Happy Fri-Yay! Reader,

Welcome to the 4x Friday, four of the coolest things I've found, learned, or experienced, this past week.

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What I learned

Remember, this Sunday is Mother's Day. There will be 122 million phone calls and $31 billion spent, with the greeting card being the number one gift. The woman who started it tried to stop it. Anna Reeves Jarvis established "Mother's Friendship Day" to foster friendship and community between mothers on opposite sides of the Civil War. Her daughter, Anna Jarvis, later organized the first official Mother's Day celebration in 1908, and after a letter-writing campaign, it was added to the national calendar in 1914. Florists, card companies, and other merchants commercialized the holiday, which outraged Jarvis. She launched lawsuits against anyone who used the name "Mother's Day" and spent most of her wealth on legal fees. By her death in 1948, Jarvis had disowned the holiday and had spent the rest of her life trying to remove it from the American calendar.

What I watched

​A lip-sync video (00:02:08) shows off actors Sean Hayes and his husband Scott Icenogle's insane lip-sync skills to the LunchMoney Lewis hit song, "Mama." Some props and costumes make it fun, and it ends with a Mother's Day wish for all of the mama's out there.

BTW, if your mother has passed or you don't know who you're mother is, I wish I had the right words, but I don't. Grief has no expiration date, and it sucks.

In the video The A.I. Dilemma - March 9, 2023 (01:07:30), computer scientists Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin (known for the Social Dilemma) discuss how existing A.I. capabilities already pose catastrophic risks to a functional society, how A.I. companies are caught in a race to deploy as quickly as possible without adequate safety measures, and what it would mean to upgrade our institutions to a post-A.I. world, for the podcast version: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/the-ai-dilemma.

What I read

The elephant and the rider theory, which originates from The Happiness Hypotheses book, can be applied to modern management strategies. It touches on the two parts of the brain that work together when making decisions. The rational part is called the rider, and the emotional side is called the elephant. To be a successful manager, I need to learn how to manage and work with both my rider and elephant, according to this theory. The metaphor is used throughout the book. The rider and the elephant are often in conflict. The bigger and much heavier elephant usually wins. I can't change my mind (or anything else) through willpower. I need to act my way to changes through tiny habits done consistently.

What I watched and then read

Today's Darren Daily is about How to Ignite Belief in Others (00:05:44) and tells how Thomas Edison's mother reacted when he brought home a note from his teacher citing he was mentally ill and expelling him from school. Later Edison stated, "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint." Nancy Edison is one of 25 of History's Greatest Moms, according to a blog post by MentalFloss.com.

Bonus: What I'm pondering

"I like helping people. I think it's one of the reasons God put us here on earth. But helping others does more than benefit others. It also helps you win with them. I say that because whenever you are quick to help others, it makes a statement. It's like leaving a calling card they will never forget." — John C. Maxwell in 25 Ways to Win with People.

Have a triumphant week.

PS - Tickets for Design & Build Nashville: The Science in Design, Aug 4 & 5, are on sale now! AIBD.org/DesignBuildNashville.

PPS - Be a helper and a hero by allowing others to become #BetterEveryDay. Please pass on this exclusive link and encourage them to sign up for a daily mentoring video by Darren Hardy for free.

PPPS - Achieve healthy growth for your organization and people. Learn more about the Great Game of Business.

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