Hi Reader,

Welcome back to Renaissance

This newsletter is meant to:

• Teach you cool stuff
• Inspire you to take bold action
• Make you pause, smile, and maybe even laugh

It's part of my mission to live a story worth telling while helping YOU do the same.

If you're ready to create more meaning, fulfillment, and adventure in your life, click the button below:

Why wait any longer?

What I'm learning about 🧠

Alexander the Great's final three wishes.

Alexander the Great was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.

He was tutored by Aristotle and by age 30 he had created one of the largest empires in history.

Phew...I still have almost a full year to conquer the world.

Before he died, Alexander the G.O.A.T. gave his lieutenants specific orders for his funeral.

He instructed them to do three things.

First, he wanted the world's finest doctors to walk behind his casket during the funeral procession.

Second, he told his lieutenants to take all of his jewels and litter them along the road as he was carried to the gravesite.

His third and final wish was to make sure that his hands were open so that everyone who gathered could see them.

One particularly curious lieutenant asked why he wanted these things.

Here are his unbelievably wise responses:

"I want to show everyone that even with the best doctors in the world, you can't cheat death."

"I want everyone to see my wealth and jewels thrown in the dirt so they realize that money made on earth stays on earth."

This was probably one of the first "You can't take it with you" references.

"And finally, I want everyone to see that we die empty-handed."

***Cue curious lieutenant's mind being blown***

The moral of the story is twofold:

1. Alexander the Great was an absolute legend
2. He wanted people to live richly instead of focusing solely on accumulating things that don't matter in the end

Let me express the modern equivalent in equally eloquent language:

You can't take your TikTok audience with you.

They won't be at your funeral and most won't even realize you died.

P.S. G.O.A.T stands for the "greatest of all time" in case you've been living in an underwater sea cave for the past 50 years

P.S.S. Gregory Alexander Benedikt has a nice ring to it...

What I'm thinking about 💭

How much of my life I want to share on the internet.

Dan Koe, an online entrepreneur, writer, and content creator has a quote that I love.

He says:

"Your job is to document your life on the internet and let the rewards of authenticity work their magic."

This resonates with me because some of the best things that have happened to me have been due to my sharing on the internet.

• I started a nonprofit with a stranger I met on the internet after being introduced to him by another stranger. All because I shared my mission and vision in a Facebook group.
• I've met tons of amazing people on Linkedin through openly sharing my story and struggles. Many of them have become good friends.
• I've had the opportunity to work with incredible clients who find me through my writing, The Dare to Dream Podcast, and online presence.

But how much sharing is too much?

Chris Williamson, creator of Modern Wisdom and Vinny and I's future best friend (though he doesn't know it yet), has a different belief.

He says:

"Keep your private life private and don't talk about it on the internet."

After hearing him mention this multiple times, I think he is mainly referring to not sharing about his personal relationships.

He references Joe Rogan and the fact that everyone in America knows who he is, but few people know who his wife is.

Or how many kids he has.

Joe has been intentional about not sharing much about his personal relationships and family life.

I can see the wisdom in this because nothing sounds worse than having a bunch of internet strangers talking smack about your family.

Cut scene to a sweaty Vin Diesel in Fast and Furious talking about family.

My working hypothesis is this:

Sharing openly about my own trials and tribulations is rewarding because it lets me find my people and (hopefully) inspire others.

But sharing about other people in my life isn't my business.

It's their decision about how much of themselves they want the world to see, not mine.

Thank you for coming to my therapy session...

Please feel free to respond with your own thoughts on this matter!

I'd love to hear what you feel is the "right" balance of open and authentic sharing vs. what crossing the line looks like.

The good news is that none of this will matter during our funeral processions.

Just know that YOU will get the first pick of all my treasures when I go since you've been such an amazing subscriber to Renaissance :)

Quote of the week 📜

“It’s better to live your own life and be called a freak, than to win at the world’s life and find yourself being very empty” - Robin Sharma

What I'm reading 📚

​Coach Builder: How to Turn Your Expertise Into a Profitable Coaching Career by Donald Miller.

While Donald misses the mark on what true coaching is as defined by the International Coaching Federation, this book is incredibly helpful.

Especially if you want to get into consulting (where you give people advice) instead of true coaching (solely asking people questions).

He is exceptional at helping you figure out how to talk about the products and services you provide.

I'm learning a ton from this book and his online Business Made Simple courses.

Was this email forwarded to you?

Click the button below to start loving your Monday mornings.

Sent with love,

Gregory Russell Benedikt

Website: gregoryrussellbenedikt.com

Podcast: The Dare to Dream Podcast​

Connect: Instagram & LinkedIn