No #165 | April 20, 2025

by Matthew Boyd

Good morning, welcome to the weekly Lead It Cool newsletter.

It was sunny in my part of the world this weekend so I brought out the patio furniture. So if rains later this week you can blame it on me🌞😜.

In this week's Lead It Cool newsletter:

• 🐣Every New Beginning... (Closing Time)
• 👨‍⚕️The Pitt
• ⛳Rory McIlroy: Dreams and Nightmares
• 🤣Read!
• 😎Cool Links

🐣Every New Beginning... (Closing Time)

If you're a 90s music lover like myself, you're probably familiar with Semisonic's catchy bar anthem "Closing Time."

Released in 1998, it quickly climbed the charts with its memorable chorus:

"Closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

While on the surface, the song may seem like a simple anthem about closing down a bar, its lyrics and themes can be interpreted in a deeper, metaphorical way.

For example, on this Easter Sunday, the idea of "closing time" as the end of one thing and the beginning of another can be seen as a parallel to the story of Jesus. In Christian theology, Jesus' death on the cross is often seen as the end of his earthly life, but his resurrection three days later (Easter Sunday) marks the beginning of a new era. It's a powerful symbol of new beginnings and the triumph of life over death, just like the song's lyrics suggest.

"Closing Time" also shares themes with popular films like The Matrix, Moana and Harry Potter, which have captivated audiences with their tales of rebirth and transformation.

The song is a reminder that endings are not necessarily the end, but rather the beginning of something new.

Happy Easter everyone🐣!

👨‍⚕️The Pitt

What show am I watching right now? The Pitt.

And let me tell you, it's very good. The show follows a day in the life of an emergency room doctor, with each episode representing one hour in a single, chaotic, 15-hour shift. The pacing, the pressure, the impossible decisions, it’s intense and incredibly well done.

​Fun fact: The Pitt was originally pitched as a sequel to the 90s classic ER, but the producers couldn’t get the rights. Still, it’s got serious ER connections, especially with Noah Wyle in the lead.

I've learned two things while watching this show:

1. I don't think I could ever be an emergency room doctor.
2. The power of deduction. Emergency doctors don’t start by looking for the right answer, they start by ruling out the wrong ones. It's deduction in action. They use the process of elimination to narrow in on the right decision when time is short and the stakes are high.

And honestly, that’s a brilliant approach to problem-solving in general. Instead of trying to come up with the perfect solution right away, start by crossing off what won’t work.

Clear the noise, and what’s left is usually the best call.

I know everyone loves a good “you have to watch this” post, but seriously, The Pitt is worth your time if you love the medical dramas.

⛳Rory McIlroy: Dreams and Nightmare

It’s been one week since Rory McIlroy won his first Masters tournament, completing the career Grand Slam (a feat achieved by only five other golfers in history😲).

What stood out most to me wasn’t the final putt or the green jacket ceremony, but the quiet walk from the 18th hole to the clubhouse. In those moments, we got a rare, unfiltered look into the psyche of someone who has spent 14 years stuck in a simultaneous dream and nightmare.

Imagine chasing something for so long, coming up short, again and again, and finally grasping it. The mix of relief, pride, exhaustion, and joy etched across his face told a story deeper than any trophy could.

It’s a powerful reminder that persistence isn’t glamorous.

🤣Read!

For all the parents out there... 🤣 (source)

😎Cool Links

🍴Shared Meals Strongly Linked to Greater Happiness, Study Finds. “In 2023, roughly 1 in 4 Americans reported eating all of their meals alone the previous day,” the study said, “an average increase of 53 percent since 2003.” This trend holds across all age groups, with the most dramatic drop among young people.

💪How to Build Career Resilience in Uncertain Times. Career resilience is like a muscle; you build it by strengthening your emotional intelligence, expanding your skill set, and staying ready to pivot when needed.

🤔Don't ask what AI can do for us, ask what it is doing to us: are ChatGPT and others harming human intelligence? “The greatest worry in these times of generative AI is not that it may compromise human creativity or intelligence,” says psychologist Robert Sternberg at Cornell University, who is known for his groundbreaking work on intelligence, “but that it already has.”

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