Posts Tagged ‘Winston Churchill’
The Invisible Mentor Interviews David Gray, Leadership Coach & Career Consultant Part Two
October 7th, 2011 | 
Author: Interviewee Name: David Gray
Company Name: DSG Associates
Website: http://www.dsgassociates.ca
Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?
David Gray: The concept of integration is an interesting one. In my opinion, there can be no distinction between who you are as a business leader or as an individual on a personal basis. In other words, your ‘Self’ has to be an integrated whole. Otherwise, by definition it would be impossible to lead with integrity and conviction. However, one’s personal life is one’s own. In an era of celebrity worship this concept of the private Self can be a difficult one for some people to grasp. My solution is to advise people that I am available as a Coach during a quite broad number of hours. Beyond that, my time is my own.
Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?
David Gray: I spend my down time reading, walking my dog, Eddie, and doing mundane household chores. I find all of these activities quite relaxing and conducive to engaging in a meditation of sorts.
Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?
David Gray:
- Be humble
- Listen actively and intently.
- Practise empathetic understanding.
- Reflect intently.
- Act decisively.
Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?
David Gray: I try to cast a wide net in the initial research and planning phases and then take everything I have learned and turn it on its head. This combination of broad search and contrarian analysis tends to enable new and innovative thoughts to emerge.
Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?
David Gray: “Seek first to understand and only then to be understood” from Covey’s “7 Habits.” I find that the world can be understood with any degree of accuracy only if one first casts aside one’s own inevitable prejudicial perspectives.
Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?
David Gray: Success for me is defined in terms of relationships. One is successful if one tries to give back to others more wisdom, more empathy and more joy than one takes for oneself. We do not define our own reputation, our personal brand. Other people do this for us. And so, if our self-awareness and our reputation are to have any real congruency, then success can only be defined on a social rather than an individual basis. Our success is inextricably entwined in what we give to others and what we share of ourselves with others, rather than what we take for ourselves and what we hold on to of ourselves solely for our own enjoyment.
Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?
David Gray: I worked, and continue to work half days. Sometimes it’s the first half of the day, sometimes the second. Sometimes I break the day into quarters. But I always try to work at least 12 hours a day. Except on Sundays. Then I generally only work six hours or so. In other words, I worked hard and continue to do so. However, one can only really work hard on a sustainable basis if one truly enjoys the work. So the first key is to identify your life’s work, your true mission or ‘vocation’ as it used to be called. After all, each of us is only here for a very brief period of time.
Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
David Gray: Figure out what you want to do in the way of a career. Meantime, while life throws other opportunities your way – which probably on the surface appear to have very little to do with that desired career – work like the devil himself to succeed at whatever work you are doing at any given time. There is no such thing as bad honest work. Nor is there any such thing as undignified honest work. So work hard and prosper.
Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?
David Gray:
- Sir Winston Churchill: Thank you, thank you, thank you Sir, for staying the course throughout the wilderness years when lesser men succumbed to grovelling group think.
- Robert E. Lee: What were you thinking when you decided in favour of the Southern cause? Far too many men died and far too much unnecessary suffering was caused by this fatally flawed decision which prolonged the failed Southern War of Secession.
- Prince Charles Stuart: Stay in France. The Highland Scots have sufficient problems without your intrusion into their already difficult lives.
- Julius Caesar: Beware the Ides of March!
- Socrates: Just drink the damn hemlock old man! You have poisoned enough young minds with your hypocritical musings – and will continue to confuse a sufficient number of older ones over the course of human time.
Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?
David Gray: Joseph Campbell’s, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. This book brought me face-to-face with human mortality and our shared human journey, thus making clear the urgent need to become oneself, identify and follow one’s own ‘bliss’ and make a contribution to the human family, regardless of how humble or great that contribution might be.
Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the two years? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?
David Gray: The movie would be, The Natural. I would seldom watch the film as I have already seen it at least three times. But it would act as a constant reminder to focus on whatever is both relevant based on my own gifts and yet ‘doable’ based on circumstances at any given time. The five books would include The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss so as to retain my sense of humour; Cervantes, Don Quixote (Penguin Classics)
Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?
David Gray: The possibilities for self development and testing one’s own capabilities and limits.
Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?
David Gray: Quiet reflection, exercise, and good wholesome food.
Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?
David Gray: Enlightenment.
Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..
David Gray: I am happy when…I am doing what I do best…practising Leadership Coaching.
David Gray: I am unusually direct in speech, as I consider trust to be a condition most quickly built upon a foundation of honest communication. At the same time, I take pains to be empathetic and non-threatening in my overall approach.
How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.
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Booked for Mentoring: Review – A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey
I am not a history buff. I do not particularly like history. But history has an important place because it helps us to put things in context. It helps us to better understand the innovative thinkers and inventors who have helped to shape our world. It helps us to understand why people did what they did, and the kind of world they were living in at the time. For the most part, I am not inspired to pick up a history book and read it from start to finish, the way I would for most other books.
Doing the research for, and writing the Wisdom of Life Profiles have opened up a new world for me, and I saw the world unfolding in front of my eyes and it’s quite a remarkable feeling. Through the eyes of the people I profile, I am steeped in history. For instance, I saw Roman Emperors through the eyes of Queen Boudica and Seneca. I saw World War II through the eyes of Sir Winston Churchill, what Russia was like during the Bolshevik Revolution through Ayn Rand and Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Revolutionary War through Thomas Jefferson, the American Civil Warthrough Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglas and many more.
Image via Wikipedia
I got to see what people like Susan B Anthony, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and others did to shape our world. I also got to experience what service really means and what it feels like. I also got to experience women’s fight for their right to vote. The things we now take for granted, I saw how hard others fought so that we could have those rights – many gave their lives for their causes.
I travelled with Alexander the Great to Greece, Egypt, Persia, India, and I was there with him when he founded the great library in Alexandria and introduced Greek culture all over the ancient world as he conquered and created a vast empire. Through the eyes of the people I profile, I also see how power can corrupt in the wrong hands, creating despots and fanatics who oppress others forcing their will upon them.
Getting to that place has allowed me to read A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey, and not be bored because it helped me to round out some of the knowledge I acquired from preparing the Wisdom of Life Profiles. It was surprising to discover how much I had already learned. A Short History of the World is exactly that, a short history, so you will not learn about major events in depth by reading it, and the book stops at 1949, so you will not learn about important events after that year.
A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey is divided into two parts, the first is a brief history of the world and the second is a brief history of the United States. It’s a small-sized book, 240 pages in length. It’s divided into:
- Ancient History
- Medieval History
- Modern History
- History of the United States
And under each section, Dorey deals with many topics. For instance, under Modern History you’d find topics such as:
- The Age of Exploration and Discovery
- New Trends at the Beginning of the Modern Period
- Continental Europe from the Seventeenth to the Early Nineteenth Century
- The Early Modern Period in England
- Europe in the Nineteenth Century
- The First World War
- Effects of the First World War
- The Second World War
A Short History of the World serves a purpose because it touches on so many things, and if readers are interested in any of the events mentioned, they can further explore those topics. You’ll learn that the Phoenicians developed the true alphabet, which they partially derived from the Egyptian characters.
One of the greatest battles, Battle of the Marathon in 490 BC, in which the Persians invaded Greece, outnumbering them 10 to one, the Greek prevailed because they defended their homeland vigorously. The battle demonstrates what we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. “Pheidippides ran all the way to Athens to bring news of the victory. When he arrived he uttered one word “Victory,” and dropped dead. The Marathon race is named for this event.”
The Greek led the world in literature, building many theatres in the open. Many college stadiums today were modeled after that concept. The Greeks acted out plays such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Homer wrote his epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey around 800 BC, and Sappho and Pindar wrote lyric poetry. The great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle emerged from Greece. The Greek fed their mind, but the Athenians and Spartans were also into physical exercise so they developed games to play, and the great Olympic contests was created.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius (164 – 180 AD) was one of the greatest rulers, and we enjoy his book, Meditations today. Confucius and Lao-tse were two great Chinese leaders. China built the Great Wall of China to keep the raiders and conquerors out. A Short History of the World takes us into the world of the various Dynasties in China. The Arabs in the Middle Ages made significant contributions to mathematics, science, medicine and agriculture. The British invaded France and we have The Hundred Years’ War which was going really bad for the French until Joan of Arc started to lead the French soldiers.
Dorey takes us quickly through history, and we see the birth of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Martin Luther’s reformation of the church; and the Quakers’ start in the United States. As payment for monies owed to him, William Penn, a Quaker accepted a tract of land west of the Delaware River that was in the “New World” in 1681. Penn wanted to leave England because Quakers were persecuted there. This tract of land is known as Pennsylvania for “Penn’s Woods” and he founded the city of Philadelphia. Penn later leased land to the south from the Swedes which became Delaware, and land to the east which became New Jersey.
We get a look at explorers like Christopher Columbus, John Cabot and others, discovering a “New World” that was already occupied by Native Americans. Columbus was looking for a route by sea to India and instead landed in the Americas, the “New World” in October 1492. Italian John Cabot (claimed by the English because he worked for firm in Bristol) set sail and landed in Halifax, thinking that he had reached China. He also discovered Newfoundland. In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci explored the coast of South America and Balboa investigated what we now call Central America.
President Jefferson purchased Louisiana from the French for $15 million in 1803, and nearly doubled the size of the US. And in 1819, President James Monroe purchased Florida from Spain for $5 million.
Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819. But Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the United States was founded nearly two centuries before in 1636, the College of William and Mary in 1693, and Yale College in 1701.
We also see the acts of despots like Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini and their tragic ends. There are many disturbing events in world history, but we have to take the bad with the good – that’s a part of the price we pay for progress. While reading A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey, I was reminded that this too shall pass. Nothing stays the same forever.
A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey is a great little book to help us understand where we are coming from, so I recommend it. It will be very difficult to get a new copy. I purchased a used copy for $2 from a sidewalk sale. I have written far more profiles than I posted because that was a part of my Summer Project. However, to complement this review, please refer to Boudica, Joan of Arc, Sappho, Charles Darwin, Geronimo’s Story of His Life.
How can you use this information? If there is information that you have to learn, but find it difficult or “dry,” find creative ways like I did to learn it. If you have children who do not like to read, buy books about topics that they are interested in. Perhaps you could get them comic books because they cover virtually any topic you can think of.
What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.
The Invisible Mentor Interviews Heather White Part Two
Interviewee Name: Heather White, Director Membership – Large & Mid Markets
Company Name: Board of Trade
Website: http://www.bot.com
Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Heather White: I’m a wife, mother, volunteer and a hardworking professional doing a job that I really like. I am married to a guy I really love and have two kids that I really love.
Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?
Heather White: I’m not sure if I do a very good job, but I do keep things separate. So when I’m at work, I don’t do personal stuff, and when I’m at home I don’t do work stuff. Sometimes I do some work stuff but I try not to mix the two. If it’s family time, it’s family time. However there is a transition time, so if there are issues at work, when I go home I will talk to my husband about them, so I need that transition period. But outside of that, there is no real integration per se because some of the things that you tolerate at home you wouldn’t tolerate at work and vice versa.
Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?
Heather White: I love to travel – driving or going away, and I love to read and I love to play sports. I play basketball, table and lawn tennis. I play whatever the kids play. I love movement.
Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?
Heather White:
- Be sure of who you are.
- Stay focused.
- You always have to study and find ways to improve yourself.
- I have a range of interests that have served me well. I don’t know if everybody can handle it but it has worked very well for me to have a wide range of interests.
- Every person you meet you should treat them well andwith respect.
Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?
Heather White: I’m a groupie so I find conversations with people help me to generate new ideas because someone might say something that you can build on, or might trigger something for you. I also think that you have to listen to what other people have to say because no idea is off limit. That has helped me but the group dynamics has been my biggest idea generation tool.
Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?
Heather White:
“Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.” Doris Mortman
“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence therefore is not an act but a habit.” Unknown
Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?
Heather White: Success is a very elusive term for me. I think you have to be good at what you do, so that’s a big thing and if you’re good at what you do you’ll make money at it easier than someone else. But I think it has to benefit more than just yourself. I grapple with the definition for success all the time. But I don’t think that success is in your wealth, it’s in products or services that you offer that can help a wide range of people, or even help to make the quality of someone’s life better. The formula for success, especially in the early part of your career, is to work hard, be open to suggestions on how to improve yourself, and be a subject matter expert. And never think that you know everything there is to know about that area.
Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?
Heather White: I don’t know if I’m successful, but I know that I’m good at what I do because my clients affirm that all the time. The people aspect was very critical for me and I was never intimidated by people who were not nice. I deal with senior level executives daily, some are rude and intimidating, but for the most part they are nice. I think it’s a reflection of how you treat people – I treat them with respect, but I am also very confident in myself.
I learn a lot from people and I evaluate criticisms. If someone said something about me I always analyze it and I take it back to my mentors, my family and say, “This is what someone said about me, is that how you perceive me?” I also have people in the office who I can talk to, and my mentors are good for me. Family and mentors play a key role in my life.
Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
Heather White: I would say to be flexible in the early stage of your career. Be open to learning a lot of things. I’m a trained forensic chemist, and now I’m in sales and account management. I had to be open. You have to be open to opportunities, learn from others and get a mentor.
Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?
Heather White:
- I’d like to have met Abraham and Daniel in the Bible because of their stories – moving from one place to next, to the unknown, and hearing the voice of the Lord.
- Nelson Mandela has had an incredible life so I would like to meet him personally. I read his book Long Walk to Freedom and I thought the time he spent in prison all those years was simply incredible. I think his focus is amazing.
- I’d love to meet Barack Obama and I’d love to meet him now when the markets are crashing. The challenges he has are pretty incredible.
- I would also love to have met Winston Churchill.
Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?
Heather White: For me it has to be the Bible because it has nuggets of truth that have helped me. It’s tried and proven and it works like clockwork. It also helps you to focus on the real things in life and that’s my reference points. I have read some wonderful books, but nothing compares for me like the Bible.
Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the two years? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?
Heather White: I have several praise and worship music CDs that I listen to so I would take one of those and I would take The Color Purple for the movie. I would take the Nelson Mandela book Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. I love Debbie Macomber who wrote two books, one on giving and the other on how things work out in your life. I also read a nice book Return to Fitness: Getting Back in Shape after Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity
For the two years, I would read and exercise because it would be a great opportunity to lose some weight. I would exercise, eat healthy and memorize the Bible. I would try to find other people because I have never had to be alone.
Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?
Heather White: People, experiences and how those two can come together.
Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?
Heather White: Reading, going to the spa and spending time with friends.
Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?
Heather White: I wish I had the resources, know-how and power to help my friends in Africa and make life better for them – people in places like Somalia, Darfur and Congo.
Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..
Heather White: I’m happy when I’m with my good friends and family and in an environment where I feel loved and people think a lot of me. I am happy at work, with the people I work with because I like them and we get along very well.
How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.
Book link are affiliate links.
Posted in Interviews With Successful People, Professional Development, Self-improvement | 
Tags: Barack Obama, Board of Trade, deserted island book, Heather White, Influential Books, Life lessons, Nelson Mandela, success definition, success formula, Toronto Board of Trade, Winston Churchill, Work-life balance | 
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The Invisible Mentor Interviews Mike DeSousa Part Two
Interviewee Name: Mike DeSousa
Website: http://www.mikedesousa.ca
Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Mike DeSousa: I am a Career Social Media specialist who helps recruiters & employers find superior employee talent FAST using Social Media. As well, I am a Public Speaker who trains Non-Profit Agency staff on how to market their job-seeking clients, helping them to find work FAST.
Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?
Mike DeSousa: My work is based on the personal aspects of my life; I see them as both revolving around helping others. I consider myself the same person in my personal life and in the other aspects. I actually seek to integrate them together, which my wife doesn’t appreciate — she looks at work as something she does outside of her personal life, and believes in keeping them separate.
Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?
Mike DeSousa:
- Work your buns off
- Give yourself a lofty, challenging goal — don’t set the bar too low
- Out-strategize others
- Ask more of yourself & set tight deadlines
- Tie in your daily activities towards your long-term goals & reward yourself each time you complete a tiny step
Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?
Mike DeSousa: Reading, learning, surfing the net, working on my passion (“Public Speaking”). No ‘downtime’ for this guy. Sometimes watch some movies, though I’d rather do something active than escape to the “mind candy of TV”.
Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?
Mike DeSousa: I make connections between different areas that I read; stream-of-consciousness thinking. Forced Morphological Connections — generating categories of aspects of different things & recombining them into something new.
Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?
Mike DeSousa:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
It reminds me of our decision-making process for life “decisionism,” and reminds me of the life decisions that I’ve reached… Being a contrarian, I also choose to take the path that “was grassy and wanted wear”. Given that Robert Frost also suffered with depressions, it feels that both him and his words speak to me. Personally, I rhyme like Dr. Seuss!
Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?
Mike DeSousa: My definition of success is making a difference in others’ lives, reaching your personal goals, making the world a better place, and working towards the flexibility to make your own choices through financial independence. The formula for success? No one has the same formula — each one has to find their own personal formula based on their strengths, needs, interests, etc. My personal formula entails hard work, strategic thinking, creating value for others, having an unquentionable thirst for knowledge, discipline, pursuing your passion, and following your strengths.
Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?
Mike DeSousa: I used an existing media (Social Media) and apply it into a new arena. I researched and ‘power-learned’ this new area, developed innovative workshops, my Brand, started presenting at Conferences, building relationships, and helping others. I’d find opportunities found me in proportion to the amount that I helped others and took a sincere interest in them, giving without expecting something in return, listening to others with my Heart/Brain/Gut/Soul, identified areas of value & gaps for them, offering them solutions, and tieing in my Value Proposition to their needs while focusing on the benefits for them.
Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
Mike DeSousa: Identify exactly what you want that is “play” and fun that also pays the bills (your end goal), help others achieve theirs, wake up early to work towards your goal, tie in your daily goals to your end goal, become an expert through reading/watching YouTube videos/doing, market yourself, and have fun. Do what you love that also pays the bills or that can help you pay the bills.
Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?
Mike DeSousa:
- Jesus Christ: I’d say “teach me”
- Alexander The Great: “What was your secret to getting men to follow you?”
- Winston Churchill: “What led to your greatness as a speech-writer and orator?”
- My (recently deceased) Dad: Tell me your life story and that of our family
- Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Pierre Trudeau, or Brian Mulroney: What were your secrets to winning in politics?
Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?
Mike DeSousa: Either of the following three…
- The Bible (no one single story — the impact of cumulative parables, interlinked for a common message of Love
- The Little Prince, for its simplicity and many parables, that takes on new meaning with each life event that you experience
- The Art of War, on winning, outworking, and out-strategizing everyone.
Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the two years? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?
Mike DeSousa:
Five Books:
- One of Winston Churchill’s
- Compendium of Marvel Super Heroes origins in English & Spanish
- Learning Mandarin/Cantonese
- Learn Yoga & Chinese
- Some comedy book
- Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
- Music CD: With my MacBook & iPhone with satellite capabilities & iTune, I’d download unlimited music selections
- One Suitcase: Sunlight-powered satellite MacBook tripped out with a lot of software titles to learn, laptop with extended battery life, mosquito net, mosquito-free clothes, solar-powered iPhone with satellite wifi connectivity, soccer ball, weather-appropriate clothes
- Travel on case: Soap, Razor, nail clipper, nail file, pen, anti-mosquito device
For the two years I’d spend the time learning (languages, tai chi/yoga, history), playing soccer, dancing, listening to music, playing music (forgot to mention a harmonica & a flute), Skyping/Google Circling Friends, contacting Invisible Mentors, journaling, developing a portfolio of products & services, reading comic books, becoming an expert on investments… I would be doing what I love to do, rather than pandering to the audience of viewers; one must remain authentic. “To thy self be true”.
Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?
Mike DeSousa: Being of service to others. It makes me so happy to know that I have helped to “unstick” someone from a state of complacency or a limiting belief, and that I have given them hope, taught them new knowledge, and motivated them to develop new skills and use one of my ideas to propel themself forward in life.
Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?
Mike DeSousa: I learn, help people, speak professionally, listen to music, think, feel, swim….
Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?
Mike DeSousa: 1,000,000 more wishes, of course!
Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..
Mike DeSousa: I use my strengths to help others discover and act upon their talents and strengths.
How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.
Posted in Interviews With Successful People, Lessons, Professional Development, Self-improvement |
Tags: Barack Obama, books that impact, deserted island books, Dr. Seuss, Formula for success, influential book, Jesus, Mike DeSousa, Pierre Trudeau, success definition, success formula, Winston Churchill |
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Book Review: Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
About seven years ago I read The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield and felt that it was a seminal piece of work so I recommended it to several people. Fast forward to a few months ago, its sequel Do the Work
So what prevents us from getting our work done, getting our goals accomplished? Is it, not having money? Not doing enough research? Not having enough time? Not having enough experience? Is it because no one has ever successfully done this before?
No, it isn’t any of those things! It’s resistance.
According to Pressfield, resistance is a “Repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work… Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce bully cajole…”
In Do the Work, Pressfield suggests that we remain stupid. Ignorance is bliss. Some of the greatest feats have been accomplished because people had no idea what they were up against and how arduous the tasks they were trying to accomplish really were. He cited Charles Lindberg, Steve Jobs and Winston Churchill as examples – three men who have incredible accomplishments under their belts. They had no idea just how difficult what they were trying to do would be and they were arrogant enough to believe that they could accomplish their goals. And that’s why they were successful. Once they committed to action, nothing could stop them.
Anyone can be bold and accomplish great things, but they have to be stupid, stubborn, passionate, and have blind faith. They have to believe the unbelievable. People who have had the greatest accomplishments in life have crashed and came head-to-head with the brick wall at various times. But they viewed the brick wall as a challenge, a problem to solve, and they worked through it. They faced the dragon, and they slew the beast.
To get any project started, ask yourself, “What is this project about?” When you are crystal clear about what your project is about, you will know what the end point is. If you know the end point then you will know which steps you have to take to get there. If you are not clear about the steps, work your way backwards from the last step to the first.
Steven Pressfield’s Seven Principles of Resistance
- Principle One: There is an enemy working against us so the trick is to recognize it.
- Principle Two: The enemy is implacable.
- Principle Three: The enemy is inside you.
- Principle Four: The enemy is inside you, but it is not you.
- Principle Five: The “real you” must duel the “resistant you”.
- Principle Six: Resistance arises second.
- Principle Seven: The opposite of resistance is assistance.
When you hit resistance there are two tests, two questions to answer, and your response will determine whether or not you are committed to move through the resistance.
Resistance Two Tests
- How badly do you want it? (You have to be totally committed)
- Why do you want it? (Because you have no choice, you absolutely have to do it, or because it’s fun for you)
We all face resistance in our lives every day, but we may not realize that it’s resistance. Do the Work
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