One evening almost 20 years ago, when I was leaving the office very late, I walked passed Marty Edelston’s office…Marty is the founder of my beloved company Boardroom and he’s my lifelong mentor, friend and business partner.
It was probably 8:00 p.m.–he and I were the only people in the office–and he was playing with some direct mail copy and writing notes to people–just doing his thing.
I said, “You know that expression about no one thinking they should have spent more time at the office when they are on their death bed? That doesn’t apply to you, does it?”
He smiled and said that concept had never entered his mind.
And we went on to joke that if he dropped dead at his desk later that evening (after moving a line of copy on the cover of a promotion an inch to the right), that I would agree to make sure the change was made the next day.
That brings me to the quote for this week…and this was actually printed on the back of Marty’s business cards…
“The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”
-Zen Buddhist Text
We all know how tough this can be to live into at times…but try this:
Pin this quote on your wall and/or put it in your phone.
It will be a great reminder of how much fun you are having every day you are alive.
Next week: The most important lesson I ever learned about testing in a launch…and you’ll have to guess whether that’s about work or play!
Warmly,
Brian