Attention To Detail – Product Design by Joey Roth

In love with these speakers…

 

view joeyroth.com

A Kindle In Real Life – New York Secret Bookstore

How much digital space would it take..?

Michael Seidenberg, a used book dealer who has been selling books since the ’70s, recently converted his 84th Street apartment into a kind of salon for collectors. Accessible by appointment, Michael entertains anyone armed with a wine bottle. The Brazen Head (named after a John Cowper Powys work) has had several incarnations over the last 30 years: sharing a performance space near the Gowanus with a puppet company, in a storefront on 84th Street between Lexington and 3rd (now replaced by a laundromat), and along the sidewalks of Manhattan on folding tables.

A Real-Time Crowdsourced Production by New Yorkers

“The ‘New York Writes Itself’ script is a record of the real people in New York and what they have said and done as witnessed by a group of observational New Yorkers. If you hear a great quote or something catches your eye, submit it here as part of the script. Quotes, scenes and characters in the script are selected to be made into productions – like posters, exhibitions, music videos and short films.” Read more at www.newyorkwritesitself.com

Rituals Are Powerful

The average American undertakes approximately 170 rituals a day–from shaking hands to picking up their cup of Starbucks. And even though no one gives them a thought, these rituals add up and shape our daily lives. What’s interesting is that the number is steadily increasing. People have added, on average, six new rituals to their portfolio over the past four years. The more stress we feel, the more rituals we carry out.

Rituals create an artificial space around us where we feel safe from our everyday pressures. Trouble at work, trouble with relationships, and trouble with children all add up to us searching for more rituals to keep our anxieties at bay. Take time to observe professional athletes as they prepare for a big race. They are usually engaged in one ritual after another in an attempt to minimize failure and create a positive place for success. However, you don’t need to go much further than surface level to see that the types of rituals we undertake today have changed. All those that involve building anticipation have been replaced with our need for instant gratification–like viewing a photograph within moments of taking it.

Rituals are immensely powerful from a branding point of view (although surprisingly few brands really get how powerful they are). It’s time for all of us to introduce a big dose of patience into our lives, into our routines, and of course, into our brands. Numerous studies show that it’s the anticipation we enjoy the most. Looking forward to a vacation tends to be more rewarding than the actual trip. Planning to buy the latest camera, with its improved features and functions, is a whole lot more exciting than using it. Yet, for some reason we’ve skipped anticipation, opting instead for instant gratification. Sadly, along the way we’ve slowly and unknowingly killed many invaluable rituals which once defined our lives. They now seem odd and outdated. The question is: Were the rituals really that outdated? Or have we become too demanding? (via Martin Lindstrom)

Done Is Better Than Perfect

 

Moments [Film] by Radiolab – Beautiful Observations

Radiolab presents: Moments by Will Hoffman. This films is a celebration of life that was inspired by David Eagleman’s book, Sum.

 

Symmetry [Film] by Radiolab and Everyone – well done!

Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.

Yes or No?

The Optimism Bias – Great Time Article by Tali Sharot

The Optimism Bias, one of the best articles I have read in a while!

When we hear a success story like Mark Zuckerberg’s our brains take note of the possibility that we too may become immensely rich one day. But hearing that the odds of divorce are almost 1 in 2 tends not to make us think that our own marriages may be destined to fail.

(Illustration by Noma Bar)

7 Step Framework for Leaders by Deepak Chopra

(via Sources of Insights) Thanks JD Meier for sharing your insights.

7 Step Framework for Leaders by Deepak Chopra
If you can spell “Leaders”, that’s the key to remembering Deepak’s leadership framework.  Each letter represents a different aspect of being an effective leader:

1. L – LOOK and LISTEN. Look and listen with your flesh – eyes and ears.  Look and listen with your mind – so you analyze the facts.  Look and listen with your heart — how do you feel about things?  Paint a vision.  The vision has to be compelling.  It has to be inspiring.  It has to be a story.  Deepak says we can get all the facts, but  what gives soul to facts is story.  The story has to authentic and it has to make a difference in our lives.    Without the story, facts remain clinical.  People are actually buying into a story, not the facts.
2. E – EMOTIONAL BONDING.  Be comfortable with your own emotions.  Understand the emotions of others.  Use emotional intelligence.  Manage relationship in a way that fosters that bonding.  Deepak says that when people are emotionally bonded they are much more effective.
3. A – AWARENESS.   Be aware of needs and know what’s needed here.  Deepak reminded us there are 7 levels of need from safety to survival to belonging to self-esteem to creative expression to hired consciousness to success.
4. D – DOING.  Be action-oriented.    If you’re not taking action, then it’s just a dream.  Be a role model for action.  As a tip, Deepak suggests asking your colleagues, “Am I doing what I said i was doing?”  Ask for feedback.  Take calculated risks.  If you’re not going to task risks, then the story remains the same.  According to Deepak, the story only changes when you take calculated risks.
5. E – EMPOWER YOURSELF.  Empower others.    One of the best ways you can empower others is by noticing their strengths.  Deepak pointed out that according to Gallup research, if you don’t notice their strength, they disengage.   If you criticize them, their disengagement goes up by 20%.  If you ignore them, it goes up by 45%.   If you notice a single strength, disengagement falls to less than 1%.
6. R – RESPONSIBILITY.  Take initiative.  Take risks.  Above all maintain good health.  Deepak says that .leaders who are really effective are emotionally and physically grounded and stable.  That means getting good sleep, exercising, watching their diet, and they now how to manage stress.
7. S – SYNCHRONICITY.

more at Sources of Insights…

Deepak Chopra Live

• Apr 30th — Munich, Germany
• May 2nd — Stockholm, Sweden
• May 4th — Paris, France
• May 6th — Dartington Hall, UK
• May 7th — London, UK
• May 8th — Birmingham, UK