Author, poet, father, son, artist, chef, BPO Strategist – I am all of these things. In the tradition of the modern Renaissance Man, I ask, “Why just be one thing?” I pursue my interests, I pursue my passion. My life is essentially a balancing act between parenthood, artistic pursuits, and the business aspect of being a BPO Strategist.
I am a graduate of Florida State University where I studied Psychology and Sociology. I have always been intrigued with the human experience as it relates to the individual and the group. College expanded my world and allowed me to grow as an intellectual.
How did I get to this current place in my life? In short, the answer is becoming a father. My daughter redefined me the day she was born. I recall reading her short bedtime stories which later evolved to me creating new stories of my own – stories closer to her personal interests, exciting stories with heroes of African descent. I always loved writing poetry, and creating new stories for my child reinvigorated my passion for writing. I am now focusing my efforts into writing material for adult audiences. I am excited to be on the path to writing my first novel.
I truly have lived and continue to live a life that is rich and diverse and because of that, I am able to interact with people from all walks of life. One of my core strengths is the ability to listen and understand before judging. We are all human, just from different backgrounds and circumstances. I seek to explore this condition in the characters and stories I create.
My Core
When I am not running the race in Corporate America or writing, I spend most of my time with children and dogs. Dogs are truly man’s best friend in my experience – their capacity for unconditional care and loyalty is unmatched. And children, well they are the world’s most precious resource. I believe that children are humanity’s greatest hope for making this world a better place. Why? Because they are untainted. Pour purity and beauty into them devoid of cruelty and prejudice and they will return that energy to the world tenfold.
The truth is very important to me. Life is full of beauty, but it is also full of harsh realities. I think that the only way we can advance as a society is to face the truth head-on. Too often we face the easy truths, while placing inconvenient truths in the closet to collect dust with the rest of our skeletons. Often, the truth forces us to hold up a mirror to ourselves. If you are ready to face the truth, I invite you to take this journey with me.
I am a practicing optimist, but my inner realist tells me that I am really a cynic. Go figure.
My Beliefs
I believe in the power and immensity of the human spirit and consider my life a spiritual journey. I am never at my zenith, but always progressing and developing.
I also believe in never placing oneself in a box or placing limits on oneself. This also reflects in my writing. One year, I may write a Young Adult Romance novel, the next year an Urban Lit Crime Story, then a Science Fiction space odyssey the year after that. My point is I write what I want. I don’t just write one thing or one genre because I am not one thing. My life experience is multifaceted which leaves me with multiple complex layers and no one will place me in a box. Because I would not fit, of course.
As the great Bruce Lee once said, “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” The way I take that is to never put limits on yourself and always challenge yourself and your beliefs. Never be afraid to evolve and never be afraid to allow people to see your evolution. Otherwise, you can never live your full truth.
Ronaldo Gilley 