I became a bestselling author because I learned to behave exactly the opposite. I always wrote to myself. It may sound selfish, but that was the difference in my writing routine. I write without the pretence that anyone will read. If that happens, at least I left a written record. Who knows one day it will be found and published? Writing is an art and we cannot hide it in some drawer.
1 ) Tell me more about your background and journey.
I'm a simple man and from humble origins – nothing different from everyone around the world who is reading this text. My life story does not make me better than anyone else or extraordinary because we all know the need to overcome difficulties, difficult phases and problems.
I worked for a long time as a coffee street vendor in Rio de Janeiro and, for the first time, I discovered that I was in the centre of my own life. I identified the strategic position I occupied and took care of it when was 15 years old Only.
As a street vendor of coffee between 5 am and 8 am – from Monday to Friday, I lived with all kinds of people. I lived with honest and hard-working people from Brazil, who woke up at dawn to get to work on time. People who also knew they were at the centre of their lives, identified their position and took care of it because they knew what its purpose was.
I learned that to transform, to change reality, to solve any difficulty, Only one is enough! One is enough at home, one is enough at work, one is enough in any group you belong to. Just one.
My dream was coming true! I had already learned to take the reins and take control of my own life. I entered the university (tourism course), graduated and worked for over 10 years in a hotel chain. I travelled the world. I got to know other realities.
I decided to dedicate myself to the study of Kindness and its impacts on the professional environment and society. I heard a voice, a call, I needed to do something to change the situation in the world. There were people only talking about selfishness, rudeness, violence, inflation and corruption. I knew that we only transform by love, that peace is only generated with peace and never with war.
I knew that each one of us was like a sparkle of light. We can lighten people's lives with simplicity and affection. Just one. Just wanted to, roll up your sleeves. I also knew that if I joined with you, with others, we would be stronger and the impact much greater in the world.
I was at the centre of my own life. I knew my position and I took care of it. In late 2009 I reinvented myself. I left the hotel business and founded a company dedicated to collective human development through kind acts – Kindness Generation Co. In the beginning, we were just a company specialized in training and workshops to awaken in professionals the desire to be kind at work.
Then we started to join people with the purpose of doing good and who had the belief that only love could transform and the Worldwide Movement of Kindness Sparkle of Light emerged. People were arriving, getting together. Our collective job of spreading kindness around the world brought us two consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2018 and 2019). We work over the streets, homes, businesses, society. Because of the good builds. Because the peace alleviates. Because Kindness is contagious.
2 ) When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
When I was selling coffee on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, I dealt with people who taught me a lot. They taught me through their expressions of tiredness and determination. One of these people made a big ano feo n me because he was doing something ano fe from any ano: he was on the streets to teach Kindness. His name was José Datrino, an eccentric figure, often called a madman, who used to spend the whole day shouting: “- Kindness generates Kindness. The ano f the future is the kind man”. He wasn’t known by his name. He had an endearing nickname – Kindness Prophet.
When he was called madman, he answered with confidence: “-I’m crazy to love you. I’m crazy to save you. One day, my brothers, Kindness will save humanity. One day, all of you will cry out for Kindness in the world.”
Was he right? Look at us today. Look ano f cities. Look ano f country. Look at the world. Kindness is ano f. The lack of it created a situation of public calamity. The ano f the future is us. We are this “man” who needs to be committed to planting seeds of goodness so that future generations can reap the fruits of love.
Datrino was a great inspiration for my work as a writer. He was a poet and wrote sentences about Kindness on pillars of viaducts in the city. From him, at age 15, I decided I would also write about the importance of values, predicates, mainly about Kindness and peace.
3 ) Who is your favourite writer and why?
I have several favourite authors, one for each stage of my life. There are those who are classics and were part of my training and marked in a certain way who I am today. For example, Italo Calvino in Six Proposals for the Next Millennium – presented me with a scenario of possibilities in my life as a writer, entrepreneur and leader of a worldwide movement. Augustine in Confessions – took me on a trip to my interior to understand why I accepted so many challenges without even knowing what they would bring in my luggage. In Brazil, my favourite author is Martha Medeiros – in her books she brings the uncomplication of life in a very human and accessible perspective.
4 ) Is it a financially stable career?
It depends a lot on the engagement of each author, especially in Latin America. Brazilians are not used to reading, unfortunately. So it is necessary to make sense of the book so that it also speaks to the reality of each reader. It's important to get closer to each one, whether you are a loyal or a potential reader. With the advancement of technology, the internet and the speed in transmitting information, people prefer faster and more dynamic readings, especially young people who should be the target audience of any writer.
5 ) Which piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?
Writing texts, articles or books is a natural activity for those who are inspired. It's a gift that no one takes from our lives. There are great longings and doubts of those who want to start a career as a writer because they are afraid that no one will read what they wrote.
I became a bestselling author because I learned to behave exactly the opposite. I always wrote to myself. It may sound selfish, but that was the difference in my writing routine. I write without the pretence that anyone will read. If that happens, at least I left a written record. Who knows one day it will be found and published? Writing is an art and we cannot hide it in some drawer.
My first book was handwritten, believe me. Although I've been writing since my teens, it was in the 2000s that I started to organize texts in book format. I had no pretence that it would be published by anyone, nor did I know how to get started. One fine day, a co-worker read the manuscripts and asked if she could make a copy to share with someone else. Voilá. She had liked it and was married to a man responsible for publishing books in a large publishing house in Brazil.
Despite the doubts and write.
Interviewed by: Palash Srivastava
.jpeg)
 ){kind=link}
0 Comments