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Words – Always Thankful

“Antonio Damasio reminds us, ‘We are not necessarily thinking machines. We are feeling machines that think.’” – Dare to Lead – Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown.

It’s easy to see the faults… it’s easy to be down. Social Media can make this much worse (and it does for many – especially around this time of the year).

Here we sit… Thanksgiving in the US (we celebrated in Canada not that long ago). There is a lot to be thankful for. You don’t have to look too far. Break it down. Make it simple. You will see. Loved ones? Of course, we’re thankful for them. Good/decent health? Hard not to be thankful for that. Those are the obvious ones. Can you dig deeper and simpler? I can. I have. I do.

I’m thankful for one thing: words.

I’m thankful for all of the amazing reading that I get to do (from books and magazines to blog posts and Medium). I’m thankful for the words that I get to write (from this blog, my books, and other publications to the privacy of my Moleskine notebook). I’m thankful for the words that I get to say (from stages all over the world to whispering in bed with my spouse). I’m thanks for the spoken words that I get to share (on the Six Pixels Pixels of Separation Podcast to Groove – The No Treble Podcast to places like CHOM FM every Monday am, the BeanCast Podcast and the countless other business professionals that have invited me to be a guest on their shows).

Words have taken me everywhere.

I moderate a private Facebook Group for non-fiction writers with over 300 of the world’s best. I learn from them (ands they have become real friends). I’ve travelled all over the planet and spoken to some of the most interesting, outlandish, intellectual and creative people. Not bragging. Really. Just thankful for the fact that words have taken me so deep and so far.

So very, very thankful for the words.

Wherever you are, whatever you celebrate… Happy Thanksgiving. If you have words (and can appreciate them and how they flow), you have lot to be thankful for. Don’t believe me? Crack open a book tonight and get lost in the world of words, you will become a believer.

Here is my favourite quote about words and writing of all time. It used to be printed up and pinned on my wall. Whenever the words wouldn’t come, I would read this… and let them flow. Plus, Henry Rollins is just a punk like me 😉

“If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you.” – Henry Rollins.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.