Ralph Waldo Emerson penned a statement wherein he expressed his opinion that the most desirable epoch for an individual to be born in is the era of revolution. In this period, the antiquated and the contemporary coexist and can be evaluated against each other. The apprehension and optimism that permeate society serve to stimulate the potential of all individuals. The historical achievements of the past can be offset by the vast prospects that the new age has to offer. Emerson believed that this period, much like all epochs, is propitious if one is aware of how to exploit it. Provided that we possess the knowledge of how to proceed with it. This aphorism prompts recollection of a narrative that transpired 17 and a half years ago in my personal history. I resided in Sydney, Australia, and have recently commenced a new employment opportunity. As the general manager of the operation, I was requested to attend a national sales meeting. However, I discovered that the scheduled date for the meeting coincided with my wife's expected due date for giving birth to our child. I was deeply concerned, and upon arriving home, I conveyed to my significant other, "It is a well-known fact that firstborns seldom arrive on their expected delivery date. I will be away for a solitary night to deliver a speech in Cairns, Australia, with the intention of returning promptly thereafter. The physician's prognosis suggested that the baby is unlikely to arrive for approximately two additional weeks."
I ascended to the designated location and was in the process of negotiating the bonus plan for the current year. During this time, I engaged in conversation with my newly appointed supervisor, a Swiss gentleman by the name of Rodo. Rodo spoke with a markedly thick Swiss accent, and habitually indulged in smoking cigarettes. As we were in the midst of a difficult negotiation, an unexpected interruption occurred at 11:45 PM when the telephone rang while we were seated at the bar. Upon hearing my spouse speak, I inquired, "Is everything satisfactory?" to which she replied, "My water has just broken." This revelation filled me with concern and trepidation. I am currently located in Cairns, and I find it highly unlikely that I will be able to return to Sydney within the specified timeframe. This is due to the medical professionals consistently advising that it takes approximately four hours from the point of the water breaking until the baby is delivered. I approached my superior, who I was aware owned an aircraft, and inquired, "Is there a possibility that you could facilitate my transportation to Sydney this evening by means of your airplane? My request is due to the fact that my spouse has just entered into labor." Whilst smoking his cigarette, he uttered, "Kindly grant me a duration of ten minutes." "I shall proceed to prepare a flight plan, and subsequently, we shall embark on our journey." I promptly returned to my abode, disrobed the bed of its contents, and proceeded to hastily pack them into a suitcase. It was during this process that I recollected the remote control, which had been inadvertently propelled into said suitcase. Descending to the ground floor, I positioned myself adjacent to the elevator in anticipation of the arrival of my companion. After an interminable wait of approximately twenty minutes, he leisurely emerged from the elevator and cast his gaze upon me, uttering the incredulous question, "Can you believe I misplaced the key to my aircraft?" Consequently, we engage in the act of running, quite literally.
Upon entering a taxi, we proceeded to travel towards the airport, located in Port Douglas. During this journey, I became aware that the airport lights are activated by means of a radio button within the aircraft. Upon pressing the button, the lights are illuminated and a verbal communication is initiated, wherein the speaker requests the listener, me, to inspect the wing, oil, and condensation levels. At this juncture, the listener expresses a lack of knowledge pertaining to the subject matter and is incredulous at the request. I experienced a significant level of fear. Those individuals who collaborate with me are aware that in instances where I experience fear or stress, my heart rate significantly decreases, along with my blood pressure. This phenomenon can be characterized as having an inverse effect on my physiological response. In all of my business ventures, my management teams are aware of my tendency to fall asleep during particularly challenging periods, as I am often at the forefront of leading turnarounds. As such, they have developed the practice of providing me with a pillow during these times of heightened difficulty. Upon boarding the aircraft, we took off as scheduled. Despite my pressing thoughts of ensuring my timely arrival for the birth, I regrettably succumbed to sleep during the flight. To make matters significantly worse, I was currently situated within the cockpit, functioning in the capacity of the co-pilot!
We are currently situated at an elevated altitude in the atmosphere. Suddenly, we are experiencing significant and abrupt movements. Upon awakening, I directed my gaze towards the dashboard, which previously had been well-illuminated, but now presented an entirely black display. He inquired of me, "Robert, are you able to perceive the coastline?" to which I replied, "Negative, the presence of numerous clouds obstructs my view." The speaker relays that a gentleman is currently communicating in a loud manner regarding a propeller plane, specifically a Piper Cup. The gentleman inquires, "Can you confirm that the coastline is not visible?" to which the speaker responds affirmatively, stating "Yes." He stated, "In order to amplify the tension of the circumstance, our navigation and instrumentation systems have become inoperative. Would it be feasible for you to visually identify the coastline?" It was then necessary for Sydney International Airport to be closed in order for anybody to locate us. Our flight had deviated from its planned course towards New Zealand, which explains why he was inquiring about the coastline. We possessed a sufficient amount of fuel to reach Sydney, but presently I find myself in a pressing situation, as I am determined to attend the birth of my daughter. Consequently, my thoughts are focused on the urgent need to arrive at the destination at all. Subsequently, we arrived in Sydney and proceeded to land the aircraft. I promptly proceed to the hospital. Our flight is scheduled to land at 3:07, and based on current estimates, it will take approximately 30 minutes to reach Baulkham Hills Hospital. I am endeavoring to expedite the journey to the best of my abilities. Upon my arrival, I expeditiously proceeded through the doors of the labor ward. Upon entering the room in which my spouse was giving birth to our daughter, the attending doctor and nurses announced my arrival with the words "He has arrived!" In that moment, I caught a glimpse of my daughter's head, which was barely visible as it began to emerge. Within one minute from that point, my daughter was successfully delivered into this world.
Subsequently, I had the opportunity to embrace her during that specific moment, and it proved to be the most remarkable and profound experience of my entire existence. I recollect having the thought, "Presently is an exceedingly propitious moment." My cogitations are subjected to the scrutiny of both trepidation and aspiration. Do I possess the potential to become an excellent father? This is a sentiment that many individuals who have become parents can relate to. Am I capable of assuming this role with all the associated responsibilities? Will my daughter develop into the person I envision her to be, and will I be able to fulfill the role of a father for her to the best of my abilities? Frequently, we find ourselves entrapped in instances of trepidation. Alexander the Great famously stated that the immortality of man does not consist of living perpetually, but rather of experiencing fearlessness in every moment, which bestows upon him an immortal status. The concept of immortality for humans does not entail living forever, as this desire is rooted in fear. The state of being free from fear, in each passing moment, is what truly confers immortality upon humanity. When one succeeds in overcoming their fear, their thoughts may continue to linger indefinitely. However, the question remains, what is the method to achieve this feat? As human beings, we initially tend to adopt a mindset of scarcity. However, a select few among us are able to transcend this scarcity mentality and cultivate a mindset of abundance.
The Harvard Business School inquired of its students at the time of their graduation, "What would be your preference in terms of salary upon graduation?" In Scenario A, assuming a constant dollar value, an individual would earn a sum of $160,000 upon their graduation. In contrast, the average income received by other students within the same cohort is $150,000. In Scenario B, your income amounts to $200,000, while the average income of the remaining students is $220,000. What option do you suppose they selected? According to the results, 87% opted for A. One would assume that these individuals are among the most intelligent young minds in the world, correct? Given that they have gained admission to Harvard and have presumably received education on financial matters, it is surprising then that they still opted for the subpar field of economics. But due to their emphasis on possessing rather than lacking, they tend to concentrate on a "zero-sum" mindset, where one party's gain is perceived as another party's loss, and vice versa. In reality, the presence of abundance engenders a significant impact. Abundance emanates from a state of assurance, whereas scarcity derives from a state of trepidation. Ceasing to engage in that kind of thinking can lead to a significant transformation in both your personal life and the world around you.
In the course of life, it is not always the case that individuals receive what they rightfully merit. Rather, the outcome often aligns with their level of expectation. A group of researchers conducted an IQ test on all the students in a first-grade class. During the administration of the test, the researchers explicitly instructed the teacher not to discuss the results with the students or their parents. Furthermore, the researchers informed the teacher that they would observe the class for a year and requested that the teacher sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the identity of the students who obtain the highest scores. Out of the total cohort of 30 students who were administered the IQ test, a subset of five students achieved a score that is indicative of being in the category of individuals with a high level of intellectual capacity, typically referred to as "genius level." Specifically, these five students obtained an IQ score of more than 140. During the course of the following year, the class and even the teacher were subject to monitoring. At the conclusion of the academic year, an evaluation was conducted on all students to ascertain any discrepancies or divergences in the outcomes. Whom do you believe attained the five highest scores? It is the five exceptionally intelligent students; the same exact pupils as before. It is hardly astonishing, albeit noteworthy, that the essence and focus of the investigation did not deviate from the expected outcome. However, the actual subject of the research pertains to the fact that the individuals in question had deliberately provided false information to the teacher. In the previous academic year, none of the students had undergone formal testing to ascertain their giftedness. The anticipation that the aforementioned quintet of pupils, at a subconscious level, had the effect of generating the highest scores can be attributed to her adherence to the established guidelines.
There are two methods to surmount fear, which I shall now expound upon. It is important to note that the following discourse is based solely on my personal experiences in life, and as such, represents my own philosophical perspective as Robert Grant. One essential factor is gratitude. It has been my experience that simultaneously experiencing fear and gratitude is an insurmountable task. Whenever I pause to acknowledge and appreciate the things I am grateful for, even in the midst of despair and hardship, it significantly impacts the quality of my life. One personal method I have discovered for surmounting fear is to adopt an intentional approach to decision-making. It is possible for any event to become either the most favorable occurrence in one's life or the least favorable, depending on how one chooses to perceive it. The matter concerns one's perception of that.
Approximately 18 months ago, I underwent an exceedingly distressing and mortifying ordeal. Having resigned from a superb position two years prior, I did so on account of being headhunted by Warburg Pincus, an immensely prominent private equity firm, to assume the mantle of CEO for Bausch + Lomb Surgical. The objective was to establish a spin-off of that enterprise, and treat it as an independent entity to generate substantial benefits. The enterprise in question was underperforming significantly, hence, proving to be an arduous undertaking. Over the course of the following year, we modified the metrics of the enterprise, resulting in a successful outcome. Our performance was notably commendable. After the span of a year and a half, I have reached a point of preparedness. "Very well. The organization's performance has been remarkable, and the scores for employee willingness to recommend are exceptionally high. Additionally, our scores across customer willingness to recommend are also exceptionally high. Thus, it is the appropriate time to take action." Due to our commendable performance and promising growth projections, the parent company made a decision to forego the plan of spinning off the business and instead opted to sell it to a single entity, as they believed it would yield a higher value. This decision resulted in the sale of the entire company. My aspirations were ultimately crushed, leaving me in a state of emotional disrepair. Following this unfortunate outcome, I departed from New York City that evening, carrying with me a profound sense of brokenness that was so severe that I experienced vomiting during the flight home. Upon awakening the following day, I recall ruminating on the notion that the forthcoming day had the potential to be either the most unfavorable or the most favorable of my life, and the decision rested solely upon my volition. Subsequently, I made a deliberate choice to approach the day with a positive outlook and determined that it would, in fact, be the best day of my life. Subsequently on that day, I conceived the notion of establishing the foremost Medicare opt-out enterprise in the entire healthcare industry, one that does not receive any monetary assistance from the government. Initially, I did not fathom the magnitude of this concept. Fast forward to a year and a half later, on Friday, I was granted a tour of the Bausch + Lomb edifice, which was recently acquired by Valeant for a staggering sum of nine billion dollars. During the tour, I submitted a proposal to acquire the property, which had transpired 18 months after the genesis of my aforementioned idea.
What is the potential capability of one's mind over the course of 18 months if liberated from the constraints of fear? Nelson Mandela endured 29 years of imprisonment on account of his political beliefs and principles, despite committing no wrongdoing other than articulating them. On a daily basis, as he was tasked with chipping stone, he recollected a poem by William Earnest Henley. The poem, entitled "Invictus," speaks to the speaker's indomitable spirit and unwavering courage in the face of adversity. Despite being in dire circumstances, the speaker declares that he has not yielded to fate or succumbed to the bludgeonings of chance. Although the prospect of an uncertain future looms ahead, the speaker is undaunted and remains resolute in his determination to persevere. Ultimately, the speaker asserts his autonomy and control over his own life, declaring himself the "master of his fate" and the "captain of his soul." Every individual possesses the ability to shape their own destiny. Fear can be surmounted through the practice of gratitude and deliberate decision-making. Moreover, our perception of the world around us plays a crucial role in defining our reality. In the course of one's existence, it is not necessarily the case that an individual shall receive what they are due; however, it is a near certainty that they shall receive that which they anticipate. At the juncture when I first cradled my offspring, precisely 17 and a half years in the past, I resolved to verbalize my affection for her on a daily basis. I furthermore vowed to imbue within her the knowledge that she possessed physical beauty, possess the attributes of an exceptional daughter, and possess qualities of intelligence, refinement, civility, kindness, and pragmatism. The name bestowed upon her is Madeline, and she has indeed exemplified the aforementioned traits. Every day, life unfolds before us and presents us with opportunities and challenges. It is up to us to determine how we will respond to these circumstances. As such, let us all make a conscious decision to assert our agency and take control of our destiny. May we consider ourselves the ultimate architects of our lives, empowered to shape our experiences according to our will. Thank you for captaining your own souls.
See also: https://mygodsentangels.com/