#1: Overture

Parse the pages of human history, and you will find the most uncommon people doing uncommon things—ideas that revolutionized how we think, communicate, act, and live. These Un-Commoners provide the catalysts which gently encourage the wheels of progress forward while the population watches in reverence, skepticism, and awe. However, once in a while, the Commoner glimpses transient elevation, thoughts emptied, freedom into the breath, an enthusiastic experience—a higher perspective. At the start, we tippy-toe along the path entrusted to us by ancestors—why not take advantage of the knowledge, works, and best practices that continue to accumulate with this discourse? As our foundation fortifies in the learned, we step off in pursuit of excellence of experience: to realize the path is the Process—to develop, grow, and create an OVERman.

The OVERman is the champion of all unattainable perfection; the epiphany of self-actualization; in the formless abyss of the imagination; driven by the necessity to expand and the audacity to step through the self-imposed invisible cage of doubt, anxiety, and poorness in spirit—in moments when we move effortlessly through a task with the ease of a warm summer breeze—in moments when we devote an undivided mind to live as life unfolds, without guess-work, without absent eyes, as both director and lead role in the theatre of life—in moments when we gleefully enclose in on once unfamiliar arenas with laser focus and childish curiosity—365 days in night out, 360 degrees in view. It is not an episodic event but the conjuring of the best in us, as commonplace as nightly stars in places far, far away.

The OVERman is humankind’s potential (never to be realized), yet at ease with nature; when in the company of comrades, his presence stretches outward, a tip that tips the iceberg of discomfort—open to life’s fruits, in humble reception of all of life’s spoils; to share graciously in return, in reciprocity as our ancestors did. He dictates the pace through the marathon; he conditions himself to practice when weary and trains himself to sprint when the timing is proper. By labouring with his weight, he sinks deep into the roots of discipline; he commits his effort without hesitation to the Process. The adroitness of the Overman proves true across vocations spanning east to west; the Overman is fixated on his work, nonetheless playful with his hobbies.

The OVERman is the highest hopes of our brightest dreams, with hardship as its backdrop, having overcome itself. It is the best part of us: flip, spun, rotated, and tailored for any station in life. It is a marvel in managing and continuing navigation of nature’s rocky terrains, of unpredictability and chaos resourcefully handled with clumsy hands—more impressively as a collective effort through time and space.

The OVERman is the burning urge to act valiantly at the right moment; a feeling of head high, chest postured, as triumphant joy trumpets confidence from the pit of your bowels, as obstacles are hurdled with seasoned grittiness. The Overman breathes breaths of fresh air atop the greenest pastures, far past many anxieties, with a return ticket from peak to valley. Hence, do not be confused with the “man” in the “Overman,” but rather as an intimate symbol of personal progress, the best version of who you want to become. Without dismay, watch patiently; without distraction, listen zealously—only then does she manifest herself through sublime effort that is enjoyed and brings the joy to the Uncommoner who seeks self-overcoming.