What I'm reading
This week I started reading Walter Isaacson's new book, «Elon Musk.».
Without a doubt, Isaacson is one of my favorite authors. He wrote the biographies of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci, which offered me an intimate glimpse into the lives of two of history's most fascinating figures. Dispassionately, he documents the events of their lives that allow us to understand why they are the way they are, along with that vital force that literally changes the world.
I'm on chapter 25 of the book about Elon Musk and I already have a better understanding of why he is the way he is.
Let me just give you a tidbit from his childhood in South Africa. His father, a scoundrel, sent him to a «survival» camp as a child. Here, children were subjected to the «jungle» to learn how to survive. They told the older boys to hit the younger boys and take their food. And they warned the younger boys not to be «idiots» like so-and-so, who died last year by giving up halfway through the exercise. Talk about a culture of bullying!
If you like biographies, this is the author. He also wrote the biographies of Jennifer Doudna, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein.
Collecting beautiful people
This week's thanks go to my mentor Shirzad Chamine, creator of the Positive Intelligence methodology.
Shrizad comes from a difficult childhood. As a child, his father told him he was the reason for the family's misfortune. As a teenager, he suffered from depression, only to emerge strengthened and create a methodology that has helped thousands upon thousands of people recognize their saboteurs, gain self-mastery, and embrace their greatness.
She says that everything in life is about the desire to grow and become the best version of oneself. And that to understand what it's all about, one must project themselves to the end of our lives and put into perspective what is truly important to us.
Everything has to do with attuning more each day with our wise essence and moving further away each day from our sabotaging fixation.
So simple, so profound, so real. Thank you Shirzad.
The daily struggle
This week I started an intensive six-month course to deepen my mastery of positive intelligence. The goal is to once again embark on the hero's journey and set myself a life challenge to grow and resolve an issue that is limiting my ability to fully embrace my greatness.
Today, still in moments of overwhelming stress, fear and fury dominate me. So, I must enter the cave of saboteurs again and confront them with an intensity and courage that will allow me to develop the self-knowledge and self-mastery that will enable me to return to my work of reducing useless suffering in the world, with complete love.
This involves intense daily practice of physical, mental, and emotional self-mastery. And participating weekly in various sessions with friends for growth, who will guide us on the hero's journey to recognize, confront, and master our deepest saboteurs. I'll tell you how it goes later.
For now, this morning I already started with 50 minutes of focused concentration. Great.
Well, with that I conclude my story, reminding you that you are great and that life demands your greatness.
Have a great week.