Curious about Significance: Do You Know and Understand What Holds Significance for You? Are You Working on Your Own Significance?

“What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!” - H. P. Lovecraft

“Significance” - what a loaded and important word and concept! Why do I make this statement?

In this issue, I am re-purposing a blog from the past. I chose to update the theme of significance because I am listening to the updated version of Zig Ziglar’s, The View from the Top, where he addresses the importance of having significance – not just success.

Also, I realize that it is time to determine what actions hold the greatest significance for me and my progress. As I thought more about this, I realized that I already practice this sorting in a plethora of ways. I receive many e-mails and e-newsletters. For each one, I distill the main thoughts and messages down to the idea(s) with the most significance. I have also learned to do this with magazines, books, teleseminars, presentations and meetings. I also realize that I need to do this with my writing, speaking, training, storytelling and marketing.

I believe that the more succinct we can be with ourselves when we are stating our purpose, our mission, our values, our intentions and our goals, the more significance our lives and work will hold.

I found some differing quotations that, I feel, will get you thinking and, hopefully, spur you on to decide what holds significance for you:

• “Progress is measured by richness and intensity of experience - by a wider and deeper apprehension of the significance and scope of human existence.” - Herbert Read
• “The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order the continuous thread of revelation.” - Eudora Welty
• “Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.” - Michael Korda
• “But novels are never about what they are about; that is, there is always deeper, or more general, significance. The author may not be aware of this till she is pretty far along with it.” - Diane Johnson
• “I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” - Pablo Casals

And, then there are the quotations that are a bit more unusual:

• “For me, the number three seems to have a particular significance, relevant in some strange ways to the relation between man and nature.” - Erno Rubik
• “Full, saturated colors have an emotional significance I want to avoid.” - Lucian Freud
• “A modern building should derive its architectural significance solely from the vigor and consequence of its own organic proportions. It must be true to itself, logically transparent, and virginal of lies or trivialities.” - Walter Gropius
• “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?” - Laurence J. Peter
• “Even if you wanted to be a hermit, people come out looking for you. I don't want to cloister myself away, but it is important for me to write about issues that have universal significance. One of them that has resonated with me all my life has been the theme of injustice.” - Iris Chang
• “Just as we could have rode into the sunset, along came the Internet, and it tripled the significance of the PC.” - Andy Grove
• “I believe every era has its significance and the same holds true for players and coaches.” - Sachin Tendulkar

Ask yourself what holds significance for you? What messages and parts of your life and work are significant for you and others? I believe that we are all significant and that we can pursue significance for ourselves and everyone who is affected by us.

“Life would be stunted and narrow if we could feel no significance in the world around us beyond that which can be weighed and measured with the tools of the physicist or described by the metrical symbols of the mathematician.” - Arthur Eddington

Curious about Diversity: How Much Do You Experience in Your Life, Work, and Community?

Definition of Diversity: A state of difference; dissimilitude; unlikeness. Multiplicity of difference; multiformity; variety. Variegation.

“Society is unity in diversity.” - George H. Mead, American philosopher

“The diversity of the phenomena of nature is so great, and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment.” - Johannes Kepler, German scientist

I chose “diversity” for this week’s issue because being a member of the Glazer-Kennedy Marketing group, I am thrilled with their marketing principle, “Diversity Leads to Stability.” Bill Glazer writes that this “means that you want as many different things in place to market and grow your business as possible, instead of one or two which leaves you very vulnerable to specific types of media used, and to your competition copying what you do.”

Also, having many different careers – and different streams of income – as part of my “Portfolio Career,” gives me the diversity and stability that I thrive on. I love the variety and diversity of careers. I can have one career that is lucrative and another that isn't, so I don't have to worry about income.

Of course, when we think of diversity – and many of the quotations reflect this – we think of race and cultural differences. I chose quotations that reflect this along with other approaches.

Let’s get started:

• “We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration.” - Josefa Iloilo, Fijian statesman
• “We are the only country in the world that has taken people from so many different backgrounds, which is a great achievement by itself, but an even greater achievement is that we have turned all of that variety and diversity into unity.” - Lamar Alexander, American politician
• “I love the diversity of America. I love the plain, normal sense of humor Americans have. It is not wicked, like in some countries. And I also love how new America is.” - Antonio Banderas, Spanish actor
• “My father was the son of immigrants, and he grew up bilingual, but English is what my father taught me and what he spoke to me. America's strength is not our diversity; it is our ability to unite around common principles even when we come from different backgrounds.” – Ernest Istook, American politician
• “Nonetheless, I sense that it will be the task of the future to somehow synthesize the sheer diversity of our present resources into a more organic and well-ordered procedure.” – George Crumb, American composer
• “One day I undertook a tour through the country, and the diversity and beauties of nature I met with in this charming season, expelled every gloomy and vexatious thought.” - Daniel Boone, American explorer
• “Our cultural diversity has most certainly shaped our national character.” - Julie Bishop, Australian politician
• “The Internet offers authors and their readers a new diversity of opportunities and freedom.” - Frederick Forsyth, British author

And some more. I love how much these quotations make me think and see the world in a different way:

• “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” - Maya Angelou, American poet
• “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” - John F. Kennedy, American President
• “All my life I've been looking for diversity.” - Max von Sydow, Swedish actor
• “Among those who are satisfactory in this respect it is desirable to have represented as great a diversity of intellectual tradition, social milieu and personal character as possible.” – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist
• “Bring diversity back to agriculture. That's what made it work in the first place.” –
  David R. Brower, American environmentalist
• “Common sense tells us that this explosion of media sources should eliminate any concern over a lack of diversity of views in the marketplace and competition.” - Fred Upton, American politician
• “Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today.” - Jinato Hu, Chinese leader
• “Diversity on the bench is critical. As practitioners, you need judges who 'get it!' We need judges who understand what discrimination feels like. We need judges who understand what inequality feels like. We need judges who understand the subtleties of unfair treatment and who are willing to call it out when they see it!” - Debbie Wasserman Schultz, American politician

What do you think? How do you feel about and define diversity? I would love to hear from you.

Curious about Being a Hero: Do You Have Any? What Makes a Hero in Your Mind or Heart?

Definition of Hero: A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person. The principal personage in a poem, story, and the like, or the person who has the principal share in the transactions related; as Achilles in the Iliad, Ulysses in the Odyssey, and Aeneas in the Aeneid.

“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.” - Felix Adler, German educator

I chose “hero” for this week’s theme for several reasons. First, I am close to finishing Keith Ferazzi’s book, Who's Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success--and Won't Let You Fail. As Ferazzi took me through his relationship journey to success, he became one of my present day heroes. I highly recommend the book. It is filled with so much truth, it almost hurts.

I realized that very few people talk about heroes today. Do you have any?

Secondly, I belong to a group that is voting for those they feel have hero status. Most are from the past and include those like Jefferson, Edison, and even super heroes like Superman. There are three rounds of voting, which I think is a shame because several I chose have been eliminated already.

Besides Ferazzi, I have found many wonderful heroes on the Internet. They are those willing to help others. They share information that works, rather than just makes money for them. And, they are masters of honesty and strong opinions.

I found the hero quotations to be quite different from what I expected. Let me know what you think.

• “Nothing is given to man on earth - struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible - the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen.” - Andrew Bernstein, American philosopher
• “One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.” - May Sarton, American poet
• “See, heroes never die. John Wayne isn't dead, Elvis isn't dead. Otherwise you don't have a hero. You can't kill a hero. That's why I never let him get older.” - Mickey Spillane, American author
• “She was in a difficult position being the widow of a great American hero, a role that carried high expectations but she did a credible job of continuing Dr. King's dream especially in the face of a changing and often hostile American public.” - Morris Dees, American lawyer
• “A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around.” - Edgar Watson Howe, American editor
• “A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.” - Gilbert K. Chesterton, English writer
• “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” - Christopher Reeve, American actor
• “My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. I don't really know what's happening down there. Who is the real hero?” - Mitch Hedberg, American comedian

And, of course, some more:

• “It's kind of ironic that the two sports with the greatest characters, boxing and horse racing, have both been on the decline. In both cases it's for the lack of a suitable hero.” - Dick Schaap, American journalist
• “It's silly to say it about a tennis player, but I'm an unbelievable hero in Germany. And Germany needs heroes more than any place.” - Boris Becker, German athlete
• “Love of glory can only create a great hero; contempt of glory creates a great man.” – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, French diplomat
• “Luck is everything... My good luck in life was to be a really frightened person. I'm fortunate to be a coward, to have a low threshold of fear, because a hero couldn't make a good suspense film.” - Alfred Hitchcock, English director
• “Muhammad Ali is a combination of personality and athlete who is probably better known around the world than any other. He became a great hero.” - Will McDonough, American writer
• “Dr. Martin Luther King is not a black hero. He is an American hero.” - Morgan Freeman, American actor
• “Eisenhower was my war hero and the President I admire and respect most.” - Ethel Merman, American actress
• “Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed.” - Bob Riley, American politician

And, a couple to take home with you:

“A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares.” - Debi Mazar, American actress

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell, American author

So, if I asked you who are your heroes and why, what would be your answer or answers? What designates someone as a hero for you? I would love to hear from you.

Curious about Design: How Important Is Design to You? And How Often Do You Design – Especially Your Life and Activities?

Definition of Design: To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace out; to draw. To create or produce, as a work of art; to form a plan or scheme of; to form in idea; to invent; to project; to lay out in the mind; as, a man designs an essay, a poem, a statue, or a cathedral.

“If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” - Jim Rohn, American businessman

I chose “design” for this week’s theme, because it touches so many areas of our lives and businesses. We design our days, our schedules, our plans – marketing, health and fitness, education, finances, our appearance, our surroundings, social activities, and so much more.

Even if we feel that we are not artistic, we all have a sense of our design preferences. We all have certain colors and styles to which we are drawn. Personally, I feel that we should all remain true to ourselves – our own likes and dislikes. I found so many wonderful and empowering quotations concerning design – there were 14 different pages – so you can imagine the job of picking and choosing.

So, let’s get started:

• “I don't start with a design objective, I start with a communication objective. I feel my project is successful if it communicates what it is supposed to communicate.” - Mike Davidson, American designer
• “Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily. They don't care as much about attractive sites and pretty design.” - Tim Berners-Lee, English Inventor
• “What is design? It's where you stand with a foot in two worlds - the world of technology and the world of people and human purposes - and you try to bring the two together.” - Mitchell Kapor, American businessman
• “Design, in its broadest sense, is the enabler of the digital era - it's a process that creates order out of chaos, that renders technology usable to business. Design means being good, not just looking good.” - Clement Mok, American businessman
• “Good design begins with honesty, asks tough questions, comes from collaboration and from trusting your intuition.” - Freeman Thomas, American designer
• “Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.” - Dieter Rams, German designer
• “Graphic design is the paradise of individuality, eccentricity, heresy, abnormality, hobbies and humors.” - George Santayana, American philosopher
• “I design for real people. I think of our customers all the time. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories that are not practical.” - Giorgio Armani, Italian designer

And, some more:

• “I design for the woman who loves being a woman.” - Diane von Furstenberg, Belgian designer
• “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” - Steve Jobs, American businessman
• “Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated.” - Paul Rand, American designer
• “Design must reflect the practical and aesthetic in business but above all... good design must primarily serve people.” - Thomas J. Watson, American scientist
• “Design must seduce, shape, and perhaps more importantly, evoke an emotional response.” - April Greiman, American graphic designer
• “I don't design clothes, I design dreams.” - Ralph Lauren, American designer
• “Color does not add a pleasant quality to design - it reinforces it.” - Pierre Bonnard, French artist
• “Design can have such a positive impact on the way people live and on their relationships and moods.” - Genevieve Gorder, American designer

And, just three more to set the design tone for the week:

• “All those years of skating and dancing have carried over. I can't design anything without thinking of how a woman's body will look and move when she's wearing it.” - Vera Wang, American designer
• “Almost all quality improvement comes via simplification of design, manufacturing... layout, processes, and procedures.” - Tom Peters, American businessman
• “Also note that invariably when we design something that can be used by those with disabilities, we often make it better for everyone.” - Donald Norman, American scientist

So, what are you designing right now? I submit to you that all of us are always designing. We can make it fun with a successful outcome or we can struggle. How about you?