Coins, Pigs, and Envelope Edges

Recently, a departing colleague left me with the advice to 'keep pushing the envelope.' It's amusing how much those words resonated with me, leading to days of reflection. Being a disrupter can feel like a lone voyage - relying on instincts, rallying teams for support, and embracing failures as swift lessons.

One of my peculiar pastimes involves delving into the origins of common phrases or items embedded into society. Ever wondered about the ridges on coins or the term 'piggyback'? Ridges prevented coin 'clipping' back in the silver days, and 'piggyback' traces back to the term 'pick pack' when goods were carried on one's back or pack animals. The term evolved over time, thankfully with no involvement from actual pigs!

'Pushing the Envelope,' contrary to what you might think, has zero connection to paper, pens, or slick negotiators. Nope, it's all about aviation. Its roots lie in aerospace, describing performance limits that shouldn't be exceeded. Test pilots would use the term to suggest a boundary of safety, being at the edge, and exploring the frontier of limits.? Images of Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun Maverick immediately come to mind.?

The phrase isn't ancient, at least not for us born in the 20th century. Popularized in Tom Wolfe's 1979 novel 'The Right Stuff,' it became a cultural mainstay after a popular 1983 movie adaptation about the Mercury Seven astronauts.

So, to this incredible community of colleagues, leaders, and dreamers – here's to pushing the envelope! Explore the limits, challenge the status quo, and collaborate relentlessly. Find that edge and make it yours in the year ahead!