Tip of the Year

"You never know."

Generally, it's said when someone tries to sell you insurance, or when you can't decide whether to pack an umbrella.

But this sentiment is most true with people. And in the best way possible. If I were to digest my experiences from a year down into a single aphorism (yeah just the one, beat that School Of Life) it would be that You have no idea what 99% of people are like - and if you ask you'll be pleasantly surprised 99% of the time.

You might think that this is a comment on how adpeople are just so very interesting, dear, but that's missing the point. If anything its more interesting to hear stories from people who haven't polished them so effectively. They have truths that won't show up in ACORN - and the things we say and have have resonances that we can't predict, but should view a little more optimistically than we do. Could anyone have guessed that people would go mad for a drumming gorilla?

Nor is this an industry point. It probably goes without saying that in a business that starts and ends with the human psyche it's negligent not to have an empathic streak for those people you share your reality with - but in our disconnected world, I believe you'll find yourself a much higher existence in sharing situations with others, without necessarily waiting for them to share with you.

I have a few resolutions, but my prime one is to put these thoughts into practice in 2009. I'll let you know how it goes.