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IKIGAI

Enter your email address and receive instant access to an audio and e-book I wrote on the topic of Ikigai, a Japanese word that refers to the intersection of passion and purpose in finding our life's calling.

My name was on the wrong chair…

By James Newcomb | July 2, 2021 | Comments Off on My name was on the wrong chair…

Or so I thought when I walked into the first rehearsal of the Minnesota All-State band in the summer of 1993. We had placement auditions earlier in the day – that being the first day of the camp. And it turns out I did better than expected, as my name was placed squarely on the…

What if tennis players were honest in their interviews?

By James Newcomb | June 30, 2021 | Comments Off on What if tennis players were honest in their interviews?

One of the unforeseen benefits of living in Vietnam is the TV coverage of the major tennis events. Tennis is one of my favorite sports to watch, as it’s essentially a gladiator arena. You can feel for the players as they’re going through the physical and emotional ups and downs throughout the course of a…

What “entertaining” DOESN’T mean

By James Newcomb | June 29, 2021 | Comments Off on What “entertaining” DOESN’T mean

Something I’ve heard over and over and over from people who’ve forgotten more about running a podcast than I’ll ever learn is this: Be entertaining. If your show is not entertaining, no one is going to listen to it. Truer words were never spoken. But it’s easy to take that advice out of context. When…

Waiting = Zen

By James Newcomb | June 28, 2021 | Comments Off on Waiting = Zen

As I type this email, on 28 June 2021, my wife Sana and I are waiting… Waiting for her visa to get approved. Actually, just an update on when the application has left the National Visa Center in Vermont and we have her interview scheduled (tentatively due to the pandemic but something is better than…

God’s gift to trumpeters

By James Newcomb | June 25, 2021 | Comments Off on God’s gift to trumpeters

Every person who hosts a podcast, has a blog, a youtube channel, or basically has any kind of online presence has a struggle. It’s a struggle that 99.999% of people who consume their content will never know about. And that is the balance between the ego and the ego. Allow me to explain. On one…