“Everyone is looking for shortcuts. I’m searching for a higher mountaintop.” – Robin Arzon
In April there is always a palpable tension between the hibernation of winter and an intense desire for change and transformation. Senses are heightened and the power of possibility and growth is magnetic. But how do we turn that possibility into forward action?
The other day, I heard a quote that keeps resonating in my head: “Everyone is looking for shortcuts. I’m searching for a higher mountaintop.”
Every day we are inundated with messages about how to “hack” our lives–how to lose weight, make millions while we sleep, find a shortcut to happiness or build our dream on the backs of others. We are told that this pill, this product, this workshop, this event will get us from point A to B without lifting a finger.
As much as we all want to believe in fairy dust, the truth is…life isn’t hackable.
It takes putting in the hours, making trade offs and sacrifices. It takes waking up early before everyone else to polish that proposal, create the content, build the relationships.
There are no shortcuts. There is no magic pill. There is no easy button.
Whatever you consider “success” does not happen overnight. It takes sweat, tears, toil, confusion, creation, climbing, falling and getting back up over and over again. The result, when you reach the top of that mountain, is worth every step of the journey.
The best part? At the top of the mountain, you will see there are hundreds more beautiful summits to climb. You are never done.
The key is to enjoy the journey at every turn and find your center when it feels like it’s too much to take.
While the world swirls in turmoil around us, I hope you will join me this spring, and set your eyes on that higher mountaintop.
This month’s Brain Food was meant to give you that little spring in your step towards those lofty goals. Drink it in.
Songs for Spring: Bikôkô
19-year-old, Barcelona-born, Neï Lydia’s solo musical project, is the beginning of a new chapter in her career. Working with lush African sounds and continental melodies, she is the voice of a new generation.
12 Tips to Be a Persistent Entrepreneur
I couldn’t have written this any better. Entrepreneur and Public Speaker Marjorie Perry has a list of tips to help leaders and business owners stay in the game. Read these over and over, particularly when you get to the steep parts of the mountainside. My favorite? It’s You vs. You.
Come on Barbie
No one is more polarizing than Barbie. Now that the genius movie director Greta Gerwig is here to tell her story, I can’t wait to watch the opinions unfold around this reviled and revered character of the 20th century. To start, let’s have a conversation about Bimbo Feminism…
Find the Words
Born in Beirut, Nikita Gill is a poet for the ages. Her highly anticipated debut These Are the Words, hit the shelves in 2022 and we’re in love with her warm, fearless expression of truth.
REMINDER FOR HEALING
You do not owe anyone your forgiveness.
The trees do not apologize to the wind that uproots them.
The rocks do not apologize to the erosion by the sea.
The stars do not apologize to the universe
when they are writhing and dying out.
And you are not obligated to forgive anyone
but yourself.
Meet the Black & Latina Founders with Billion$+ Valuations
Toyin Ajayi of Cityblock Health, Flori Marquez of BlockFi, and Julia Collins of Zume Pizza are seated alongside Rhianna, Pat McGrath and Jessica Alba as unicorn status BIPOC founders. Meet the women who are building empires.
Well Yeah, We Knew That Already
Harvard Business Review notes that “Research has shown that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher-quality customer experiences — among many other benefits.” Enough said. To find out WHY women are impactful in the C-Suite, click through and read the article.
Worth a Listen: A Conversation on Equity in Entrepreneurship
Find 30 minutes in the next few weeks to learn from White House Council of Economic Advisers chair Cecilia Rouse and Black Ambition CEO Felecia Hatcher. The conversation ranges from what the White House is doing to ensure more black-owned businesses are getting contracts to why mental health is so critical for BIPOC entrepreneurs.
