Christian Modjaiso is Founder and CEO of OBSERVE. He is the Xtreme Stress Coach, helping extremely stressed people to deal with their stress by observing it for themselves.
Christian lives in Democratic Republic of the Congo. He speaks six languages, was on a university chess team before he went to high school and attended a top engineering school in the US. He has a bachelor’s degree in pure mathematics.
This episode wasn’t all love and praise; however, Christian & I had serious disagreements about important topics, including race, relationships and anxiety. But as students of human nature who love to learn, we enjoyed every minute of it.
Other topics we discuss:
Dikembe Mutombo vs. Michael Jordan
His expectations of America vs. his experience
Understanding American jokes
Getting spanked vs. caned
Adapting to American’s perception of child abuse
His favorite African-American comics
My friend in Zambia, Bonie
Getting an American Education:
Coming to America [from Africa] at age 19
Being a minority for the first time
“White people-smart” vs. “black people-smart”
Racism in America
Culture of dependence
Victim mentality
Incidents of racism he experienced in America
American Culture:
Attending a top engineering school in the USA
Getting a Math degree
What Christian thinks of the term “African-American”
“Black culture” in America
Feelings of inadequacy
“Looksism” vs. Racism
The African-American comedians he admires
Latino culture in America
Dealing with Stress & Anxiety:
Ending human suffering
Having a strong desire not to suffer
Catalyst for starting his company
Getting kicked out of school
Understanding your suffering
How he observes emotional states
How he became better at handling his own mental stress
The difference between stress and anxiety
Capacity for emotional intelligence
Separating thoughts from emotions
Confidence stemming from preparation
Coach Christian’s 3-step program
Fun questions:
If someone dropped a million dollars in your lap, what would you do with it?
What’s your favorite book for dealing with stress?
What’s your favorite podcast?
What are you most grateful for?
The solution to a stressful situation isn’t something you control. The effects [to causes] happen on their own . . . Focus on what you can do . . . Observe the facts . . . The solution will take care of itself. – Christian Modjaiso
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