This email auto-responder of a friend brings it to the point: a lot of emails just don't matter that much, even though it sometimes feels like we need to answer them all. In the end, we want to have a bigger impact in life, and should focus our time on that (instead of answering emails).
Dear friends,I know how annoying these "I'm not responding to email as much" autoresponders can be... So I don't do this lightly... But I've made the decision that the biggest impact I can make in the world is through writing my books. (Yes, I'm up to my wily ways, at work at another one.) Yet, I've found, there is almost a directly inverse relationship between me finding time to write my books, and me writing a lot of email. I can have one, but I can't have both. And, since I'd rather have my gravestone say "He Wrote a Lot of Great Books," than have it say "He Wrote a Lot of Great Emails," I'm radically restructuring my life to facilitate me making my biggest impact through book writing. This means I'm going on writing retreat to finish the next book.I may read email sent to this address, but I may not respond to all of it. I know this is not ideal--but I do ask that you please not assume I'm intentionally ignoring you if you write to this and don't hear from me. More likely, I'm intensely focused on writing-- just as I hope you are intensely focused on whatever lights YOUR life and gives YOU greatest passion.
I can be quite skeptical towards Ivy League educations. But there are moments where I'm very proud of my school, Columbia GS. And this story reminds me why. It opens its doors to people who wanna learn, no matter from what background, no matter at what time in their lives, no matter what classical perceptions of higher education are.
"For years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University.
A refugee from war-torn Yugoslavia, he eked out a living working for the Ivy League school. But Sunday was payback time: The 52-year-old janitor donned a cap and gown to graduate with a bachelor's degree in classics.
As a Columbia employee, he didn't have to pay for the classes he took. His favorite subject was the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca, the janitor said during a break from his work at Lerner Hall, the student union building he cleans.
"I love Seneca's letters because they're written in the spirit in which I was educated in my family — not to look for fame and fortune, but to have a simple, honest, honorable life," he said.
His graduation with honors capped a dozen years of studies, including readings in ancient Latin and Greek".
My friend sent over some incredible photos from Somalia, as they are preparing for TEDxMogadishu.
A good friend and Sandboxer is organizing TEDx Mogadishu (Theme: Rebirth), on May 17th, which will be live streamed!
There is hope in Somalia. An influx of African Union troops has pushed insurgents out of Mogadishu and representatives from the country’s clans are meeting to discuss the formation of a new government and draft constitution. With sustained peace on the horizon, the Somali diaspora is returning home and starting businesses. International investors are exploring opportunities and the first Somali bank has now opened.
While the stability remains fragile, Somalis are optimistic that a turning point has been reached after 21 years of conflict, and we are witnessing the rebirth of Mogadishu.
TEDxMogadishu celebrates the power of ideas to positively change the world; we aim to build community by bringing together like-minded people who believe in this mission.
Thanks to David B. Lerner for the great interview. If you're wondering why I'm having so many handbags in the video, the interview is shot in the beautiful showroom of Tory Burch.
shot by the crew at What Took You So Long. (go ahead to 0:40 if you wanna skip the ad for whiskey ;-)
We've just launch a microsite to bring together for the first time the growing number of life changing stories inspired by the Holstee Manifesto. Some incredibly inspiring stories there!
http://mylife.holstee.comHas the Manifesto impacted your life? Send us your story http://mylife.holstee.com/you
Inspiring and engaged conversation about communities at Sandbox lunch with Clay Shirky today in NYC. Thanks to Suvarchala Narayanan for organizing it!
