Wrapping up 2019

Hey!

Thanks for subscribing to my first tinny letter, an idea I had been ruminating for some time, until I found out that my friend Tanya has a cool one; that kicked my ass.

2019 was a fruitful year, full of learning and challenges. It was fantastic.

These are some highlights I think of just minutes before dinner. Listen to Too Close, by Alex Clare, while reading.


What I learned

• I think I'm finally over with the death of my brother, an issue that had been draining my energy for so long.
  
• In that sense, I am learning to be optimistic instead of embittered.
  
• As I turned 40, I realized this is the perfect age: you have enough energy and enough wisdom/experience.
  
• I finally understood that I am in Berlin, Europe's Silicon Valley.

Discoveries

1. I got into audio books and listened to almost 2 dozens of them. Fiction doesn't work for me, but non-fiction does. My favorites were:

• Sapiens, by Yuval Harari (fascinating summary of our history)
• Originals, by Adam Grant (just mind blowing!)
• Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert (inspiring, better than the podcast)
• Vivir para contarla, by Gabriel García Márquez (a lot of fiction but in a Borgesean way––his best book!)
• Creativity Inc, by Ed Catmul (don't miss the last chapter on how Steve Jobs became a better person)
• In Praise of Shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki (you'll never see light and shadows the same way again)
• An Empire of Ice, Edward Larson (the conquer of the two poles from a scientific point of view)
• Mindset, by Carol Dweck (the very first account on what is and how does mindset drives us)
• Becoming, Michelle Obama (the brave female insight into the Obamas' story)

2. I did research into Afromexicans:

• They brought rice to Mexico (the Americas), as Spaniards saw it as food for poor in contrast to wheat
• They brought with them and/or developed three drinks that are fundamental in Mexico: jamaica, tamarindo, horchata.
• "Pelo chino" has nothing to do with China, but with their genes: the mix of a black man and an indigenous woman was called "chino", therefore the name for curly hair.

3. I was honored to present the novel Olinka, by Antonio Ortuño, in Berlin. First time in my life someone graces me with such an invitation. Double honored to be him!


Podcast episodes I loved

• Star Talk (Neil deGrasse Tayson), with Salman Rushdie (insights into storytelling)
• So, you want to be a writer, with Greame Simsion (cool if you liked The Rosie Project)
• Los olvidados (Antonio Meucci), with Javier Peraza
• Hardcore History, with Dan Carlin (I'll never forget the nuclear and the Julius Caesar shows)
• And sooo many with Joe Rogan, I don't know where to start with

Books I still have on my bedside and my chaos hasn't allowed me to finish

• Retrato de mi madre con perros, by Daniel Rodríguez Barrón (sorry!, will finish it asap!)
• Llegada la hora, by Karla Zárate (sorry!, will finish it asap!)
• Mínimas despedidas, by Lorea Canales (sorry again!, will finish it asap!)
• Leonardo, by Walter Isaacson
• Loosing my Virginity, by Richard Branson
• On Working, by Robert Caro
• Here I Am, by Jonathan Safran Foer
• An Object of Beauty, by Steve Martin
• Lexicon, by Max Berry
• Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli
• Ahora me rindo y eso es todo, by Álvaro Enriigue

Series I enjoyed

• The Vietnam War
• The II World War in Colour
• Genius: Einstein
• Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates

Planned challenges

• After 80 sessions of coaching, I am ready to launch my agency. And down the road, I grew 6x.
• I woke up 145 times at 4:30am and hit the gym.
  • Best month: April (24 times).
  • Worst month: December (3 times).
• I finished my #apictureaday challenge on Instagram and told 365 different stories

 

Unplanned challenge

I made my first steps into art dealing, got acquainted with the market and built an amazing team across the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.


What am I up to 2020

• I will publish 1 book I just finished writing
• I will publish 1 book I edited and contributed to
• I will publish 2 books I ghostwrote
• I will start a portrait series of 500 individuals on Instagram to learn how to better connect with people
• I will launch my content marketing agency
• I will master the fucking human flag
• I will launch an app

So, I just realized that my first tinny letter looks rather like a bunch of lists...

Happy 2020! Keep growing––it's all about growth.