Reflection
It's been one year since our altMBA commencement.
One year ago in the final prompt, as part of the practice, I've committed to this:
With my words, remind my cohort of the powerful ideas we’ve learned here, so they can create the change they seek faster and easier.
To make this happen this, I've committed myself to writing 12 essays for 12 months where the undercurrents are from ideas we’ve learned from altMBA.
I thought it would be fun to review what I wrote and remind me (and you) of the altMBA ideas we’ve learned. Let's go.
Tokyo Tower.
Mar 31, 2021.
Inspired by prompt 12, where we put everything we learned together to produce a video about a change we seek, this essay was about reframing. About finding a different vantage point to elevate you.
When the home shopping salesman meets the Japanese Shakespeare.
Apr 30, 2021.
This was an essay about a legendary Japanese salesman influenced deeply by the Japanese Shakespeare. Although the thinking here is Japanese and ancient, its core theme is one that's familiar to us. And that's empathy.
Which mountain to climb?
May 31, 2021.
We continue our journey in Japan and looked at why one of my favorite brands, Nintendo, is so successful. The secret code behind this essay is our friend from prompt 10, Assets, Boundaries, and Narrative.
The weird thing about weird.
Jun 30, 2021.
In this essay I explore the idea of weird with ramen and spaghetti. And I ended up discovering the weird has very much to do with worldviews. Seeing what other sees.
Cookies that follow you.
Jul 31, 2021.
In this essay we go down the rabbit hole of "what it's for." Taking the idea of "what it's for" and combining them with the concept of "worldviews," the deep revelation for me is that the "what it's for" of a thing can be different for you and me.
A little tour company I'll miss.
Aug 31, 2021.
A story about a tour guide in Hawaii showing up day after day. Reminding me the work I do is a practice.
The slanted sushi.
Sept 30, 2021.
Apparently, food and Japan are big themes in my writing. I share a story about a sushi chef who "saw" me.
If your purpose were a beautiful flower...
Oct 31, 2021.
It is a short prompt about reframing by leveraging an analogy. This prompt also celebrates the release of my book, The Colors of Purpose, with a beautiful cover designed my Rachael Studebaker.
The Chinese Character for Human
Nov 30, 2021.
A short letter essay on gratitude as an encore to Thanksgiving in the US.
Danger and opportunity. Rolled into a cake.
Dec 31, 2021.
A personal story from my baking apprentice days about reframing a mistake into an opportunity. The obstacle is truly the way.
What I learned when I was a baking apprentice in France
Jan 31, 2022.
I follow the cake crumbs and share my memorable story while in a French bakery. It's about a lesson that the chefs taught me about moving forward. The ingredients for this essay? Opportunity costs with a dash of reframing.
Reflection
Feb 29, 2022.
Imagine a clock. We start at noon. For every essay I write, we advance the clock by one hour. This issue brings us back to noon. Full circle I might say.
Thank you for letting my ideas, thoughts, and writing into you inbox. I hope you've enjoyed it.
Will there be more ruckus from me? You bet.
P.S. I resist pressing the publish button. Are there any more errors? Typos? Is this good enough? Why is there so much friction? I say to myself… this is brain-writing. Ignore the friction. It’ time to ship.