Walter Mosley: “There was a period of time where all the books in the world could fit on this shelf…And what people did is they read them over and over again, and they knew them so well, and they learned so much, and it changed them. Now, this shelf represents one second of publishing…And then another and another and another.”
WSJ: “All of life is a negotiation with ourselves, according to the psychiatrist and scientist David Hawkins. As individuals, we are forever dueling with our demons or giving in to them, channeling the better angels of our nature or repudiating them. That conflict can be summed up as “Power vs. Force”—also the title of Hawkins’s terrific study of consciousness [published in 1994]. “Force always moves against something, whereas power does not move against anything,” he writes. “Force has an insatiable appetite, it constantly consumes. Power, in contrast, energizes, gives forth, supplies, and supports.” Hawkins believes that everyone has inherent potential, but realizing it means inevitable collisions with a messy and unpredictable world. Power is an intrinsic energy aligned with truth and integrity; force is aggressive and rooted in ego-driven instincts. Cultivating your inner power, Hawkins suggests, can give your existence meaning—and also help you navigate life’s obstacles. Meanwhile, giving in to force is a far riskier—and often bad—bet.”
Will Guidara: “Pre-meal [is] the 30-minute meeting we have right before we open the doors and go into service. It’s a meeting that most restaurants have. It’s a meeting that is wasted at most restaurants. A wasted pre-meal happens when you spend the entire time talking about ideas that could clearly be communicated via an email. Right? That 30-minute meeting, often called a daily huddle in other industries, is in my view, the greatest opportunity a leader has to actually lead the people around them. And that happens when you don’t only talk about the what…But also, the how and the why. When, as a leader, you are keeping your eyes peeled for inspiration out in the world and then bringing that home to inspire your team or inviting them to do the same…I believe when that meeting is done well, it’s when the people you work with cease being a collection of individuals and come together as a trusting team.”
WSJ: “Setting up a time to meet regularly with your closest friends and colleagues puts them at the center of your life—not as an afterthought…Many of us are already overwhelmed by a calendar filled with work meetings, doctors’ appointments, kids’ activities and more, and the idea of adding to that schedule no doubt sounds like yet another demand on our fragmented attention. But standing dates actually reduce the demands on our time. You don’t have to make another date; it’s already on your calendar. More important, standing dates put your most important conversations and relationships at the center of your schedule, rather than as an afterthought. A calendar organized around standing dates is like a nutritional pyramid for your time: Instead of letting your calendar fill up with urgent work meetings or must-attend social events, you’re creating a balanced diet of the connections and occasions that nourish you—and that align with your priorities.”
