story of Miller working with a couple of film guys to develop a screenplay for his life. So it’s basically a reflective book of the author evaluating and examining his own life and challenging the reader to the do the same.
On the soon-to-be-read pile…
- Buyology by Martin Lindstrom – I’ve had this book recommended to me by a couple of different people. It’s basically answering the question “why we buy?” Looking forward to it.
- Switch by Chip & Dan Heath – I read the Heath brothers first book Made To Stick and like most others who’ve read it, I would rank it in the top 10 books I own. So naturally, anything else they put out I’m assuming will be good.
- Just Don’t Fall by Josh Sundquist - Josh is a good friend and a fellow youth speaker and has an amazing story. The nutshell is he found out he had cancer in his left leg when he was nine, had to have his leg amputated, and eventually went on to compete four years ago as a downhill ski racer in the 2006 Paralympic Olympics in Italy. The book shares his journey and story throughout all this. I’ve known Josh personally for a few years now and while I know his story is powerful, I know the guy is the real deal. Super cool, down-to-earth dude who wants to make a difference.
Anything you’ve read or are reading that you’d recommend?
Posted by Grant on February 18, 2010 – 7:23 am
In 1962, Clare Boothe Luce, one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Congress, offered some advice to President John F. Kennedy. “A great man,” she told him, “is one sentence.” Abraham Lincoln’s sentence was: “He preserved the union and freed the slaves.” Franklin Roosevelt’s was: “He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us win a world war.” Luce feared that Kennedy’s attention was so splintered among different priorities that his sentence risked becoming a muddled paragraph. (this was an excerpt from “Drive” by Daniel Pink)
When I read this recently, I really liked the idea. One sentence to summarize your life. One sentence to provide focus and purpose in your everyday world.
So…what’s your sentence?
When your time has come and all is said and done, what do you want people to say about you? Not some glowing biography or lengthy obituary…just one sentence. Just a few words strung together to describe your life. What would you want that sentence to say?
Would you want it to describe the kind of friend you were? How you treated others? What you did to make a difference in the world? Your accomplishments at work? The kind of family person you were?
One sentence.
What’s your sentence?
Posted by Grant on February 10, 2010 – 7:24 am
As a youth speaker, I’ve seen a lot of different audiences. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some that just woke up and drain the life out of you and some of that have had too much caffeine and everything in between.
And while the speaker is the person at the front with the microphone, the audience really has a lot of power over how the “show” may go. I’ve seen this first hand in what I do, but I’ve also had two different experiences recently as an audience member that amplified this fact.
A few weeks ago I went to a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game. It was in an arena that seats somewhere around 10,000, and it was about half full. If you’ve ever seen the Harlem Globetrotters put on a show, you know it can be very entertaining and highly interactive. But this crowd was dead. There was no energy in that arena at all. Sure the Globetrotters did their part to engage the crowd and put on a good show but the crowd was lifeless. And as a result, it tainted the overall experience.
Last week my wife and I attended an improv show in New York City. It was hyped like the next big thing but we got to the theater only to discover we were one of only 20 people in the entire audience. So the show starts and if you’ve ever been to an improv show, you know it’s based on audience interaction and participation. Well, this audience wasn’t participating. I felt bad for the performers…it was like pulling teeth to get feedback or suggestions from the audience. And again, as a result, the show was very lame.
But the interesting thing was that while the performers in each setting did their job and worked hard at it, the “show” itself was mediocre due in large part to the audience. Even though the audience is not on stage and not performing, an energetic and engaged audience would have created a completely different “show” in both experiences.
Speakers, artists, performers all feed off the energy of the crowd. The more energy there is, the better the show will be.
Posted by Grant on February 9, 2010 – 7:29 am
Filed under Family, Personal
Eight years ago today I married the love of my life. We dated for five years before that, so for those keeping score, that’s 13 years we’ve been together. And 13 years later, I’m still just as crazy about her.
She’s an amazing wife and incredible mother to our two daughters. There’s no one else in the world I’d rather spend my life with. And she’s really hot as you can tell.
I love you Sheila!
