Hello Everyone,
I hope 2012 has been as exciting for you as it has been for me. As many of you know this month I welcomed the birth of my first child Sloane. The whole birthing process is simply amazing and I am happy to report Mother and Daughter are doing great!
My life has been so rich this past quarter but there is always room for improvement. In Positive Psychology two concepts that help people live happier lives are Relishing and Resilience. Relishing is the act of choosing to think about positive experiences when you let your mind wander – opposed to dwelling about negative past or future events. Resilience is, in part, the mental defense you build up against depression and negative feelings when you live optimistically and relish positive experiences.
Last month I had a great day… a wonderful day… leading up to a very short but negative interaction with a San Francisco bus driver. The incident lasted five minutes and was a distinct outlier from most of the happy experiences I have had in the Bay Area. Yet that day and a few days after I let this five minutes linger and influence the memory of an otherwise brilliant day. I let a moment in time damage an entire day of positive experience. I can do better! If you see me do this again, tell me to go home and read my newsletter.
For my health and wellness interview this quarter I was excited to get the chance to meet and interview Nadeem Kassam. Nadeem is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has been focusing on innovation in the health and wellness arena for over a decade. His latest endeavor is the new BASIS watch, a biometric device getting a tremendous amount of early buzz. My interview with Nadeem Kassam about biometrics devices can be found here.
This quarter’s business interview is with Jerome Breche. Jerome is the co-founder of SnapEngage, a customer engagement start-up that empowers anybody to quickly get a robust chat system embedded onto a website. My interview with Jerome Breche about customer enchantment can be found here.
Aside from the awesome life experience of becoming a father, this quarter’s other life experience was learning to fly. I really enjoyed the challenge and the thrill of being able to control an aircraft.
Lastly, this quarter’s contribution went to Planned Parenthood. I’m comfortable going on record that it is my belief that health and wellness should transcend political and religious debate. Within the context of this belief, it is my opinion that Karen Handel’s political maneuvering to try and reduce the funding of Planned Parenthood was just short of diabolical. I am proud to be part of the movement that publicly rebuked her behavior through economics.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead.
Wishing you the best in the year ahead.
Warm regards,
Michael
