Welcome to the Art of Becoming
Hi, I’m Michael Ritoch, and this is a little bit about me.
It’s on the About Me page where writers list a litany of their accomplishments, followed by the promise of what you, the reader, will get if you subscribe, but more importantly, what you get from the writer if you pay for that subscription.
I hate seeing:
Subscribe, and I’ll teach you how to be rich.
Subscribe, and I’ll show you how to be happy.
Subscribe and get a free e-book on the best business practices Elon Musk ignores because if he did, he would be a trillionaire by now.
Subscribe, and I’ll teach you how to monetize your writing, art, and toilet paper. You can trust me. I’m only 23 years old.
I will make no such promises, especially ones that involve Elon.
But I will make two promises, though—I will write and be honest about it. That’s it.
What will I write about?
The Art of Becoming started with me discovering a personal philosophy to become better, more resilient, happier, wiser, and, hopefully, lead a more virtuous life.
At first, I wrote for myself. I wanted to improve myself as a professional, parent, friend, and citizen. Mostly, I just wanted to be better.
Then, the “I” in my writings became “you and me.” And everything changed.
It’s easy to write about success. Everyone does. However, someone else’s strategies and wins will not always align with your current skills and who you are right now.
But failure, for some reason, always translates. The lessons we learn will always apply to others in some form or measurement.
So, who am I? What do I do, and what have I done? And why should you subscribe?
Let’s take each question one at a time.
Who am I?
When the French artist Marcel Duchamp was asked what he did, he would sigh in exasperation and say, “I am a respirateur.” He was a breather.
He thought the title was appropriate since he breathed more than he did anything else he did and was very good at it.
I won’t be so obnoxious.
My name is Michael Ritoch, and like Monsieur Duchamp, I am also a breather. In fact, I’m the best breather this meat suit called my life has ever produced.
Okay, maybe I am a little obnoxious.
If you want me to be more specific, I am a writer who breathes, and so are you.
What have I done to make you believe I am an expert in the things I write about?
Absolutely nothing.
Well, that’s not true. I’m an expert in failure.
I started and failed at several businesses, so I will write about what I know a lot about—pain and failure.
I will write about the time my daughter had cancer and what I learned about it.
Failure is good. It teaches us a lot. Just ask Elon Musk.
He applied to Netscape in 1995 but didn’t get the job.
He was ousted as CEO of his own company, Zip2.
In 2000, while on his honeymoon, he was fired from Cofinity, which later became PayPal.
His first, second, and third rocket launches at SpaceX blew up.
So, I’m in good company. I am an expert at failure (and don’t forget breathing).
You will find posts on suffering and resilience and how each can help you with your emotional, spiritual, or physical struggles.
And how to use failure to become better.
I was a recruiter, so I know what makes a good leader and what does not.
I coach people to succeed in their careers and businesses, but I mostly listen to them. Usually, they already have the answers.
What I do is help people find ways to continue being better people.
Don’t always expect me to tell you how to be a great leader. I will show what makes a crappy one, though. And how to avoid being one. It’s not as easy as you think.
But I won’t claim to be an expert. My expert-claiming days ended in my twenties.
If I am an expert at anything, it is breathing. [Go back to the Who am I? section]
I don’t believe anyone can replicate another person’s success. We’re all different people with different skill sets, and everyone's process will be different.
But the knowledge we gain from failure is transferrable.
I can tell you that success and failure are not always attributable to working long hours.
Elon Musk famously worked 100+ work weeks, but a thousand other billionaires work hard. And not all of them work long hours though most do.
Winning and losing is more than just long hours and working hard.
What I can do is share what I know and the questions I have, which, hopefully, will guide you to the answers you’re looking for.
I don’t claim to be wise, either. I know I know nothing, which is more than most can say.
I’m being obnoxious again.
What will you get from me?
One to two emails a week. I don’t believe in overloading your inbox.
Every Friday, I send out my Power of Five Friday edition—five ideas for you to consider over the weekend.
Every other Monday, I write about a practical idea to help you build a more high-performing life.
It costs you nothing to subscribe to my newsletter.
If you’re ready to embrace the lessons in failure (and even success, boring), how comfort is the enemy, adversity, and insights on becoming a better version of yourself, hit subscribe.
I'll see you in your inbox every Friday, sometimes a Monday or two, but no promises, just honest writing and real conversations.
I appreciate you,
PS See you in your inbox this Friday at 8 am ET. Coffee is optional, but honesty is mandatory.
