Arquivo para Tag: wellness

Coragem ou loucura

Obrigado aos leitores que me acompanham nesta jornada. Escrevo com o objetivo de transbordar tudo o que gostaria de comunicar ao mundo através de reflexões leves e despretensiosas sobre o universo que habito.

Naturalmente, isso toca o mundo de venture capital, tech e empreendedorismo. Mas não queria que fosse o relatório de um banco de investimento, ou que focasse apenas no lado técnico desse mundo – já tem muita gente boa abordando esses aspectos. Olhando para dentro e entendendo os assuntos que me provocam e me fazem refletir e que, ao mesmo tempo, me dão prazer em analisar, escrever e compartilhar, o que está faltando nessa agenda é o lado humano da coisa. O comportamento que faz com que o indivíduo largue o caminho seguro para começar algo novo do zero, a determinação para seguir em frente e não desistir, a realização de sonhos, a vida como uma grande aventura. Esse é o lado de “venture” que me fascina. Essa, para mim, é a magia do empreendedorismo: a exploração e a conquista de novos territórios. A inspiração para o nome desta news vem daí :).

Black and White Mountain Wallpapers | Tranquil Mountain Landscapes | Happywall

Em paralelo e bastante alinhado com tudo isso, a inspiração pulsa por aqui à medida que exploramos e experimentamos uma nova vida em família. Estar longe de casa me faz questionar e enxergar aquilo que a rotina oculta. Por isso a reflexão de hoje vem de uma conversa inspiradora que eu e o amigo Tiago Luz tivemos com o Riq Lima, co-fundador e CEO da Worldpackers. Há 2 semanas lançamos o podcast “Um Impossível por Vez“, seguindo o mantra que rege a vida do Tiago e com o qual eu tanto me identifico. O Riq é o nosso segundo convidado.

Riq, que é economista formado pela USP, largou o mundo de banco de investimento quando estava em plena ascensão profissional para explorar o mundo e a si mesmo. Com 24 anos e a grana curta, ele rodou por dezenas de países com um mochilão nas costas e muita sede por aprendizado, sendo chamado de “louco” pela família e amigos próximos. Apesar de jovem, seu salário na época era maior do que os salários somados dos seus pais, e o caminho para o sucesso tradicional já estava traçado. Só que não. Riq foi corajoso e seguiu em frente, embarcando no caminho do empreendedorismo na sequência e resolvendo um problema que conhecia bem: a busca por experiências autênticas e baratas. Neste ano, a Worldpackers comemora 10 anos e celebra o impacto em mais de 4,5 milhões de usuários cadastrados na plataforma, mais de 75 mil pessoas que estão vivendo experiências únicas neste momento, e uma empresa que respira os valores dos seus fundadores: facilitar a vivência de experiências fora da zona de conforto aos seus usuários enquanto cresce como negócio de forma sustentável, com margens atrativas e boa geração de caixa. Nesta conversa, refletimos sobre a diferença entre coragem e loucura. Foi um papo bem legal.

Refletindo sobre a rodagem até então, as pessoas que mais me inspiram e provocam têm um lado “louco” bastante pronunciado. São os que sabem o que querem, que têm a convicção para dizer não ao caminho batido e perseguir algo novo. Frequentemente quebram a cara, mas são os que têm as melhores histórias para contar. Histórias que manifestam presença, experiência, e autenticidade. Quando estava terminando o primeiro ano do meu MBA em Harvard, o Cesar Carvalho, que estava na minha turma, decidiu “trancar” o tão sonhado MBA para começar o que se transformou na Gympass. Quem larga o MBA de Harvard para empreender, num momento onde existiam poucos fundos e o capital era bastante limitado na América Latina? Só pode ser louco :).

Quer outra história inspiradora? O amigo Guilherme Bonifácio estava terminando a faculdade de Administração na USP e tinha duas escolhas: ou seguia o caminho de consultoria estratégica, onde poderia crescer rápido e ganhar dinheiro, ou se juntava a outros recém formados para ajudar a digitalizar um negócio de entrega de comida que recebia pedidos por fax. Foi chamado de louco por deixar o salário alto e o caminho do “sucesso” e se juntar ao time da DiskCook, que depois virou o iFood. Isso foi só o começo: o Gui ainda empreendeu na Rapiddo e na Mercê do Bairro.

Num outro papo inspirador que tive essa semana, a empreendedora Marina Proença me lembrou que coragem não é o oposto de ter medo. Coragem é reconhecer seus medos e abordá-los de forma racional, sentindo frio na barriga e transpirando a beleza da superação. Pessoalmente, acho que superação é o grande propósito da vida. Hoje melhor do que ontem, e a base de comparação sou eu mesmo.

Infelizmente, nossa sociedade prega a perfeição. Queremos parecer perfeitos em nossas carreiras, vidas pessoais, startups, etc. O custo dessa busca que valoriza o externo é um desalinhamento com o que vem de dentro e que realmente importa. Coragem é olhar para dentro e entender o que valorizamos verdadeiramente, fazendo esses valores manifestarem no mundo externo com autenticidade. Como diz Adam Grant, “autenticidade não se trata de expressar cada opinião que você tem. Trata-se de garantir que o que você diz (e faz) reflita o que você valoriza.”

Olhando para o Brasil, somos o país onde até pouco tempo atrás os melhores talentos sonhavam com o emprego público concursado e estável. Nossas livrarias e bancas de revistas ilustravam apostilas para “gabaritar”os concursos e alcançar a tão sonhada estabilidade. Em minha própria casa, minha mãe já disse algumas vezes “concurso público é que é bom”. Enquanto nos EUA, o que me chamava a atenção durante meus anos de MBA é que qualquer livraria oferecia uma abundância de livros que remetiam à construção de negócios grandes e disruptivos, com uma clara mensagem que demonstrava um dos valores do país: empreendedorismo.

Hoje a cena por aqui mudou muito. Graças ao volume de capital disponível para inovação e os casos de sucesso e liquidez para os empreendedores e investidores, os melhores talentos querem empreender. A maioria quer resolver problemas urgentes e relevantes, como o aquecimento global. Pode parecer controverso, mas é aqui que entra o poder do capitalismo e o valor do venture capital em fomentar a inovação de forma cada vez mais meritocrática.

Finalizando, sou pai da Aisha e do Kai. A Aisha é uma linda menina de 7 anos e na nossa casa incentivamos o máximo de exposição ao mundo e a superação dos medos, o que é particularmente importante para as meninas, que ainda são rotuladas e moldadas para serem sensíveis e perfeitas. Fica a dica deste TED: Teach girls bravery, not perfection.

Obrigado mais uma vez. Fico feliz em receber feedbacks e comentários sobre estas reflexões; fique à vontade para responder este email, comentar abaixo, ou me escrever no alex@letshike.io.

Let’s hike!

Alex

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P.S. o trecho abaixo vem do livro The Good Life, que remete ao estudo sobre felicidade conduzido por Harvard há quase um século. Vale a leitura e reflexão, do trecho e do livro :).

“Há esses dois peixinhos nadando juntos, e eles se deparam com um peixe mais velho nadando na direção oposta, que acena para eles e diz: ‘Bom dia, rapazes. Como está a água?’ E os dois peixinhos nadam por um tempo, e então, eventualmente, um deles olha para o outro e pergunta: ‘O que diabos é água?’

Toda cultura, desde a cultura ampla de uma nação até a cultura dentro de uma família, é parcialmente invisível para seus participantes. Existem suposições importantes, julgamentos de valor e práticas que criam a água na qual nadamos sem que percebamos ou concordemos com elas. Simplesmente nos encontramos neste mundo e seguimos em frente. Esses elementos da cultura afetam praticamente tudo em nossas vidas, muitas vezes de maneiras positivas, conectando-nos uns aos outros e criando identidades e significado. Mas há um lado negativo. Às vezes, mensagens e práticas culturais nos direcionam para longe do bem-estar e da felicidade.”

Robert Waldinger, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness

Mindfulness for leadership, focus and creativity

According to Wikipedia, mindfulness, translates as full attention, alert mind or full awareness. If we are strict about the origin of the word, mindfulness means the essence of the Vipassana measurement stream. Whereas other types of Buddhist measurement aim to empty the mind of any conscious reasoning or direct attention to a single image or idea, Vipassana practitioners seek to uncritically gain awareness of all thoughts and emotions experienced in the moment.

Attention: this rich and delicate philosophy cannot be explained in detail in just a few lines. The objective here is just to expose the concept to those who are interested in the subject or have heard about it but do not know what mindfulness means in practice. Personally, I believe that the frequent practice of Vipassana meditation can bring more focus, calm and energy to the mind and body. Specifically, Vipassana followers believe that our minds are constantly busy re-processing the past or anticipating the future, allowing little time and energy to truly live in the present. Theory comes to practice through simple exercises that can be practiced by anyone, anywhere. The principle is to focus on the breath, for example, and indirectly increase awareness of what goes through the mind, always in a non-critical and detached way.

Although a monastic life dedicated exclusively to the contemplation of the moment is light years away from the world most of us live in – that is to say the rush, the hustle, the emails, the pressure (external and internal) – there is a growing interest in how the principles of this practice can be applied to our lives in a pragmatic and realistic way. American psychologist and professor Ellen Langer has been studying mindfulness for a number of years, and her main theory is that practice plays an important role in the learning process. For her, meditating often increases her ability to see the world through constantly new angles. New angles, of course, require curiosity and commitment, as well as letting go of past concepts.

Letting go of old ideas, she warns, is especially difficult because possibly these “ideas” are already part of our DNA and we are not aware of them. With greater awareness of what we know and what we don’t know, we become more open and creative to new solutions.

Meditation & Leadership

In March of 2013, an important American newspaper dedicated a page to this topic: what is the interface between mindfulness and leadership? Who responded was Bill George, professor at Harvard Business School, former CEO of a billion-dollar company, and strong advocate of a productive, creative and authentic lifestyle. Bill argues that the subject is so much in evidence that at the last World Economic Forum in Davos the most attended lecture was given by the Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. The latter, French and scientist with a doctorate in the West, is a scientific adviser to the Dalai Lama and author of the book Art of Meditating.

What is causing this dramatic shift in the way we think about what it takes to be an effective leader today? Well, it starts with the changes taking place in the world. We live in an era where globalization and advancing technological change create volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity. This impact grows exponentially through a job market in constant transformation and the new world where communication is present 24 hours a day. Seven days a week.

See how interesting: companies like Google, General Mills, Genentech, Target and Cargill, for example, have developed training programs for their employees focusing on mindfulness and leadership. The expected (and achieved) benefits are summarized in more creative, focused and determined managers. The correct word is resilience, but other adjectives help color the impact of meditation practice.

Following Professor George, practicing meditation for 20 minutes a day (I practice 10 and I believe it already has an effect) is essential to increase your effectiveness and sense of well-being. He has been doing it since 1975, and the result can be measured through his resume.

“Meditation allows me to forget about unimportant things and focus clearly on the important matters. My most creative ideas come from meditation. Also, meditation improves my energy level and allows me to have more compassion for others”, says Bill.

You see, it’s not just sitting down for 10-20 minutes a day, every day, that brings you the benefit of mindfulness. Praying regularly, keeping a journal, interesting and intimate discussions with people close to you, and solitary exercises such as running, walking, or swimming make us live in the present. The most important thing is to have a form of introspective practice that allows you to calm your mind and focus on what really matters.

Advancing towards the “what can I do?”, is the suggestion, scientifically proven, to practice meditation for 10 minutes daily. The important thing is to have discipline and follow the plan regardless of the context. Establish your routine as you see fit. Personally, it works well in the morning, after showering and before breakfast. Having a dedicated chair or cushion for practice also helps. And for beginners, guided meditation is an excellent tool to help “tame” the mind.

Article originally written in December 2013

Resilience: what, why and how

“More than education, more than experience, more than training, an individual’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who falls along the way. That’s true for cancer patients, it’s true for Olympic athletes, and it’s true for executives and entrepreneurs in the boardroom,” states Dean Becker in a 2002 Harvard Business Review article.

Resilience, therefore, is the ability to control your response to physically or mentally stressful situations. Science shows that the more resilient the individual is the further he will go in his personal and professional life. It makes sense. Success is the reflection of countless falls and defeats that were seen as opportunities for learning and growth.

In my experience living with and working with extremely talented individuals – at Harvard, McKinsey, as an investor and around the world – it is clear that the most interesting are those who have gone through adversity, sometimes heavy, and had the strength to rise again even greater. They have a contagious inner energy, empathy and humanity while demonstrating strength and unerring determination. Example? Liz Kwo, my colleague and co-coach in the program that we concluded in 2013 in Shanghai through Fullbridge: born in Taipei to a poor single mother, she illegally immigrated to the United States with her mother and sister when she was still a baby. In San Francisco, where they arrived by ship, they lived in a garage while their mother sweated in simple jobs to bring food “home”. She had everything to go wrong in life, but today her walls illustrate diplomas from Stanford, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School, simply the best educational institutions in the world. How? Because she knew that her only chance would be through education and merit, which she demonstrated by always being the most engaged, curious and determined student. Listening to her talk it is clear that her journey was not easy or romantic, but she says

“every time I felt like a loser, someone marked for bankruptcy, living in poverty and being a victim of an unfair and cruel world I closed my eyes and I remembered that my mother’s effort had to be worth it, and then I released the beast inside of me”.

It’s inspiring to hear that from her, even more so because her words come without pain or rancor; she tells her story with pride, softness, humanity illustrated with vulnerability and determination to keep going.

Clearly, the resilient individual is not the one who avoids stress in any and all forms, but the one who learns how to manage it and turn it into productive energy. The resilient person is likely to bend, but not break, when faced with adversity, trauma, tragedy, and threats. She is, most of the time, active and not passive in relation to what happens around her and in her life, always believing that she is the author of her present and future, and not a victim of her past.

Well, fortunately, many of us have not gone through dramatically impacting situations that shake our values and make us question our mission in the world, which is often heard from extremely resilient people (have you ever heard the story of someone who survived a serious accident or illness? ). So what if your life is comfortable and relatively linear? Scientists Steven Southwick and Dennis Charney of the Yale University School of Medicine recommend 4 scientifically proven strategies to boost your resilience:

Work with your physique: Physiologically, moderate physical activity promotes the release of endorphins and the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which reduce symptoms of depression and improve mood. An animal experiment has shown that frequent running decreases various phobias and increases courage in exploring new environments. The recommendation is one hour and 15 minutes per week of intense aerobic activity such as running and swimming, or two hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity such as walking, for example.

Embrace Challenges and Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: Taking a step beyond what you normally would, whether on vacation, on the weekend, or at work, stretches your comfort zone and potentially increases your security. There are no limits and everyone knows what that means for them, but it can be overcoming a fear, making a presentation in a new language, exploring another country with few resources and infrastructure, or starting to say no instead of always molding yourself to please others.

Meditate, and develop a positive view of the world: Meditating often can bring you clarity, focus, and make it easier to prioritize where to invest your energy. Meditating connects you with the present, avoiding regrets about the past and excessive worries about the future. This is proven to reduce stress and allow you greater control over your life and decisions, making you a more confident and determined person.

Friends and your relationships: Finally, the last tactic for increasing resilience encourages you to spend more time with people with whom you show mutual acceptance, respect, and admiration. It only works, however, if you’re really connected to that person and can count on them for advice, tips, or just a shoulder to lean on. It helps if your network is filled with individuals who are examples of resilience in person, as you will have role models to observe and follow. Mimicking behaviors and practices that make others stronger can also be of high value. For example, when you are discouraged and ready to give up, remember that there is a “beast” inside each of us, as my colleague Liz would say.

Finally, writing your story with the knowledge that you are the author and protagonist, that you decide to spend more time celebrating small victories than lamenting how the world is unfair to you, increases your motivation, determination, productivity and, ultimately, happiness. That’s why the most competitive universities and companies in the world expect to hear stories of overcoming and resilience in their selection processes. Given all this, I ask you, the reader, as well as myself: what’s next?

Article originally written in Sept 2013

On fear of failure

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears,” wrote Les Brown. Fear is a natural human emotion that helps us stay alert and protected in dangerous situations. However, when fear becomes excessive, it can prevent us from living our lives to the fullest. It can hold us back from pursuing our dreams, taking risks, and experiencing new things. In this self-serving article, I would like to explore strategies for conquering fear and living a more fulfilling life, particularly the fear of failure, which can impact our lives by preventing us from following our hearts and achieving our full potential.

Conquering fear has been a major theme in my own life. Leaving my hometown of Florianópolis, Brazil, to explore the world with no money, learning new languages despite ridicule, and leaving comfortable career paths to find what truly makes me come alive, are all examples of how conquering fear has stretched my possibilities in unimaginable ways.

The fear of failure is a common and powerful fear that can hold us back from pursuing our goals and dreams. I have met many overachievers who have put several ambitious personal and professional projects on hold due to the fear of not being able to deliver on these new paths. However, science shows us that with the right mindset and strategies, we can learn to overcome this fear and achieve our full potential.

A learning opportunity

One of the first steps in overcoming the fear of failure is to change our perspective on what failure means. Instead of viewing failure as a negative outcome, we can reframe it as a learning opportunity. Every failure is an opportunity to grow and improve, and by embracing this mindset, we can reduce the power of our fear of failure. It is important to remember that everything that has been created in this world was created by people similar to you and me, and they all had to go through a learning process with very few getting it right on the first attempt.

Set realistic goals

Another effective strategy for overcoming the fear of failure is to set realistic goals and break them down into smaller, achievable steps. By focusing on incremental progress rather than perfection, we can reduce the pressure we put on ourselves and increase our confidence in our ability to succeed. Perfectionism is a powerful enemy if we want to design and execute new projects; the best path is to get it done little by little and then iterate and improve it, like in the Design Thinking process.

Revisit your beliefs

It can also be helpful to identify and challenge the underlying beliefs that contribute to our fear of failure. For example, we might have a belief that success is only achieved by those who are naturally talented or lucky. By challenging this belief and recognizing that hard work and perseverance are also key factors in success, we can reduce the power of our fear of failure. As Angela Duckworth has shown, grit is a major determinant of professional success. It is a matter of trying, iterating, learning, and doing it again and again.

Be kind to yourself

Practicing self-compassion is also important when dealing with the fear of failure. Rather than being overly critical of ourselves when we experience setbacks or failures, we can practice self-kindness and remind ourselves that everyone experiences failure at some point in their lives. For type A overachievers (like myself), it’s much easier to be kind to others than to ourselves, as our bars are always set high. However, by talking to others, changing contexts, and expanding one’s life through multiple genuine relationships, we gain perspective on what we’re trying to accomplish, allowing us to detach from perfectionism.

Share where you are heading to

Seeking support and accountability from others can be a powerful tool in overcoming the fear of failure. By sharing our goals and progress with a trusted friend, family member, or mentor, I have gained encouragement, guidance, and motivation to keep pushing forward even in the face of obstacles. I have three people in my life that I call my personal board of advisors, folks who are present to me when I need them and who ask me the right questions at the right time, making me accountable for my decisions and actions while encouraging me to go further.

Accept that life is short and the others’ opinions don’t matter

Lastly, I would like to recall some of the lessons from Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich states that “without fear, we are able to see more clearly our connections to others. Without fear, we have more room for understanding and compassion. Without fear, we are truly free”. When reflecting that most of our fear of failure is based on how others will judge us, I found helpful to highlight the five remembrances from Buddhism that Thich elaborates on his book “Fear”:

  1. I am of the nature to grow old. I cannot escape growing old.
  2. I am of the nature to have ill health. I cannot escape having ill health.
  3. I am of the nature to die. I cannot escape death.
  4. All that is dear to me, and everyone I love, are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
  5. I inherit the results of my acts of body, speech, and mind. My actions are my continuation.

Recognizing that life is short and that change is the only certainty, allows me to see life in perspective and to not care to how others will potentially judge me for a project that fails. Not caring about others’ opinions is a form of freedom, and the path to listen and be your authentic self.

In summary, conquering the fear of failure is essential to our evolution as human beings. Conquering fear is expanding our comfort zones, learning new things about ourselves, connecting to our authentic selves and allowing us to dream bigger and do more of what makes us unique. This, ultimately, is what the world needs: a community of people who are living their unique strengths, collaborating with each other and making the world a better place.