If you haven’t unplugged lately, this Saturday is a great time to do so in the service of something greater: the health of the planet. Take a break from electricity. It’ll be there when you get back.

My first job in marketing was as the assistant in the naming department at Landor in San Francisco. I spent my days reading dictionaries and ordering lunch for meetings. I was young, hungry, and in love with words. I took my naming personally.

As a foundation for a career and a life, you can’t do much better than names. Paying attention to the tiniest syllables builds awareness, comprehension and in ideal situations: true understanding. Names–for an object, an organization, or an individual–contain great potential; something unborn, latent, a kernel of truth that can manifest a destiny.

I’ve been thinking about this because last weekend my own namesake passed away. Continue Reading »