360 Degree Self

As someone who wrote for my high school newspaper, witnessing the decline of the newspaper in the United States has been disturbing. Chicago is one of the few major cities that still has two daily newspapers. But with all of the forced retirements and buyouts of its journalists and columnists, the quality has declined substantially. However, I still feel that newspapers are important and offer its readers (and citizens of towns everywhere) an important check against corruption in government and business. With the recent deaths of Ed McMahon, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays and the demonstrations in Iran, social media has quickly emerged as an important tool for news distribution. I've heard many discussions about many people first hearing of Michael Jackson's death on Twitter before it was confirmed on the news. While I learned about Michael Jackson from my local radio station, I learned about the death of Billy Mays on Twitter from an unlikely source: @michaelianblack , a comed...

I was perusing the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly when I stumbled upon a quick writeup on actress Amy Adams who is listed as a "must sizzling star." She has a movie coming out later this summer called Julia & Julia which costars Meryl Streep. In the piece she reveals, "When I am in a hard scene, I always go, 'What would Meryl do?' Whether she's there or not, she is my invisible mentor." This brings to mind an exercise that I first read about in Michael Michalko's Thinkertoys . This "Board of Directors" exercise involves several steps: 1. Select three to five people you admire. Although Michalko specifically mentions business movers and shakers, they could include writers, artists, athletes or even family members. 2. Get photos of your Board and pin them on your wall. 3. Research your heroes. This means reading their biography, autobiography, news clips, quotes, etc. 4. Take notes. Look for ways your heroes overcame an obstacle ...

Thanks to new blog buddy Michael Plishka at ZenStorming , I was made aware of another DIY learning opportunity...The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has posted free lecture notes, exams and videos on its MIT OpenCourseware site . Some of these courses include architecture, engineering, science and technology, management and the humanities. I have only begun to poke through all of the courses, however one has attracted my attention: Dynamic Leadership: Using Improvisation in Business check it out here . Having taken a year's worth of improvisation classes a decade ago, I am aware of the magic of improvisational theater. In many ways, improv is not about theater or trying to make people laugh. It is a philosophy, a way to approach life. I plan to explore this topic in future posts, so stay tuned. In any case, the key word involved in do-it-yourself learning is do. Sometimes, I am better at accumulating books than I am at reading and applying the ideas in them. I am worki...

A few weeks ago I went to a small, local storefront theater in my neighborhood and saw a play. For more than a year, I have passed this theater on my way to work and had been meaning to check out a show there. Personally, one of my favorite things about living in Chicago is the small storefront theaters. Yes, Wicked and Jersey Boys will attract many more tourists into the city, but my heart is with the small theaters. I've had many memorable experiences seeing small productions of some great plays. Ironically enough, I can even remember seeing Camus' The Stranger in a small church not far from Wrigley Field. The theater in my neighborhood had two rows of seats, approximately 30 total, and wasn't more than twenty feet from the front of the stage. Unfortunately the turnout was sparse and there were only about eight of us. Before the show, I spoke with a woman selling tickets at the door and she indicated that the theater was doing fairly well, but the last two productions ...

Nothing says summertime in Chicago like the Chicago Blues Festival. The 2009 Festival did not feature as many big names as last year when B.B. King headlined, but delivered all the goods that blues fans were looking for. I was able to attend two days of the festival this year and here are a few highlights in pictures. With the recent death of the Queen of the Blues, the 2009 Blues Fest started out on a somber note. A tribute board was created in her honor... By late in the day Sunday, the board was filled up... One of the highlights included guitar legend David Honeyboy Edwards singing "Sweet Home Chicago on the Mississippi Juke Joint stage on Sunday afternoon... Another of the highlights included Big Jack Johnson who played the mainstage in the evening and the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (pictured below) in the afternoon. As you can see, Big Jack Johnson wears some big yellow shoes... Inevitably, every year I'm blown away by a blues musician that I've never heard be...

As I continue on my job search, one thing that I've been seeing a lot of in job descriptions is the old "MBA preferred, but not required" line. As someone with a Bachelors Degree who is interested in furthering my education, I have wrestled with the thought of getting my Masters Degree or an MBA. I even went as far as attending an MBA fair a few years ago. But the thing that has stopped me from proceeding is not desire, but money. According to Forbes Magazine, the cost for an average two-year MBA program is approximately $100,000. In his book Small is the New Big , Seth Godin makes a case for not attending business school and getting an MBA. Of the three reasons to go to business school, "the third (and least important reason) to go to business school is to actually learn something. And this is where traditional business schools really fail. The core curriculum at business schools is as close to irrelevant as you can imagine. If you and I were trying to create a seri...

There are a lot of people out there who find networking to be a difficult and uncomfortable task. At times, it can feel like a combination of speed dating, ego stroking, auditioning and interviewing. While I have never been a master networker, I feel I am improving at this important skill. A couple weeks ago, I attended a networking seminar and attended two networking events, but I broke a big networking rule: I did not have any business cards to pass out. While I would never recommend anyone to network without business cards (let me tell you, I felt naked without them), sometimes its better to just do it than use it as an excuse to not attend. I don’t regret attending these events without my business cards for one moment because I met some very interesting people and learned some important things. For instance, I learned that you can order “free” business cards from VistaPrint or very professional-looking cards from Staples for a minimal price that will be ready for pickup in four h...

If you have been feeling old, tired and can't remember the last time you had some fun, you might be suffering from a case of adultitis . There have been many times I have felt this way, especially in times of stress and in the uncertainty of the job hunt. While it's important to establish a routine of productivity, it's also important to establish some fun as well. Helping spread a cure for adultitis are my blog buddies Kim and Jason . As you may have read in an earlier blog post of mine from last year, the Simplicity of Food, you know that I enjoy cooking - whether it be for myself or with my family and friends. Last month Kim and Jason explored this topic on their post, The Importance of Family Dinner . I had the opportunity to comment on their post and was fortunate that they read my comment on their Escape Adulthood show (see below). By the way, if you or someone you know have been diagnosed with adultitis, you might want to download Kim and Jason's Escape Adulthood...

The third post in our series of commencement addresses is short and sweet. It was delivered exactly a year ago today by the late Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University. The speech touches on a few key points: living well, regret, and finding and living with passion. Compared to some of the other commencement addresses that have been explored on this blog, Randy Pausch does not rely on his notes very much. I’m sure this is due to its short length and the fact that he has taught these ideas in previous class lectures (and especially his last lecture). Throughout his address, Pausch looks toward his audience as if to take in every moment in appreciation.

I’m not going to hide it: I am an unabashed Chicago Blackhawks fan. For those outside the Chicago area, the Blackhawks have taken this city by storm as they have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in more than ten years. As a sports fan, you can appreciate that this team as one of the youngest and fastest in the league and that they have a “never-say-die” attitude. From a business perspective, it’s amazing to see how this team has re-invented itself in just over a year to one of the most up-and-coming franchises in any professional sport. If you love drama, you can appreciate this team for its ability to come back from two-goal deficits and win any game. The Blackhawks are one of the Original Six teams in the NHL and last won the Stanley Cup in 1961. As a kid growing up in the late 1970’s, I watched an occasional Blackhawk road game as I pretended to be a hockey player in my living room. The team had its share of good players in my lifetime including Tony Espo...

About twelve years ago, one of my favorite Chicago Tribune columnists, Mary Schmich , wrote a column geared toward college graduates. The piece was modeled after your typical commencement address where she provided practical advice on how to live successfully. Shortly after that, Australian director Baz Luhrmann created a short video of the column and "Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)" was born. More information on this can be found here . As I mentioned in a post last year, I am a sucker for a good commencement address. While these speeches were written for a particular graduation class, the advice is appropriate for anyone looking to change or improve his or her life. With this in mind, I plan to focus on a few notable commencement addresses next week. I hope you visit next week, and as always, I welcome your feedback. In the meantime, wear sunscreen...

The following two clips say more about "like" than I can put into words. Enjoy... As mentioned Monday, Taylor Mali is one of my favorite performance poets. I first saw him in the mid-1990s at a few poetry slams in the Chicago area. A former teacher, Mali's poetry focuses on some of his experiences in the classroom... If you feel strongly enough about "like," feel free to get some anti-"like" gear on Taylor's website . I don't know him or get any commission, but I do think it is great.

One great thing about being a member of Toastmasters is that it helps you to become not only a good speaker, but also a great listener. I find myself catching successful business leaders (and otherwise good speakers) saying “um” and “uh” frequently. At our club, members can be heard saying, “you know” quite often. But, perhaps, the most overused word that I hear on a daily basis is “like.” I remember the first time my uncle, a former college professor, heard me repeat “like” several times in a conversation. He later wrote me a letter telling me I wasn’t using the word correctly. Up until that point, I was not aware that I repeated “like” frequently. I got the message and from that point on, I've made an effort to not overuse “like.” Just as hedge words such as “it seems,” “I guess,” and “I believe” tend to make a speaker seem less confident in their statement or opinion, the word “like” makes a speaker sound less polished and credible. According to a segment from Good Morning Ame...

April is National Poetry Month and I can't think of too many songwriters as poetic as Ellis Paul . You may have heard his music in Me, Myself and Irene , NBC's Ed or at your local coffeehouse. One of my college friends, Jim, turned us onto his music and I've had the fortune of seeing him at least five or six times over the past ten or fifteen years. His music is mellow and reflective and his lyrics paint vivid pictures. I recently stumbled upon the video for the song "Speed of Trees," which is one of my favorites. Have a great weekend!

Normally, Earth Day is not a day that has any great deal of significance for me. Yes, I have a deep appreciation for nature, I abhor suburban sprawl, can’t stand the idea of logging, and I lose respect for anyone who litters. But, I watched Frontline on PBS last night and I was alarmed and outraged at what is happening in our country when it comes to our clean water. To its credit, the episode of Frontline did not sugarcoat the situation. Puget Sound, which I have always thought of as a beautiful natural body of water, is sick and polluted. Companies and municipalities, which are responsible for this pollution, point fingers at each other rather than take responsibility and do the right thing and clean up the mess. Last night’s program convinced me of one thing: things are not going to change unless we, as citizens, get outraged. If there is one tip I can offer everyone for Earth Day this year, myself included, is to take action . This means we need to write our congressmen and get...

I have always been intrigued by the deep, big picture questions in our life such as “what is the meaning of life?” and “what are we doing here?” So it was of great interest to learn about a blog called Soul Pancake which invites its readers to “chew on life’s big questions.” The site was founded by Rainn Wilson from “The Office.” So far, I have enjoyed the musings on spirituality, creativity and philosophy. I’m not sure any of these big questions get answered, but it is comforting to know there is a forum to discuss these topics.

Have you noticed the new padded seats at the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in New York around the dugout and behind home plate? For the amount of money those seats cost, you would expect that those seats would be heated and feature a back massage. With that in mind, here's an absolutely funny clip courtesy of the hard-hitting news team at the Onion... Yankees Building New Vacation Stadium In The Hamptons

If there is a topic that intrigues me more than any other, it would have to be creativity. I am instantly drawn to any book that explores the creative process and how to become more creative. While I do not consider myself artistic, I feel that I am creative. One of my favorite bloggers out there, Scott Ginsberg , wrote a great post today called 12 Ways to Jumpstart Your Creative Metabolism . One of my favorite points that Scott makes is that “the medium is you.” It really has nothing to do with how well you can draw, paint, write, dance or sculpt. Personally, I feel creative when I can add a different ingredient to my omelet or cook something new and out of the ordinary. I feel creative when I can take a picture and focus on something that nobody else would notice in that photo. I feel creative when I can answer an email with a clever, seldom-used combination of words. I feel creative when I incorporate a new word into my conversation that I learned from something I just read. ...

I don't mean to turn this blog into a Jeff Beck appreciation page or even a music appreciation page (though I am crazy about both), I wanted to share another clip of a Jeff Beck performance with Imogen Heap that I stumbled upon during the week. I was captivated by Ms. Heap and her performance, but was blown away by Jeff Beck's guitar solos in this clip. BTW, this is available on Jeff Beck's new DVD and the audio is available as a free download on Amazon.com. Enjoy this clip and the rest of your weekend...

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. To me, music is too personal for this. Each of us has our own music hall of fame, our favorite musicians and their CDs and albums. That being said, one of my favorite guitar players is being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame tonight: Jeff Beck . He's already in the Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, but he is being inducted as a solo musician this evening. If you have never heard any of his solo stuff, do yourself a favor and buy/download/borrow some of his work. Start with Wired and Blow by Blow, mix in a little Truth and don't forget some of his newer work such as Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop and Jeff . If you really want to treat yourself, pick up one his live CDs such as his official bootleg, Live at B.B. King's Blues Club . I've had the privelege of seeing Jeff Beck live and he is simply spectacular and jaw-dropping. Once, I went by myself on the day of show and picked up ...