The story of an unlikely mediator

Seven Things — #4 — 23 May 2020

Howdy,

Here are Seven Things that were on my mind this week:

• Social media and tech as a whole have built a reputation for driving divisions between people. So I find it surprising to see more evidence of caring humanity now that all our interactions have moved online and tech playing the role of an unlikely mediator - in business and in our personal lives.

• A friend was confused about all the advice about the skills one should learn to become a more valuable professional. I recommended taking it with a grain of salt and thinking more strategically. Julie Zhuo’s also had a great piece related to this in her newsletter.

• QB started a “Day in a life of…” series on the ‘gram, and I was the first test subject. It taught me just how much effort goes into Social Media, and that even the ephemeral ‘stories’ don’t necessarily vanish after 24 hours 😬.

• An annual event I always look forward to is the release of John Maeda’s CX-Report. Last year, I was lucky enough to see the live presentation at SXSW. This year, we can all watch and read it online. Here goes my weekend reading.

• Speaking of the weekend: It’s a long one for many of us and a good chance to try a new activity or reflect a little. The last long weekend got me started on a whole new streak of journaling. There’s a method for everyone. You could also get into sketching or watch some theatre.

• Mental Health Awareness Week is wrapping up - a good time to be kinder not just to others, but also ourselves. I gave myself a Self-Compassion Break, an exercise I learned about on The Science of Happiness. Check it out.

• I’ve been catching up with photo editing and my album on last year’s trip to China arrived (yay!). I’ll be putting a few photos up here. It’s another way in which I try to keep travelling while staying put. I also learned that Goodreads lets you search quotes: "The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." (Marcel Proust)

Thank you for being curious with me. If you think someone else might enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them. If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe here.

---

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any current or previous employers.