Brazil in Pictures (Recife)

 

*The pictures can be clicked to see them at full size*

I will be posting Salvador and Rio soon. (Hopefully…this post took more work than I thought)

Recife

 Olinda

 The view from Olinda. Olinda is a beautiful historic area of Recife. As a matter of fact Olinda means “Oh how beautiful.” We also learned that the phrase applied to describing a person as well. For example: You could say Olinda to someone or cut off the “o” and saying something like Ciao linda meaning “Goodbye beautiful. This view is from one of its highest points behind a church.

 

I took the above picture not too far behind this statue of Jesus (pretty much where there people in the background are). You can see the detail on this statue of Jesus depicting blood where nails were driven through his hands. Also, what looks to be his heart is shown as well. I’ve found an aerial view of the whole church on Google. 

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Around the back of the church. I cannot find the picture but to the right here is actually a stone wall with strategic holes for snipers to sit and take out invaders coming up the hill. 

Milestone Update: The Book, Withdrawal, and the Value of Purpose

In a few days I will FINALLY be meeting with my editor for what will hopefully be the last time, as far as this book is concerned, and will also be creating my book’s website.

This process has been long but worthwhile in many ways already. It has been a test of discipline and even offered some self-discovery. With that said, over the past few weeks I have been in and out of a sort of withdrawal. When I was writing, I had purpose. Everyday needed to write. I was so engulfed in the creative process that it was all I thought about ALL DAY. I even dreamed about it from time to time. Then suddenly, I there was no more to write. The book was been off being edited and I struggled to replace that purpose.

Purpose and Progress = Happiness. Without either, at least to the extent I had them before, my last few weeks have consisted of a constant shuffling and reshuffling as I searched for the next big task at hand. It was incredibly painful trying to find something to fill the void. The trickiest part about this process was to remember that I still have plenty of things to work on as far as the book is concerned (i.e. website, trademarks, etc). Still, none of these other things require the focus, time and immersion of the writing process so it is not as easy to see the progress and does not offer the same gratification. The result, a lack of fulfillment and a sort of guilt at times when I felt like I could be more productive (I had gotten used to the constant work).

Today, I’m glad to say that I have found a balance . After all of this reshuffling, I’ve finally got drew a “winning” hand. I can also say, one of the greatest gifts I’ve received out of this process so far is the value of purpose. From my personal experience, when you are compelled by a sense of purpose (particularly one that is chosen not impressed upon you like…taking out the trash) your world changes. You may feel pressure but it is a welcomed, positive pressure. Now that I have known it, I feel that I now understand the great feats of historical achievers such as Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs and others. Although I obviously experienced it on a much smaller scale, that is the point; I can now imagine the power of the sensation I experienced multiplied several times over.  Your mind is preoccupied with the task at hand and reaching the ultimate goal.  You are never bored. You are never tired in the traditional way. I could go on trying to articulate it in who knows how many ways…but I’ll just say purpose is a natural drug and leave it at this: It’s powerful. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a high that I will forever chase…this was probably best articulated by Ferdinand Foch….

~Sean                                             

Reminder From A Millionaire

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with an individual who has been kind enough to act as a mentor of sorts. I do not see him much but he has always been an email away. This particular day I wanted to meet with him to hash out some questions in regards to my book (and catch up as well). He released a book of his own last year to much success so I knew he’d have good advice, but those minute details are not exactly what I want to talk about right now. 

Over the course of our discussion, I found out something I had never known about him; his wife is a news anchor. Moreover, she has been living hours away for her job and will be for some time AND they have a a two-year-old son (currently staying with him), because “new anchors have crazy schedules and children need routine.”

My first question to all of this was “How do you do it?!” His response was pretty simple. “We’re used to solving problems. Plus, when we got together not too long after college we had an understanding, I’m an entrepreneur and she’s a new anchor. If we remained important to each other, we’d make it work.”

2 Life Changing Quotes

 

“Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”

 “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

These are two quotes I live by. I had a sense of these ideas before I found them, but after discovering (at different times) some years ago, they’ve changed my life. Sometimes as individuals, we cannot communicate our own thoughts to ourselves. Fortunately, one of the wonders of being social beings is our ability to complete one another’s thoughts. These two quotes are articulated my thoughts in a concise, eloquent manner. Their concrete truth, as opposed to my previously incomplete thoughts, allows me to use them as a guide. My point of mentioning this is twofold.

Cutting People Off :(

“We are the sum of the 5 people we spend the most time with.”

 Have you heard that before? I’m sure you have. It’s been said various ways for…forever! For instance “Birds of a feather flock together.” Everyone seems to innately know that this statement is true. To be frank however, IT’S NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.

 As I always say to people; “One of the hardest things to do is to cut someone out of your life that has done you no wrong.” They are not actively trying to undermine you, they aren’t even doing anything necessarily “bad” (e.g. crime, etc) themselves. At the same time, they are not adding to you as a person anymore or even worse, never have. The relationship has become “dead weight”, which weighs you down.