Superhuman Love

In 2019 I began my classes with one question. I asked my students, “if you could have any superhuman strength, what would it be and why?” Yes, in addition to getting to know my students’ names, I asked this superhuman question to see their personalities and to encourage a welcoming classroom environment.

Students often responded with the names of popular superheroes. Replies included, "I would be Batman or Wonder Woman." Not once did I hear the name of a character who embodies the superhuman strength of love.

I am hopeful for different responses in 2020 and beyond.

Three weeks ago, I traveled to Berkeley, California, for an incredible Capoeira event. In the twenty hours that it took to get from Antigua to Berkeley, I finished two books. In between a ten-hour layover in New York and two flights, I listened to Dave Asprey’s book, Super Human: The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever and Common’s book, Let Love Have the Last Word.

Dave Asprey’s book is an interesting read. He suggests that the strategies and resources he uses and describes in the book will enable him to live until one hundred eighty years old. Only time will tell if his death prediction is accurate, but he does support with evidence of how his lifestyle choices can limit the chances of succumbing to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.

Some of the therapies, surgical procedures, and resources Asprey discusses in the book are too expensive or utterly ridiculous! For example, to counteract inflammation, he describes his experiments with consuming ozone through his rectum. I have used Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof coffee, grass-fed butter, and brain octane products, but I will have to take his word on rectal ozone therapy! That’s behind my comfort level.

The bottom line in Asprey's book is that if you want to live a better and possibly longer life, at minimum, you should exercise, eat a healthy diet, manage your stress levels, and get adequate rest.

Common, a Chicago native, emcee, author, and actor, is one of my favorite entertainers. I have bought several of his albums and attended his concerts. Most of his music is positive, informative, and relevant to the Black community. After reading his book, Let Love Have the Last Word, and learning about his quest to discover genuine love, I believe I have more insight into his life as a man.

In Common’s book, he opens up about his challenges as a father, difficult romantic partnerships, and his unique connection to hip-hop music. Through this vulnerable memoir, Common shares how his entertainment schedule conflicted with being as active as possible in his daughter’s life. He also writes about his failed romantic relationships and desires for marriage. Through the molestation Common endured as a child, he discusses how hip-hop empowered him to uncover a memory he buried for years.

If you’re fortunate to read Common’s book, it will help you in 2020 to appreciate the power of love in your faith, romantic partnerships, and familial relationships.

Between reading about superhuman lifestyles and another man’s quest to embody love, I am making changes in my life. From Asprey's book, I am taking a glucosamine supplement to support healthy joint support and scheduling time for rest and recovery between intense workouts. Common's memoir has encouraged me to talk more about my faith and to discover other ways to demonstrate love towards my family, students, coworkers, and community.

I want others to know me as a superhuman of love.

Don’t wait until 2020, use some time today for reading books that can improve your life. Dave Asprey’s book, Super Human: The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever will educate you about the unusual world of anti-aging. Common’s book, Let Love Have the Last Word, will cause you to reflect on your relationships and other love practices.

You can also make 2020, the year you make love your superhuman strength.

Join my email list to receive my blog posts delivered to your inbox or enroll in my personal development course, where I teach you about gratitude, positive self-awareness, and leadership. With either option, I guarantee you will move from a human being to a human doing more of the essential things that can bring your life joy.

Happy Holidays and thank you for taking the time to read this blog.

#bookrecommendations #leadership