This shaped my life, it might change your perspective and life today too.
My son came into the bedroom. Dad, take a look at this — he screamed.
Put on my hand a paper with a drawing — his biggest creation by then.
I strongly hugged him.
I looked at him and said. I am really damn proud of you, my big boy, while seeing his face still elated.
He freaking started to cry, so I double my arms strength to hug him stronger.
I have never ever had seen and felt such an authentic happiness in someone’s face, heart and soul.
This was the first time I got this gift. Thanks, God and life.
That night, the level of his feelings was crossing the moon. They crossed my body and mind.
I continued seeing and admiring his art creation while hugging him.
This moment taught me five big life-lessons I am going to share with you. This changed my perspective of how I see things in life, and it might your life today too.
1. Get or recover the eye of the tiger
Do you see that look in their eyes, Rock? You have got to get that look back, Eye of the tiger, man — Apollo Creed
That was precisely what Apollo Creed said to Rocky in the Rocky III movie.
Rocky was badly lost in fear.
Within him, there was no willingness, chance, or hope to defeat the opponent.
I stared at son. I witnessed of the bright in his eye, the eye of the tiger was there.
My son got started his drawing by his own. Nobody told him to do it. It was a genuine desire to build something.
If we start out doing something in a genuine way rather than for pressure, there are high chances you will recover that feeling, that super power — the eagerness to achieve anything in your life.
As a result, the Eye of the Tiger will come back to you.
2. It’s not about what others see, but what you see
For any adult or kid out there with good drawing skills, the sketch my little son built might be a simple basic drawing.
They might be right because that judgment come from his expertises of what is basic, good, and great art.
Yet, the most important lesson when building something out of nothing is the journey to get there and the meaning it has for you as the creator.
It’s not about what the rest of the world see, but what you see. The result of this, is just the proof of what we are capable of.
I guess in my son mind, he visualized himself in the space. He saw himself flying the rocket and having fun with gravity.
That imagination and the emotions it creates are priceless. This is the seed of strong beliefs in ourselves.
3. Bet on experiments and genuine curiosity
Every single day is an opportunity to bet on this. Don’t lose this chance today.
Try to experiment as much as you can — I constantly repeat to my son.
Your beliefs and arguments you have now won’t be the same after getting through an experimentation journey.
Experimenting will taste you the flavor of failure, fulfillment, sense of success and meaning.
Experimenting will create your best self or in the worst case will come across with your best self.
Through experimentation, you will grow faster than the average people.
You also can embrace a little brother of experimentation — curiosity.
A kid has a genuine curiosity. Thanks to this they end up creating amazing stuff like my son did.
If we really want to live a better life based on our own terms and not someone’s else, we need to bet on these life’s ingredients.
So please don’t dirty that curiosity and experimentation with those evil things like fame, money or see anything as a transition.
4. You are capable of anything
Saying it, it is easier than believe it.
It might sound cliche, because it is true. Sorry, I feel the obligation to recall it to you.
I am a software engineer. One day I needed to jump in a new completely tech stack because there was a new project, so I needed to learn a new frontend framework in a really short period of time.
I am not smart. I am not a guru. I am not a genius, either.
I just build the right strategy using the Top Offensive Mindset to learn or master anything.
As Barack Obama states, “a change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things”
I would say, greatness is the result of those tiny, ordinary but steady things done by an average person.
My son also proved that.
Just keep in mind that this was not his first sketch. He loves drawing, so he has been doing it for a while.
This was the first drawing that touched his soul and demonstrated him the infinity potential within him.
5. Creativity and learning shouldn’t be expensive
“Don’t hesitate to tell me about any material or resources you need to buy to make my son’s learning journey just the best learning experience” — author
I told this to my son’s private teacher.
I don’t really care to spend hundreds, if not a thousand, of dollars when it comes to learning and creativity journeys.
This might sound like I have a 6–7 figures bank account. I am way, way far from it. My bank account is close to 0 figures.
This might sound, I am a successful entrepreneur. I am not.
That statement might also sound like I am the boss. I am not.
I am a normal guy. I am an average guy.
Yet, my mindset and perspective on how I see to think about things in life is quite a lot different from the average, though.
The reason I told her that was because I grew up with the belief that learning resources were so expensive.
Once I got awareness of the power of knowledge and its lifetime long, I changed my mindset completely.
Learning and creativity are the fields you should never overthink if to spend or not. Just throw away your money.
It will pay off in the middle-long term. The ROI will come in a way mix of money, meaning and fulfillment.
I want my son starting to embrace this mentality too — the sooner, the better.
It’s the best bet for you.
Final Thoughts
Seeing my little 6-years-old son freaking cries for his art creation taught me a lot.
It shaped my life and perspective. I learned the five big life-lessons we went through this piece.
To summarize it up.
- First, start out doing something in a genuine way rather than for pressure. By doing it this way, there are high chances you will recover the eye of the tiger. The bright on your eye.
- Also, just remember that, it’s not about what the rest of the world see or how they judge your outcome, but what you see and your own judgment.
- Every single day is an opportunity to bet on curiosity and experimentation. Don’t lose this chance today.
- Learning and creativity are the fields you should never overthink if to spend or not. Just throw away your money.
Hope this turned be out helpful.
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