I send a monthly newsletter about the power of reading and journaling, the benefits of finding focus and productivity through intentionality, and offer insights into how I'm building balance into my life. Be sure to confirm your subscription by checking your spam folder and opting in!
The Power of Kindness ✨
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I've been thinking a lot about kindness this month. I shared a quote from Coach Ted Lasso and the Latin writer and Mime Publilius Syrus on the blog. Ted is firmly rooted in the present, while Syrus comes to us from the depths of history, but both quotes share a similar idea about the power of being kind.
Fred Rogers was by all accounts a genuinely kind man, ending a 33-year run of Mister Rogers Neighborhood on PBS when he retired in 2000. Following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Rogers was asked by his production company to make several short videos offering support and guidance. While the primary audience for these videos was adults, Mister Rogers was most concerned about the children who experienced the traumatic event or might see graphic replays on TV.
Despite his concerns that the videos would do little to help others, he came out of retirement to record them. Rogers offered advice over four videos and in one discussed his mother’s advice to always look for helpers.
More recently, the Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet stopped an interview for the Avatar: The Way of Water press tour to share encouragement with a first-time reporter named Martha. From a Variety article:
These are just two of many examples where people led with kindness and empathy, bringing their best selves to help someone in need.
Practicing kindness is not an act of weakness but a profound exercise of strength and wisdom. It is a beacon in a dark world, and we all need more light. Be one of the helpers, you will be made better for it. đź’ˇ
From the Blog
I published 10 entires on the blog in March. Here are a few of my favorites:
- ​Testing your Soundtracks with Jon Acuff​
- ​Steve Jobs on How to Focus​
- ​Weekly Quote: William Zinsser on Knowing When to Stop​
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Monthly Readwise Quote
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Media Recommendation
I’ve been doing rewatch of Mad Men on my iPad, usually in the evenings after my part of the kid’s bedtime routine is finished and I’m cleaning up the dinner dishes. I watched the show when it first aired in 2007 and found it recently on Amazon’s add supported Freevee. It has held up well, and I’m enjoying it as much as I did 16 years ago.
From the Studio
We’re heading into the year’s second quarter, and I’m planning some time early next week to do quarterly planning. I cannot make a multi-day retreat, but I am building a process that works for me and takes a couple hours.
If you aren’t doing quarterly planning, it’s a game changer. Here’s an easy way to get started: block a few hours on your calendar, get away from your home or office, and start writing about how the last few months went for you. Then, think about what you want to keep doing and want to stop. My favorite question I’ll be considering is what I should continue NOT to do.
If you have a review process that you enjoy, send me a note and tell me one thing that you do to make sure the process is successful.
Until next month, I’ll see you on the blog!
Joe
P.S.: If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or share it on your social or blog so they can take a look and subscribe if interested. Thank you!
Let's Grow Together! đź’ˇ
I send a monthly newsletter about the power of reading and journaling, the benefits of finding focus and productivity through intentionality, and offer insights into how I'm building balance into my life. Be sure to confirm your subscription by checking your spam folder and opting in!
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