David's Surprise Party

This past week-end I attended my good friend David's surprise 40th birthday party that his wife threw for him. The party was held at the airport hangar where they keep their plane, and in typical David fashion, the party did not disappoint -- breakdancing performances, a flaming deer cake, camouflaged servers with sparklers, and a custom "D" logo on just about everything from drink stirrers to a gigantic hanging ivy logo over the dancefloor. His family also put together one of the best video tributes I've ever seen - it was a great reminder about how many lives he's touched in way or another over the years. Josh Linkner wrote this touching article called "Keeping Score" about the event and his friendship with David over the years. One of my favorite parts:

"What would happen if we added some new metrics to our scorecard?
What if you measured and celebrated the number of times you bring joy to others each day? The number of people you positively impact or teach per week. The amount of sadness or fear you helped a loved-one overcome after receiving a devastating personal setback. The number of times you said no to life’s temptations and had character carry the day instead of impulse. The things you created. The compassion you extended. The responsible risks you took. The people you helped. The lives you changed. The impact you made."

Here's to updating your scorecard!