My friend was recently speaking with her spiritual Teacher about the amount of illness and death those close to her are experiencing. Her Teacher showed empathy, then said:

“Well, you know how it’s going to end. The question is how you will use the time between now and then.”

It struck me when she shared the story – yes, I do in fact know how it’s going to end (this iteration of life, anyway). Sitting with the question, “what will I do between now and then?” seems that it should be easy – but in fact I find it quite challenging.

Easy because it’s not hard to answer the question, “what matters most to me?” Difficult because there are so many ways to pursue those things, and I find myself moving in many directions, often distracted. The question then, I guess becomes: what gives me the most joy? And what will allow me, at the end of it all to know that I’ve lived and loved well, and perhaps made a small difference in the lives of others?

I took a “think day” earlier this week (I’ll be doing lots more of those) to consider those questions as they relate to Imago. It was more than useful; it was clarifying and offered me the chance to not only notice what matters most, but to be accountable to those things as well – and create a plan.

I was inspired by an e-book that’s been sitting on my desktop for the past few months, a co-op resource created by Seth Godin. In it, over 70 thinkers (“big names” and “small”) meditate on the question, “what matters now?” and have some intriguing answers. You can access and download it here or by clicking the image below.

What most matters to you right now?

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Is Web 2.0 the magic bullet when it comes to communicating with those who are invested in our efforts? Of course not. The digital divide and lack of access to technology is a huge issue and concern that many of us are currently addressing. And then there will always be those who will want you to pick up the phone instead of send an e-mail, who prefer to have a chat over coffee instead of over instant message, or who will enjoy your printed newsletter but delete the e-mailed one.

So what’s the important lesson for your organizational communication strategies?

Howard Moskowitz may have the answer. His research revolutionized the food industry when he declared to Prego in the early 1980′s, “There is no perfect spaghetti sauce – only perfect spaghetti sauces.” He went on to help Prego develop a line of four spaghetti sauces when they had  originally intended to create one. Ever wonder why we have multiple kinds of mustard, soda or cereal? Thank Dr. Moskowitz.

Ultimately, it’s on us to figure out how to meet people and engage them in ways that make sense for them – and then do it. So, I like to think that Web 2.0 is one kind of spaghetti sauce and coffee conversations is another (by the way, there’s a fun anecdote about how we like our coffee in the video below).

At a recent TED conference, Malcolm Gladwell (best selling author and staff writer for the New Yorker) gave the talk below about Dr. Moskowitz’s work.

How do you take your spaghetti – or better yet, your conversation?

“Organized philanthropy: It’s not about foundations, necessarily. It’s about the rest of us.” – Katherine Fulton

In this moment of shifts and uncertainty we’re being asked to radically shift how we do business. One could think that means that we need to, in the words of Fulton, “think ourselves into a new way of acting.” In fact, though, she says that there are philanthropic experiments currently happening all around us that are “acting us into a new way of thinking.”

I’m intrigued by this idea because it puts us all in the leadership driver’s seat once again. And when it comes to garnering valuable resources for the work we most care about, or in giving the resources we have in ways that will make the most difference, the driver’s seat is where we need to be.

Fulton talks about five emerging experiments that are “challenging the old assumptions of philanthropy,” including: mass collaboration, peer-to-peer philanthropy; aggregated giving; innovation prizes; and social investing.

This video is well worth the watch, and my guess is that it will spur your thinking and give you something to talk about with your colleagues. I’ll leave you with this quote featured in the video:

“We have lived in this world where little things are done for love and big things for money. Now we have Wikipedia… suddenly big things can be done for love.” – Clay Shirky

Did you know that Cookie Monster speaks Albanian and Serbian? Or that Kami, a South African Muppet sings in Zulu?

Neither did I until I watched this fascinating documentary about the Sesame Workshop and its co-productions of Sesame Street in over 20 countries. The World According To Sesame Street explores  the challenges of leveraging a successful learning tool in different cultural contexts, and navigating power, access and cultural differences all along the way. The film focuses on four co-productions of the show: Sisimpur in Bangladesh; Rruga Sesam and Ulica Sezam in Kosovo; and Takalani Sesame in South Africa.

There’s a lot about this film to highlight and explore – but I think what has stuck with me the most is this:

“Even hardened revolutionaries who have fought in difficult political struggles…understand the power of offering some hope and ways of working out problems [to their children]. How does politics enter into what we’re doing? Well, I guess it has everything to do with what we’re doing – but it also has nothing to do with it.”

The work has everything to do with politics, and nothing to do with it at all. It is easy to make this connection because Sesame Street is working with issues at a child’s level. The person interviewed in the film goes on to say, “children are way better at this kind of humanization than we adults are.”

I think it’s true – that our work is both political (which is easy for us to recognize) and not political at all (much harder, I think). The film offered me the opportunity to see how taking a child’s view can shift how we adults engage in and think about the change we are creating.

What would a child see as the essence of *your* work?

p.s. Curious about the behind-the-scenes history of Sesame Street? I’m currently reading Street Gang, and finding out lots of interesting stuff…

Awesome! From the award-winning documentary, “Playing for Change: Peace Through Music.”  To learn more about out the project, check out playingforchange.com.

How are you playing for change?

Tomorrow millions around the world will celebrate with the United States as we inaugurate Barack Obama as our 44th President. Today we are honoring one person who gave his life in the movement that helped to make tomorrow possible: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have already written about my own moving experience of the link between the Civil Rights Movement and Mahatma Gandhi. Now we all have access to a speech given by Dr. King, recorded 50 years ago during his travels through India in 1959. In it, Dr. King talks about how deeply influenced he was by Mahatma Gandhi and his work for justice. You can listen to part of it here.

And tears came to my eyes when I watched this clip of Dr. King discussing whether or not he thought it possible that the United States could ever have a Black president. In it he predicts that it will happen in “less than 40 years.” Watch it.

Yes we did. Yes we can. And most importantly: YES WE WILL. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us and I’m jumping in with both feet!

Like you, I am in a continual conversation with myself and others about what it will take for us as a worldwide (and local)  community to address the challenges that face us. And it seems to me that one of our biggest problems is that we see ourselves as independent – not interdependent. Being independent makes it easy to look out for myself, to do what’s in my best interest, but not in the best interest of others. And the damaging ways in which that affects us as a society I think is becoming more and more apparent as we watch markets collapse, and corruption become exposed.

The concept of “oneness” is a profound one for me: the way in which if you shift perspective you realize everything and everyone is connected in some way or another. The idea, if only explored at its surface, can get “new-agey” really fast. But explored in depth, it brings about many new possibilities – and responsibilities – responsibilities that I think 21st century leaders will need to challenge us all to engage with.

It won’t be easy or comfortable – but it is what’s necessary. This clip of angel Kyodo williams being interviewed by the Global Oneness Project asks an important question: what will it take for us to be unwilling to continue to tolerate separateness as a way of being? angel also has a lot to offer in thinking about the connections between spiritual practice and social justice.

To watch the full interview with angel Kyodo williams click here. For videos and interviews with other thinkers and doers around the world who are exploring oneness, go here. I’ve spent hours browsing…

I have just come back from two weeks away from my everyday world. And so, being on vacation, I did something I rarely do: I bought a beautiful (yes, expensive) art magazine. In the middle of it was a multi-dimensional art piece by Zaha Hadid based on her room, "Lotus Room" a project in which the architecture and furniture are integrated. It was absolutely beautiful and stirred my imagination. Her work made me contemplate the space we inhabit and ask, "what is functional and what is art? Is there a difference?"

There’s always a part of me that thinks I’m being frivolous when I indulge in a magazine like Wallpaper*. But then I’m reminded of wise words written by Audre Lorde in her essay, Poetry Is Not a Luxury:

"The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes we hope to bring about through those lives."

An artist’s work – whether a painter, architect, musician, dancer – offers breathing space and perspective, which we need – and not only on vacation – to keep our creativity alive. The light cast by Zara Hadid’s work has made me rethink how I approach my work and to ask new questions and make new connections. It has also inspired me to work on slowing down in my everyday world to seek out that perspective in order to expand the view before me.

How do you expand your view?

www.thegirleffect.org

When we’re overwhelmed by the challenges that face us, what do we do? Become reactive? Look to fix what’s immediately in front of us? Hold our breath and hope it goes away? Or do we look deeply and see the core issue – and the simple solution? Do we take the long view?

Investing in people and their capacity is one of the wisest things we can do. Yet, in our world of many competing priorities, it’s often the toughest investment to make.

"Invest in a girl, and she will do the rest."

I have heard over the years that if you want to invest in a community, invest in its women. The Girl Effect website confirms the statistic that the statement is based on: when girls and women earn an income, they reinvest 90% of it into their families and health of their community. Men reinvest 30-40%. Knowing this, it becomes obvious (at least to me) that the solution to many of the biggest challenges we face as a world community can be resolved by investing in the potential of all people so that they in turn can invest in creating meaningful change.

It seems so simple. Of course, simple doesn’t mean easy (please don’t think I mean that!). What other simple solutions do you see?

p.s.

Want to invest in girls locally? Check out Powerful Voices. It’s a good organization doing important work.

The Lodestar Foundation is investing in the advancement of sharing over competition through its newest initiative, The Collaboration Prize. According to their website, the $250,000 prize will recognize collaborations among two or more nonprofit organizations that each would otherwise provide the same or similar programs or services and compete for clients, financial resources and staff.

You can learn all about the initiative and nomination process by visiting one of the links above. To nominate a great collaborative team, you need to act fast – the deadline is July 21st. This is a great opportunity to highlight the great work you are seeing others do – or even are doing yourself.

I’m excited to learn from the many great collaborative models and efforts this prize will uncover. Stay tuned!