Introspection, mindfulness, awareness can help us become the superheroes of our lives, says Gezim Gashi in his debut book

Over the years, I have realised that non-fiction, motivational books bring forth a real person who has undergone real experiences and is sharing those learnings with you. And when this real person from another part of the globe talks relatable things, it makes you realise how similar we are, despite the borders and the colour of the skin.

I am not a music aficionado, especially western music. Therefore, I didn’t know of Gezim Gashi until I received this book. This 33-year-old author is a producer, mentor, speaker, educationalist, branding guru and a partner in the OCS Institute for the Arts & Innovation in Los Angeles, California. He has worked with companies such as Walt Disney Company and Quincy Jones Productions. Originally from Akllap, Kosovo, he grew up in Alvesta, Sweden, and now lives in New York City and California.

The book presents his learnings, taking us from his birth in Kosovo to Sweden and finally the United States. He is well read and seems to practice mindfulness. He is also an optimist, who firmly believes in the goodness that lies within us, as do the skills and talents that make us all superheroes. It is for us to bring this superhero out in the world.

The book begins with an interesting story—a story that begins from birth and it is the one you keep telling yourself. An immigrant from Kosovo, settled in Sweden, Gashi’s family escaped genocide when he was just three days old. His mother threw him out of the hospital window and his uncle caught him.

The story of self confidence begins with the story that your parents tell you. While some parents cast their children as kings and queens, others keep trying to break their spirit or crushing their dreams being over disciplined or jailers. Gashi was among the first one, though he did have shades of the second too. His black hair did not let him get comfortable in with the blonde Swedes, as did his origins, and he normally felt out of place during his student days.

It was his love for music that took him in search of a mentor and he found one too. Today, the confidence, the opportunities and the relationships have paid off and Gashi is the first Albanian-Swede to launch an entertainment high school institute in the US.

His tips for investing time in your skills and talents and remaining committed are simple. He does not ask you to run across continents, but find your goal, work on it and cherish it. Gashi quotes psychologists, mentors, books, authors who have all been an influence in his life. Gashi’s story is one that reignites lost dreams and boosts the morale, “You are the architect, the inventor and the conductor of your world.”

Along with personal examples, he has given simple exercises to find your superpowers. Just keep a big notebook handy when you begin reading the book and jot down your points as you read. The first thing to do on the road to becoming a superhero is to imagine the story that you want to live. To bring this story to life, you have put everything that happened in your life on a timeline. This will begin to give you clarity on the shape that your life has taken, what blocked you, what inspired you and how you can move forward.

Keep going into the details of the superhero—his traits, behaviours, attitudes and keep on putting things into perspective. As you progress step-by-step, start giving a clear vision to your dream. Make a vision map that answers all the 5Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why.

In your story, you have to keep room for moments for quiet reflection, walking on the path to becoming a Boddhisattva, an open heart, an open mind.

Gashi appears to have studied the principles of Buddhism as well, as he mentions peace, compassion, creativity, kindness throughout the book. He gives the example of the inspirational lady called Peace Pilgrim. Born in 1938, Mildred Lisette Norman turned to promote a life of peace in 1938 after walking the whole night in the woods. In 1952, she became the first woman to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one season. She walked 25,000 miles for peace in her lifetime.

The journey to becoming a superhero is also to realise your limitations and learn the art of saying no. Play and passion, authenticity, creative collaboration, connections, kindness all make you a superhero. So, everything has to be done for energising and not burning out to keep your dream and vision alive.

It’s a motivational book which you would like to keep within sight, for you might not read it daily, but you sure can do all the exercises to keep dreaming and executing a better you.

Book Details

Publisher: Penguin Business
Language: ‎English
Paperback: 184 pages
Price: Rs 250 (Kindle Edition available)

This book review is part of the blogger outreach programme by Penguin Random House. The views expressed are my own.

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023

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