Monday Mash-Up ~ 2022.03.07

From the Archives
My Birthday and My Dad

It’s my birthday today (March 7) — which means it’s also the anniversary of the day my dad, Wally Ruwitch, died. I honor him every day, but especially today. I learned so much from him — so many of the things that shape me as a father, husband, friend, AND business person.

I talk often about the importance of human connection — listening, empathy, caring. Wally Ruwitch set the standard for me. Last year, on this day, I wrote about him (https://storypowermarketing.com/my-birthday-my-dad/) and shared this…

After Dad died, I was talking with my maternal grandmother, Miriam, and she said this about my dad: “When you were talking to him, he made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.” 

She was right. 

That means he listened. He looked you in the eye. He spent more time asking about you than talking about himself. He looked forward to YOUR birthday. He cared. 

Every year on my birthday when I think about Wally Ruwitch, I think about what my grandmother told me, and I resolve to keep trying…

…to be more like Dad.  

Recommended Viewing
Remembering “Bloody Sunday”0

On March 7, 1965, the day I was born in St. Louis, MO, a young civil rights activist named John Lewis led a group of marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The violent confrontation that followed became known as “Bloody Sunday.” And it was a turning point in the civil rights movement.

Here’s a video from 50 years later in which Lewis — now a U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 5th Congressional District — recalls that day and reminds us why we should never forget it. 

Recently Published
The Go-Giver Marriage

I mentioned this a few weeks back. Now that it’s published, it bears repeating: The Go-Giver Marriage is a great book.

John David Mann (co-author, along with Bob Burg, of the original Go-Giver trilogy) has teamed up with his wife Ana Gabriel Mann to write this book. I’ve read an advance copy, and I love it. 

If you’ve read any of the Go-Giver books this will feel familiar in style and substance. But it plows new ground.

Here’s a description from the book’s website: The Book “is divided into two parts: (1) The Parable, and (2) The Practice. Part 1, The Parable, tells the story of Tom and Tess, who through the course of a day learn all about the 5 Secrets to Lasting Love — which are modeled on the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success from the original Go-Giver. Part 2, The Practice, is a full-length guidebook that walks you through each of the 5 Secrets: why it works, what it looks like in everyday life, and how to practice it in your relationship. 

More info and a link to purchase at: 
https://thegogiver.com/tgg-marriage/

Recommended Listening
Tim Ferriss Interviews Neil Gaiman

Three years ago, Tim Ferriss (one of my favorite podcasters) interviewed Neil Gaiman (one of my favorite authors). Gaiman does very few interviews, and it took Ferriss years to convince him to be a podcast guest.

Last week, Ferriss re-released the interview. I loved it the first time I heard it. I loved it when I listened again a few weeks later. And I loved it again last week.

Even if you don’t know Gaiman’s work, this is a fascinating discussion about writing and the creative process. 

Here it is: 
https://tim.blog/2019/03/28/neil-gaiman/

Words to Ponder
…from John Lewis

“We are one people with one family. We all live in the same house… and through books, through information, we must find a way to say to people that we must lay down the burden of hate. For hate is too heavy a burden to bear.”