Stefan
Latest posts by Stefan (see all)
I picked up this book from a ‘books to read in 2023’ list on LinkedIn. Not much thought was put into selecting it, but for the intriguing title. Sometimes it is ok to pick up a book, and just see where it takes me. If it isn’t the right time to read it, I’ll simply put it back down and wait for a different moment.
Not with this one. Once in my hands, I couldn’t put it back down. Mickey Singer’s life story was just too much tied to what I felt mattered so much to me right now. To me, the book is about ‘letting go’. Letting go of the distracting chatter we all have in our heads, letting go of expectations that we set for us and others, letting go of the biased, instant, and often paralyzing reaction from our brain rooted in ancient primal instincts rather than refined and sharpened deliberate responses.
The story is as simple as it is fascinating. At the core, Mickey looks for an answer to the question of: What would happen if I just stop reacting to the instant voice in my head, suspend judgement (for a long time), and follow what is ahead of me with an open mind and a compassionate soul. Well, his experiment is fascinating.
What it means to me
As a statistician, and someone who has worked in the field of statistics & data analysis for a long time, I do need to comment on the choice of title. While it is certainly ‘experimental’ to execute something like Mickey, it isn’t strictly an ‘experiment’. Meaning, the events described might suggest causality, when they are really a recollection of events, observed over the lifetime of the author. They could have gone any which way. Like with other events we wonder about, the fact that the event did unfold like this leaves us wondering. We can’t help but hope they are causal. We wish for them to be causal. We wish the things to others that happened to Mickey (well, most of them, anyways).
Mickey has the most amazing story to tell, leading him through the creation of two companies (a construction company he called ‘Built with Love’, and a software shop called ‘Medical Manager’. Mickey jumped on opportunities, and executed them with excellence, and let demand for what he did guide his next step. He suspended control, above everything. He also built a temple & spiritual gathering, gathered an immense amount of land, and collected a set of stories which rival those of world leaders.
While I don’t believe Mickey’s story will happen to you if you follow his example, I do think something might happen. Whatever that is, only our own ‘experiments’ can show.
Take Action 🎬
📅 Book a private coaching session with me to grow your PM career. I will share my 15+ years of experience as a Product Manager, all my learning and pitfalls, with actionable tips and concrete lessons to model after.
📚 Reading The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer will give you deep insights into how ‘letting go’ can help you move forward. The life of Michael shows with intense clarity how we are trying to control things, but ultimately want to consider ‘being like water’, and flow around our obstacles.
