Mo Gawdat

Suddenly you recognize so many things. There is an inevitability to loss that completely beats your ego out of you.

Yeah, and at his absolute prime and a loving child and the pride of a father, I mean, that moment... When I hugged him before he went into the operating room, Ali was tall, handsome, very wise, very smart, but also very loving. He had this incredible hug. And when he was maybe 15, he was a shorter child than normal. So being an annoying father that I am, I used to call him Shorty.

Yeah, and at his absolute prime and a loving child and the pride of a father, I mean, that moment... When I hugged him before he went into the operating room, Ali was tall, handsome, very wise, very smart, but also very loving. He had this incredible hug. And when he was maybe 15, he was a shorter child than normal. So being an annoying father that I am, I used to call him Shorty.

You know, jokingly, not all the time, but like, hey, come here, Shorty, do you want to, you know, should I, you know, whatever, play, whatever. And he would laugh about it. And then when he was 15, I traveled a lot, but sometimes two, three weeks at a time. And then I come back and he's taller than me. And I'm like, Ali, are you taller than me? He answers and says, yes, fat hobbit.

You know, jokingly, not all the time, but like, hey, come here, Shorty, do you want to, you know, should I, you know, whatever, play, whatever. And he would laugh about it. And then when he was 15, I traveled a lot, but sometimes two, three weeks at a time. And then I come back and he's taller than me. And I'm like, Ali, are you taller than me? He answers and says, yes, fat hobbit.

And from then onwards, you know, I don't get to call him shorty anymore. And he gets to call me fat hobbit. And I hug him before he goes into the operating room and he goes like, it's going to be fine, fat hobbit. And then he sits on the operating table and he had a tattoo on his back that he had and never told me that he had. He told his mom. Again, because of how Ali is.

And from then onwards, you know, I don't get to call him shorty anymore. And he gets to call me fat hobbit. And I hug him before he goes into the operating room and he goes like, it's going to be fine, fat hobbit. And then he sits on the operating table and he had a tattoo on his back that he had and never told me that he had. He told his mom. Again, because of how Ali is.

He basically said, I'm so upset because I didn't ask Papa if I can use his money to get that tattoo. But then I'm going to tell him one day, but I'm not ready. Anyway, so I see it for the first time because it's appearing from his scrubs from the back. And it says, the very last sentence that Ali tells me, the gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace. That's what the tattoo says.

He basically said, I'm so upset because I didn't ask Papa if I can use his money to get that tattoo. But then I'm going to tell him one day, but I'm not ready. Anyway, so I see it for the first time because it's appearing from his scrubs from the back. And it says, the very last sentence that Ali tells me, the gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace. That's what the tattoo says.

And so I cry when I see it because I saw it without his will. And I go like, I approve, Habibi. It's absolutely fine. It's a lovely tattoo. But then it's the last message he gives me. And 10 hours later, he's gone. And suddenly everything's put in perspective. You know, you're that executive that's been paid all his life to solve problems. This one is not solvable. So you're struggling with it.

And so I cry when I see it because I saw it without his will. And I go like, I approve, Habibi. It's absolutely fine. It's a lovely tattoo. But then it's the last message he gives me. And 10 hours later, he's gone. And suddenly everything's put in perspective. You know, you're that executive that's been paid all his life to solve problems. This one is not solvable. So you're struggling with it.

You're trying to keep... Your wife and daughter, okay. Losing a child just doesn't feel right.

You're trying to keep... Your wife and daughter, okay. Losing a child just doesn't feel right.

Yeah, I mean, I still have the same pain, but less severe. So I felt a physical part of my heart disappear. So the bottom right-hand side, and I still feel it, not ever fully healed. Anyway, four days later, Aya walks into my study and basically says, Papa, Ali had a dream and he only told me about it. And I think you should know it. And I go like, yes, two weeks before he died, he had a dream.

Yeah, I mean, I still have the same pain, but less severe. So I felt a physical part of my heart disappear. So the bottom right-hand side, and I still feel it, not ever fully healed. Anyway, four days later, Aya walks into my study and basically says, Papa, Ali had a dream and he only told me about it. And I think you should know it. And I go like, yes, two weeks before he died, he had a dream.

He calls her and says, hey, I had this amazing dream. I dreamt I was everywhere and part of everyone. And it felt so amazing that I didn't want to wake up. Now, of course, if you're spiritual, you learn eventually that when the soul is separated from the body, you're no longer bound by space-time, basically. You have the ability to be everywhere.

He calls her and says, hey, I had this amazing dream. I dreamt I was everywhere and part of everyone. And it felt so amazing that I didn't want to wake up. Now, of course, if you're spiritual, you learn eventually that when the soul is separated from the body, you're no longer bound by space-time, basically. You have the ability to be everywhere.

And if all of our souls come from the same source, if you want, then by returning to the source, you're part of everyone. You're connected to every other soul. I learned that five years later. At the time, all I heard was my son giving me a quota, which was so weird. Because then all I heard in my head is Ali telling me, make me everywhere and part of everyone.

And if all of our souls come from the same source, if you want, then by returning to the source, you're part of everyone. You're connected to every other soul. I learned that five years later. At the time, all I heard was my son giving me a quota, which was so weird. Because then all I heard in my head is Ali telling me, make me everywhere and part of everyone.

And at the time, I was a year out of Google into Google X. So I had worked on the 4 billion strategy. I knew how to get to a billion people, right? So I basically said in my head, I was like, okay, Habibi, consider it done. That's all I heard myself say. And then I come up with this devious plan of I'm going to write the book, which includes everything he told me.