December 12th, 2008
Excelsior!
Quick, what does your state seal look like? If you’re like me you might have some vague idea from press events or jury duty. In my mind’s eye there was a crest with a sheaf of wheat, some scales, and a banner inscribed with Latin. I was asked to contemplate mine last night and the results were very instructive.
Last night my husband and I attended a gathering of like-minded folks in a loft downtown for a talked entitled: Ever Upward: The Inner Meaning and Practice of the Spiritual Culture of NYC. We were there at the invitation of my friend, Sascha Lewis from Flavorpill. As we walked in and took our seats, we noticed the image of the New York state seal on a screen at the front of the room. “That’s an odd introductory image,” I whispered to Peter, “I don’t know that I’ve ever really seen that.” “Where are the beavers?” he responded, “I really thought there were beavers in that seal.”
The speaker was Hugo Cory, a highly-regarded business coach in the city. He started his presentation by drawing our attention to the single word on the seal: Excelsior. His translation: ever upward. Hugo pointed out something that should have been obvious to a room full of marketers and branding experts…nothing on this seal is arbitrary. Nothing is there to fill space. This word was chosen to embody the spirit of this place, to capture the essence of the land and the energy here. This seal was the original New York brand. Maybe this is something those of us trying to work and live successfully on this land should give a thought to, he suggested. The people who first worked to identify the tangible and intangible factors that make this spot on the earth what it is, found an expression in the idea ‘ever upward.’
avatar film For contrast, he offered California’s motto: Eureka! California’s seal features the Greek goddess Minerva, goddess of wisdom. How appropriate that sentiment is for the land of self-help and start-ups.
download The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2 movie So what does–or should–Excelsior mean to a New Yorker?
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Hugo gestured and sat up straighter as he described the upwards energy of this city. It’s a vertical place, a phallic place, a place where things are always growing, building on new foundations, excelling, blooming, booming. It’s a place that demands innovation and renewal. It is a business center that explodes, retracts, reinvents itself, and emerges stronger. It is a spiritual center that demands constant reevaluation and progress.
His point ultimately was to help us understand that there are no accidents in geography. For all of us drawn to living in this big, crazy city, there is something to be learned from the idea of moving ever upward. He stressed the importance of not fighting the natural energy of the city, of not sinking into fear or despair in a city that wants to elevate. His talk was a reminder, a pep talk designed to encourage us to embrace this financial crisis as a moment for reinvention. Financial momentum might be heading down, but this only makes way for the ascension of other things…more important things. Be creative. Be inspired. Be positive. And walk tall, as tall as the buildings that define our skyline.
As we listened and asked questions, I realized that I was feeling taller. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the young woman next to me sitting bolt upright in her chair. Our energy, our alertness, even our questions were very…well, New York: “How do I overcome…,” “What do I do to…,” they were specific and demanded instruction. As the session ended we hungrily networked, exchanged cards, and looked for ways to connect with and stay in touch with the others who had felt compelled to come to this discussion on this rainy night in New York. How different this was from the spiritual gatherings I’ve attended in California and other places that tend to be more, well, contemplative. How delightfully illustrative of the evening’s topic! New York is a special place with an ever upward energy that must be embraced and cannot be ignored. It was so refreshing to see young business leaders clear on the idea that ever upward is not about bottom lines, but about doing something good and creative in the quest to bring ourselves and all those around us UP.
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Take a look at the place where you’re doing business and living your life. What does your choice of home or headquarters say about you? And what would it mean for you to align with that sentiment?
posted by schuyler brown
Filed Under: Skyelab