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Author: Nick Gaswirth

5 years of connection, inspiration

Five years of dinners, thousands of connections and friendships formed.

Five years of strangers embracing risk and uncertainty. Questions asked and answered in dining rooms, wine bars, cheese bars, hidden nooks.

Five years of honest conversations and receptivity.

Romances, business partnerships, ideas, and improvements stemming from industry intersections and complementary interests.

Five years ago, when I first invited a group of eighteen entrepreneurs, academics, businessmen and women, writers and artists to a secret restaurant in New York, I asked them to embrace risk and curiosity and answer questions openly. Today, people around the world are sharing dinners, and invitations are extended to a select few to join special events in New York.

Thank you for sharing this journey. Here’s to more.

What if dinner could change your life?

The dinner table is one of the few places we have left to connect. To set down our phones and listen. To talk about topics that matter and work through problems that require attention, care, and focus to solve. To learn from another’s perspective and to consider a viewpoint that might be much different than our own. To share not only plates of food, but passions, desires, challenges and frustrations.

Holidays place emphasis on this ability to slow down and remember what life is really about. Yes, you could send an email. Yes, you could even make a phone call. But when you invite people to sit around a dining table, you also invite magic into the room. Serendipity, empathy, creativity, and generosity often arrive unannounced.

Use this guide to help you cherish the sacredness of bringing together friends and colleagues over food, or consider hosting a themed dinner on topics such as climate change, addiction, and health care.

Something in your world may shift, all because of dinner.

The two most important words you can say today

Praise good work, hard work, reliable work, consistency and creativity — all of the things you’d like to see more of.

Compliment someone’s effort and acknowledge how they are making the world a better place.

Thank a friend, a colleague, a partner, a parent for the contributions they make.

And don’t hesitate to ask for the praise you need, either.

Dr. Laura Trice recommends you say these words more often: thank you.

Why we must never give up hope

There is always someone to fight for.

There is always a reason to move forward.

There is always a voice that needs to be heard.

There is always a cause that demands attention.

There is always work to be done.

Give someone who needs it extra support today: a hug, a hello, a coffee, a flower, a smile, a listening ear, a word of encouragement, a kind hand. We are all neighbors in this life. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

Choose love even when you think you can’t afford to, when you can’t see light, when you feel the shadows have won. For that’s when you must fight. Fight to love. Fight to hope.

The danger of waiting for miracles

What if the miracle never happens?

What if while you’re waiting, something better comes along but you miss it because you’re too focused on waiting for the first miracle to happen?

What if instead of waiting for the miracle, you took concrete steps towards making a dream come true?

What if the miracle isn’t what you need in the first place?

If you are counting on a miracle for your plan to work, chances are you should focus your energy elsewhere.

10 unpleasant things that are actually good for you

Sticking to a schedule – Having a reliable structure gives you the space to create and dream. The same routine again and again might sound boring, but repetition contributes to mastery and improved skills.

Failing – Disappointments test your motivation and resolve. Failures can encourage you to try again and come back stronger.

Heartbreak – Great lessons can be learned from failed relationships, and the period following a breakup or divorce is ripe for self improvement and discovery.

Rejection – Didn’t get that job or promotion you were hoping for? Ask yourself hard questions and analyze yourself through a more critical lens.

Running/Sprinting/Lifting weights – It will hurt at first, but imagine a healthier, fitter body and mind and get yourself out the door.

Practice tests – Repetition and preparation are cornerstones to success. Improve by doing. Even when it’s annoying.

Being broke – You’ll learn how to budget and save when those last dollars leave your wallet.

Not understanding – Asking questions builds empathy and keeps you curious.

Embarrassment – Moments of humility yield trust and compassion.

Hard work – Put in effort, get results. The best outcomes require time, discipline and focus — and rarely happen overnight.