We all have experiences that touch the soul. Treasured time with family, getting lost in nature, insight when you need it, or a performance that activates euphoria. We are moved but feelings fade. How might we add a thickness to remember these enlightened moments?
Trapping time with content and telling stories is an obvious way to stretch memories. To add a spiritual layer, mediate within the moment. This doesn’t need to be awkward or take much time. Breathe in every tiny detail and notice the nuances to burn different sensations into your experience.
The choice to be inefficient is what makes this effective.
Past experiences provide context for the biological circuitry that helps us navigate the world. With memories forming much of our instincts, the cost of paying special attention is what adds the glitch.
These glitches become mental bookmarks that improve our recollection and storytelling while adding an ability to revisit real sensations inside future meditations.
Founders ride highways to the danger zone. They’re good in discomfort and look to horizons, knowing the edge is where it’s at. Tactics can be learned, but steady action, confidence, humility, and persistence help us embrace entrepreneurship for what it is: a lifestyle.
When building becomes a part of who you are, the result is not authenticity; it’s consistency. As open-mindedness and generosity lathers into long-term consistency, trust bubbles.
As we build at the speed of trust, we work to understand those we serve, which almost always leads to some form of success. This may be relentless customer discovery, a side hustle that brings us to life, the innovative role we build as a linchpin inside an existing organization, or that first hire who grows a scaling business. Every mission is impossible, until lasting commitment helps us feel our way through it.
As we fly beyond our own limits, don’t think. Make entrepreneurship a lifestyle of continuous learning and stay supersonic to become prolific in all that we create.
The pursuit to find Pluto is a neat example of how imagination, obsession, and reason align what can be seen. After scientists at the Lowell Observatory finally discovered “Planet X” in 1930, the world weighed in on what to name it. Let’s brew on naming your project.
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Pluto was the second choice of scientists who discovered this beloved dwarf planet. Minerva was the team’s first choice, but it was already taken by an existing asteroid.
A name makes a project feel real. It creates identity. If you’ve been thinking about something for a while, a name may naturally emerge. If you’re struggling or feel uneasy about the name you have in mind, here’s how to fuel confidence and land on something scalable.
Be descriptive. If it’s impossible to guess what you’re offering, you’re taking an early gamble. Hyper specific names may stand out in the moment, but too much definiteness can limit your ability to evolve. Attention is hard to earn, so avoid obscurity, names that trap you, or anything that makes the business hard to remember.
Verify availability. It’s tough to set yourself apart while still being memorable. As you consider naming a business, get creative, but do your homework before falling in love. Do not hope something may not exist; try to find it. Boldly research existing trademarks, domain names, social media accounts, industry competitors, and funky spellings. The result can be a name that is all yours versus something that may be catchy but could spawn future liabilities.
Think long-term. To withstand the test of time, consider how this name supports lasting growth. If the trend upon which you’ve based a name fades, might you look outdated? Will highlighting a location eliminate the ability to expand? In short, don’t corner yourself unless it’s on purpose.
Once you lock in a name, start using it within customer discovery to explore how it’s received by those you seek to serve. When a name clicks, align your marketing and overall vocabulary around the newly established identity. This will make your company recognizable, and over time it connects you to more true fans.
I hadn’t touched a golf club in eight years, until Ben invited me to 9 holes to celebrate his 40th birthday.
LESSON #1: yes = adventure
After being away from a game I once loved, the first round back was intimidating, but why not? I picked up some golf gear and hit a driving range.
LESSON #2: now > later
When the day came, I arrived to find my friend sipping a Miami Vice with his good buddy and business partner. This set the scene. Whether it was strolling around the clubhouse or our carefree laughter along the way, it was clear we were here to have a good time.
Even with a relaxing vibe, my nerves got the best of me the first 5 holes. My shots were timid, and the wind wasn’t helping. Despite the double bogeys, I was having fun and it felt good being back on the golf course.
LESSON #4: humility + patience + fun = growth
Halfway through, a groove was returning. On Hole 15, Ben caught a birdie and I hit my first par. We then rolled up to Hole 16 at Glen Oaks Country Club, a 168-yard par 3. Feeling relaxed, I grabbed my 7-iron and hit a clean tee shot. It felt great and looked even better. The ball dropped on that freshly aerated green, just short and left of the pin. It took two small hops, then silently rolled into the cup. A freakin’ hole-in-one!
We started dancing in disbelief. Neither of us knew what to do. I threw on my giant fake gold chain and giggled while Ben captured the moment. The rest of our day was a blur, and we’ve continued to celebrate ever since. Without this yes to adventure, I never would have gotten my first hole-in-one or shared this epic experience on my fun friend’s 40th birthday.
LESSON #6: growth + opportunity = celebrate
Extra Shot This contribution is from Derek Brooks, a Midwestern American software engineer who enjoys thinking, building, fixing, traveling, camping, rocking, and once again, golfing.
As I appreciate these life lessons through the lens of my career as a technologist, I’m reminded that getting in over my head has been the fastest way to grow and move forward. When we push outside comfort zones and always celebrate in style, we have fewer regerts.
I sit atop this hill, soaking in the darkness of a lunar eclipse, reflecting as I celebrate 40 trips around the Sun. As our pale blue dot moves between the moon and our closest star, I first notice the moving shadow’s blurry edge. As I think about the time we spend on Earth, so much is devoted to finding our place in the universe. Even when we feel alignment, the blur of distractions will remain constant.
Anticipation takes over as the final sliver of moonlight goes dark. The orange haze of this blood moon is now the only cloud in the sky. The twinkling stars seem to serenade the silence of this moment. As the darkness holds time still, an eerie peacefulness is accompanied by welcomed loneliness. My thoughts sync into the shadow of this cosmic darkness. It becomes useless to resist the overwhelming appreciation I have for so many people who have given my life meaning.
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Jodie and Kate, you are the light of my life and my own totality. My greatest achievement is us. We make each other better, have fun, and experience the meanings in life. One of my favorite things will remain writing life’s stories together, but when I do turn my final page, know that you’re both forever loved, I’ll be with you always, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Within the darkness of totality, I’m soon struck by the discomfort I feel, not knowing when the moonlight may return. We’ve all heard how dark it is before the dawn, yet it still feels natural to consider things that have not gone to plan. Accepting past failures, broken relationships, and future challenges was not an expected emotion, but perspective determines how we respond. I’m thankful that it’s hard to think of anyone who may need to hear this, but if I’ve ever wronged you in any way, I want to say that I am sorry and wish only the best for you.
Extra Shot Perhaps the transitory quest for totality is an impossible pursuit, but one that provides meaning and makes life fun.
As the first sliver of moonlight returns, eminent joy and assuring enthusiasm seem to rush over me. It’s as if the light of our moon has never been brighter. The subsiding shadow of our planet slowly releases the cherished moonlight back into the night sky, which lights renewed optimism. As the moon shines brighter than ever, so does my appreciation for all that we share. Now and forever, thank you.
