The most critical concept in life is self-reliance. Emerson wrote a fantastic essay on the matter. A politically correct society harms one's personal growth. A man is revealed in how he reacts during difficulty. It is easy to be excellent in peaceful times.
"Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I see that frequently. Instead of celebrating business greatness, some-investors opt to celebrate diversity before celebrating competence. One should be able to do both. It is not hard, but it is possible. Recently I have seen biases towards both ways. You shall never celebrate race or gender before competence.
Instead of conforming to social expectations, work on being a well-mannered misfit. Follow your voice rather than an intermediary while being honest with others.
When something adverse happens to you, connect with God and ask yourself: was this a product of my behavior? What could I have done to prevent it from happening? What is the best course of action? Know that you are not alone. Trust your inner voice.
I am in Miami until Sunday to figure out if I am going to build my next company from here, while keeping spaces in San Francisco and São Paulo for the team.
Today I have the pleasure of publishing a long and quite interesting conversation I’ve had with Gabriel Engel, CEO and co-founder of Rocket.Chat.
For the past 2-days, I have been reading excerpts of Shunryu Suzuki's book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. It's helping to bring peace and calmness to my heart.