A Coming to America Story with Observe Founder Christian Modjaiso

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 JordanHis expectations of America vs. his experienceUnderstanding American jokesGetting spanked vs. canedAdapting to American’s perception of child abuseHis favorite African-American comicsMy friend in Zambia, Bonie Getting an American Education:Coming to America [from Africa] at age 19Being a minority for the first time“White people-smart” vs. “black people-smart”Racism in AmericaCulture of dependenceVictim mentalityIncidents of racism he experienced in America American Culture:Attending a top engineering school in the USAGetting a Math degreeWhat Christian thinks of the term “African-American”“Black culture” in AmericaFeelings of inadequacy“Looksism” vs. RacismThe African-American comedians he admiresLatino culture in AmericaDealing with Stress & Anxiety:Ending human sufferingHaving a strong desire not to sufferCatalyst for starting his companyGetting kicked out of schoolUnderstanding your sufferingHow he observes emotional statesHow he became better at handling his own mental stressThe difference between stress and anxietyCapacity for emotional intelligenceSeparating thoughts from emotionsConfidence stemming from preparationCoach 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 ModjaisoConnect with ChristianGet free coaching