Day 165 – Jesus, Take the Wheel
A few years ago, there was a popular song by Carrie Underwood called “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The story in the song is about a young single mother driving back home with her small child buckled safely in the back seat. She’s at the end of her rope, heading home to seek help from her […]
Day 164 – Principles of Creativity
When I was a young boy, around 12 or 13 years old, my mom had a book lying around the house called Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy. Truth be told, this book probably caught my attention because of a few of the partially nude advertisements Ogilvy highlighted in it. However, curiosity led […]
Day 163 – A Dream is Only Chased
We’ve all heard the phrase “chasing a dream.” It often carries a negative connotation—especially when it comes from your mother or other loved ones. You’re told you have your head in the clouds. You’re told that what you want to do is impractical, ill-conceived, even irrational. But still, you have a dream. You have an […]
Day 162 – Hieros Gamos
It happened all at once—at sunset, while he sat at his favorite point on the small peninsula that jutted out into the water. Tano Kai was a young boy from a small fishing village. He was a dreamer, they said. He needed to be more realistic, they often replied. So he sat where he always […]
Day 161 – Solace the Butterfly
Solace was generally a sad, discouraged, and depressed butterfly, unlike all her friends and family. She understood how incredibly short her life was and believed it would end with little fulfillment beyond the continuation of her species. Solace saw further and understood more than a typical butterfly because she had perspective. Her parents had died […]
Day 160 – The Fish Symbol
One of my favorite theorists is that of Kenneth Burke. Placing him in any particular category is challenging, as his writings crossed many boundaries. One of his books, which shares a place of honor on my bookshelf, is “Language as Symbolic Action.” He wrote this in 1966, and although it was met with little fanfare, […]
Day 159 – Every Person Needs a Temple
A few days ago, I was feeling despondent and trying to figure out why. After some contemplation, I realized that I had been cooped up indoors for several days, working exclusively in my office. I realized my restlessness stemmed from excessive screen time and artificial light. However, that was not the only cause. The primary […]
Day 158 – The Most Powerful Emotion
One of the most powerful emotions a person can experience is empowerment. In today’s world, we trade on this emotion like currency. It fuels attention, drives engagement, and sells everything from movies to books to music. It can form social movements, unite people under a common cause, and inspire dramatic change. But what exactly is […]
Day 157 – Erdős–Bacon Number
You may be familiar with prestigious awards like the Nobel Prize. For example, winning a Nobel Prize in economics indicates that you’ve significantly influenced your field through impactful research and contributions. However, an even more intriguing measure of distinction exists—the Erdős–Bacon number. You might not have heard of this number before, so let me briefly […]
Day 156 – The Delicate Art of Using Acronyms to Sound Smart
Day after day, I find myself sitting through pitches from founders seeking investments. There’s always a slide deck, always a story, and invariably—acronyms. Lots and lots of acronyms. You’ve probably heard pitches that sound something like this: “Our AI-enabled SaaS solution leverages IoT and blockchain to optimize UX while maximizing ROI through a robust API.” […]