Dr. Raul Cuero’s extremely humble beginnings and several significant events in his life enabled him to rise above the socio-economical norms we all typically experience. Often we’re not able to see those norms, or boundaries in our lives unless we forcibly break outside them.
In one example, Dr. Cuero was deeply affected by last statements made by his basketball coach when leaving Columbia to pursue higher education on a scholarship. His coach said (I paraphrase) “We are all given a gift by God. I believe your gift is basketball.” Dr. Cuero’s coach failed to see him as anything other than a basketball player, and Dr. Cuero used that limiting comment as motivation to prove the world otherwise. Dr. Cuero did not allow someone else to define who he was.
One of Dr. Cuero’s keys to creativity is observation. Observe all things and activities, but mostly observe nature. Nature’s complexity in simple being holds many creative insights, but observation is not simply looking at or watching something. Observation requires deep thought and correlation between your experiences and what you are taking in.
I believe the best lesson from this interview is the fact that Dr. Cuero did not allow anyone to discourage him from becoming whatever he wanted to be. Further, he used discrimination and obstacles in his life as positive motivation to make himself better than anyone ever expected of him. Never allow anyone else to limit you by listening to their expectations. The only expectations you should use in your own life are your own expectations. Keeping that thought with me will allow me to achieve whatever I set out to achieve.