What's Under Your Fingernails? A while back I was having lunch with a buddy, Spike Jones, and we got talking about the topic of identity. "Well, what about you, Scott?" he asked. "What's under yourfingernails?"    A chill ran down my spine.     Wow! What a question. What a thought.    As I racked my brain, Spike said, "See, the work you do - if it truly matters - becomes a part of you. Like the mechanic who never really loses the oil stains under his fingernails, our work stays with us wherever we go. It becomes a part of our language and our very being. Which isn't to say work is everything. But if your work is your calling - not just your job - you will embrace it in all you do."    Ever since that fateful conversation, I've been thinking a lot about my fingernails. And I realize there are really two ways you can answer that question: literally (in my case, guitar-string dust, marker-pen ink and lap-pool chlorine)?and metaphorically (the more important one).    Here's what's (metaphorically) under my fingernails:    1. Every e-mail from every random person whose life improved in some way as a result of reading something I wrote.    2. Every e-mail from every random person who told me how stupid my ideas were.    3. Any of the 5,000 creative, thought-provoking questions I've collected, dissected and incorporated into my lexicon over the years.    Essentially, this question boils down to a new philosophy, a new paradigm and a new approach to our work: Work is play. Work is pleasure. Work is personal. Work means getting your hands dirty. That means getting out and meeting people, becoming involved in everything in your business from production to ideas.  Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker and author. He helps people increase their approachability and improve their communication - one conversation at a time. http://www.hellomynameisscott.com Back

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