What would I say if this was the last post I’d ever write? Unlike Bob, who was the first person to take on this challenge, I’m not going to tackle it as a question of mortality (if for no other reason than the fact that I couldn’t come close to being as eloquent and moving as he was). But I will try to take it on as a question of legacy – what would I want people to take away from having known or encountered me? An “advice to future grads” for the broader audience.

In short, I’d implore you to think critically and be compassionate. I think there’s a tendency to see these almost as contradictory ideas but I don’t mean them to be.  Quite the contrary, actually. I see these things as two sides of the same coin.

First, think critically

In my younger days I tried and failed to start a  non-profit / think tank dedicated to promoting a responsible approach to journalism. I adopted “think critically” as the slogan for the organization. Critical thinking isn’t intended to carry a negative connotation, it simply means to ask the extra question. Dig a little deeper. Take the time to put things in context. Consider the source.

All the stuff they teach you in j-skool but that far too often falls by the wayside when working journalists are confronted with deadline pressures, reluctant sources and scarce resources.

Even though I’ve abandoned the project I’ve tried to keep the credo. I think far too often people accept what they’re told without asking the extra question. Critical thinking can be uncomfortable, especially when it involves challenging one’s own preconceived ideals or understandings of the world.

But it’s so very important, especially in the era of unfiltered information overload.

We are bombarded with data, information and opinions. In the face of such an onslaught, we seek out that which reassures us. The multitude of sources only compounds this by implying a variety of viewpoints that may not actually exist.

It’s easy to find 15 sources to support what you believe; it’s harder to seek out the other 15 that challenge you.

Think critically about what you read. Think critically about what you hear. Seek out alternative and dissenting viewpoints. Expose yourself to opinions you don’t share and try to see things the way others do.  Question your beliefs from time to time – if they’re worthwhile you’ll come back to them and you’ll be richer for having challenged them.

Which brings us to the second point.

Then, be compassionate

If it’s important to think critically about issues, ideas and information, it’s just as important to apply these principles to people. Try to understand people. Try to see things as they might. Examine their motivations.

Then remind yourself that they are people, just like you.

War and genocide and terrible things like that depend on the dehumanizing of the enemy. Less dramatically, it’s easier to rail against “them neo-cons” or “the socialists” than it would be to rail against the guy that sits down the hall or the woman you met at yoga.

People are flawed. All of them. But they’re people. Their opinions and beliefs are based on their experiences, just like yours. That might frustrate you, that might confound you and that might even offend you. But try to understand why they are the way they are before you pass judgement.

You don’t have to like them. You don’t even have to respect them. But try to understand them. And remember that there but for the grace of whatever deity you believe in or life choices you’ve made…

In conclusion

Think. Challenge yourself. Make yourself uncomfortable every once in awhile. Walk the proverbial mile in someone else’s kicks. You’ll be better for it.

photo credit: rogilde – roberto la forgia

What if you could only write one more post? What would you want to say?

I don’t want to be overly prescriptive so I’ll leave it at that and let people interpret the questions how they choose. You can write about your standard blog topic or you can look more broadly at the world. You can imagine you’re dying or you can pretend you’re simply shutting your blog down.

To get the ball rolling I’m going to tag a few of my favourite bloggers here in the hopes they join the thought experiment but since I’m trying to avoid going too deeply into any one sector or blog focus I’m going to leave people off.

Everyone’s welcome to participate though, this is NOT by invite only.

People I tagged

• My own “last post”
• Amy Boughner
• Susan “SuzeMuse” Murphy
• Chelsea Edgell
• Nick Charney
• Ian Capstick
• Bob LeDrew
• Kym @ Relishing
• Ryan Anderson

People I didn’t tag

• Sarah Millar
• Melanie “herrealworld” Ching
• Tanya “spydergrrl” Snook
• Don “foodieprints” Chow
• Teresa “map_maker” Baldwin
• Gordon Bonnar

Once you write your last post, leave a comment below with the link. I’ll also be using #LastPost to tag tweets and posts about it so feel free to adopt that tag too. I’ll add to the list on this page too.

Oh, and feel free to tag others too, just make sure you note it in the comments so I can keep track of everyone.

photo credit: fensterbme

This may very well amount to nothing at all but I thought it might be a fun experiment. Tips of the proverbial hat to @fleur_de_lotus for unintentionally giving me the idea .

Tired of trying to come up with witty and engaging text for your bio? Suffering from “About” page writer’s block? Crowdsource your problems away in The Bio Zone – the wiki for the self-promotionally challenged.
photo credit: Haags Uitburo

Social media rock star! New media rock star! Marketing rock star!

Really? Let’s take a quick look at some of the qualities that define the average rock star:

• Detached from reality; live in their own world of limos and riders
• Massive egos that are inevitable when stadiums full of people hang on your every word and gesture
• Often forced to stay in a rut for fear of alienating fans with a “new sound”

Meet the session musician

Now I’d like to introduce you to a lesser-known player in the commercial music world. The session musician.

Session players are the guys and gals that get the call to help out in the studio when an artist or producer wants to find that certain sound. If they’re lucky they’ll appear in the liner notes but they’re not usually mentioned in the Rolling Stone articles. They’re heard but not seen.

So what are the qualities of a good session musician?

• They listen to what’s already there and fill in the gaps as needed
• They are versatile enough to play different styles as the situation warrants
• They aren’t in it for their own glory, they’re there to help the rock stars find theirs

I don’t know about you but, as a consultant and strategist, I’d rather be described that way. I’d rather my clients get the glory. We should get hired because of what we’ve done for others, not for what we do for ourselves.

How about you? Would you rather be a rock star or a session musician? Or if you’re on the other side, which would you rather hire?

photo credit: The Real Darren Stone

Either way, I’ve turned to passive aggressive image creation as my outlet. First, in the wake of the Twifficiency madness, here’s the design comp for my new Twitter rating system:

The next version will ask for a nude picture too

Then came Twitter Follower Freakout 2010. OH NOES, they cried, MY FOLLOWER NUMBERS ARE ZERO!

But how can I be sure Justin Bieber is reading this?!

Healthy, no?