We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rob Schwartz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rob, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I think my optimism comes from the fact I believe in the goodness of people and that life is essentially joyful even if there is much suffering in it. These beliefs are rooted in what I was taught by my parents Charlotte and Morrie (the eponymous lead in the book Tuesdays with Morrie), and a combination of Hindu, Buddhist, and nature religion spiritual learnings.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am focused on both my writing/editing career and producing great art in the form of music and film. For my writing/editing I recently published a book by my dad Morrie Schwartz called The Wisdom of Morrie. My father found fame as his struggle with illness was described in Tuesdays with Morrie and this great insight in that book is expanded in The Wisdom of Morrie. This is despite the fact that the The Wisdom of Morrie was written long before Tuesdays with Morrie. My dad addresses how to remain vibrant and involved in life despite challenges. For my producing career I am developing both documentaries and feature films but more immediately I am producing a wonderful musical artist named Abbey Castor. We will have music out soon!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
To be precise this would be a very long answer so I will respond more generally. To be successful in life it requires a certain refusal to give up, to follow your dream or wish and keep plugging away even if it doesn’t go your way at first. I would say the ability to see things from another person’s point of view is key in planning and strategizing successfully in business and art. One needs to develop empathy and resilience. Of course one needs to learn as much about ones’ chosen field as possible and learn from experts in the field. Humility and an open mind are important for this endeavor.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I think we all feel overwhelmed at times, especially if we choose challenging careers like making art/music/film or creating a start up company. For me two things help with this feeling of helplessness. The first is meditation. Meditation helps you clear you mind and and calm down. There are many types of meditation but I favor vipassana, where you focus on your breath. Some people have a misconception of meditation, believing you are not supposed to have thoughts. We all have thoughts all the time. In vipassana meditation you recognize you are having a thought or emotion, and then let go of it and try to return to simply concentrating on your breath. Another strategy to combat feeling overwhelmed, a complementary one I think, is to remember the age old wisdom “this too will pass.” Whenever you are low remember it will pass. When you are up as well try to keep perspective and remember it will pass and you will need to continue your efforts as before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wisdomofmorrie.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-schwartz-544703/
- Other: TikTok: justbee✨🧚🏻♂️ (@abbey.castor)
Image Credits
copyright: Rob Schwartz
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
