Three Minute Leadership – You Are Your Own Brave New World
To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning
In his 1932 novel, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley evoked a futuristic world that is as machine-efficient, carefree, and comfortable as it is cold and empty of the meaningful values we cherish today. The complacent populace of Huxley’s “new world” lived their lives absorbed in artificial, chemically-induced pleasure. Through their pleasures they detached themselves from life and deemed it “progress.”
At the end of the novel, however, John, one of the last survivors from the old way of life and deemed a “savage” by this new society in which comfort and happiness is the only accepted norm, openly condemns this passionless brave new world:
“‘But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.’
‘In fact…you’re claiming the right to be unhappy.’
‘All right then,’ said the Savage defiantly, ‘I’m claiming the right to be unhappy.’”
A lone voice crying out against the blandness and mediocrity of his world. A man standing defiantly for his beliefs and values. A man boldly and willingly committed to his life’s purpose. This is the joy of life for each of us – to knowingly choose our path – one that fills us with passion, joy and happiness. Great leaders are not satisfied with being just good at what they do, just great or even just magnificent. They choose to be extraordinary in all that they do.
Claim your choice to be extraordinary, every day, minute and second of your wonderful life. May the words of Friedrich Nietzsche remind you of your beautiful singularity and inspire you on your daily journey: “At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.”
Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!
Mike