The Diamond Soul helps readers develop a Christlike moral character. Why was this an important book for you to write?

Since I was a young man I was fascinated by existential questions like, “Who am I?”; “Why am I on this earth?”, “Is life mere existence or there is more to it?”. Later on, I realized that my engineering education did not prepare me at all for how to deal with people. I knew quite well how to manage machinery, electrical circuits and projects, but had no idea on how to talk in a meaningful way to my next-cubicle fellow engineer. He, too, was as clueless as I was. Needless to say, the more I advanced in age and climbed up the ladder of professional responsibilities, the more I realized the need to train myself in the arts of verbal communications, management, and leadership. At the same time, I begun to understand the role faith plays in the lives of us humans. I started to realize that regardless how smart and hardworking we are, there is always a higher authority that decides the outcome of our endeavors.

So, here I was, in my early fifties, searching for answers to all these difficult questions. Then is occurred to me: the moral character of the man shapes his destiny; and his faith is the unshakable foundation of his character. These are very strong convictions that I have; they are part of my core value system. And they work. Just look at all great leaders around you, and you’ll notice common virtues and character strengths: industry, integrity, thoughtfulness, modesty, love and service. But the greatest model of all was Jesus Christ when he walked as a man on the earth. Why not emulate his character strengths like humility, firmness, strength, patience and courage? We can never become him, but we should aspire to be like him.

Writing this book has been the most important project of my after-retirement years. I simply wanted to share my finding with my fellow Christians, as well with people of other spiritual orientations, such as atheists, agnostics or followers of other religions. The reason I wrote this book was to challenge, inspire and guide my readers on the road of building a strong and beautiful character mimicking Christ’s own. This character I call The Diamond Soul Character, because it is as precious, strong, and beautiful as a cut natural diamond. But, in contrast to the natural diamond which needs outside light to reveal its beauty, the human Diamond Soul character carries its own light. It, therefore, shines from within. This light is also called moral authority, and is an essential goal of anyone aspiring to better themselves.

What were some themes that were important for you to focus on in this book?

Starting a writing project about human development, confronts the author with the impossible task of selecting a few overarching ideas from the endless number of possible themes. In my case, however, the task was less daunting because I had a clear picture in my mind about the purpose of the book and its intended audience. I wanted the book to help readers clarify who they were, where they maybe at this point in their lives, and where they may desire to be tomorrow. Since the intended audience was Christian, it was also clear that the importance of faith in one’s life must be one of the prime themes to be worked on.

I would hope the readers would benefit from the three broad themes I approach in my book. The first one is that the faith is the most solid foundation one can stand on when dealing with morality. By its nature, the faith consists of a set of truths that are timeless and unchangeable. If you are a believer, you must adopt them. It is much easier for a person of faith to see the dangers of “relative morality” and to stay away from it. It is much simpler for a believer to look at Jesus Christ as the epitome of morality, than for a secular person who may have no model for morality at all. It is less complicated for a believer to dedicate himself to charity, as the Christian teachings tell him, than for an individualistic person who whats everything for himself.

The second theme of the book is that one must take charge of his life to improve himself. And how does he do it? By embracing proactivity, the mentality that you are in charge and take responsibility for your actions. You are no longer a victim of your weaknesses, your circumstance or your upbringing. You chart the course of your life by selecting a righteous path aligned with God’s preordained plans for you. Proactivity as a mindset is the most powerful tool you can acquire to build your character and find your destiny.

The third theme of the book is that the process of self-improvement is a marathon, not a sprint. You better be armed with know-how, grit and patience. And above all, have a spiritual guide, the Holy Spirit that resides in you. Building a Diamond Soul character is a cooperative project between you and the Hoy Spirit. You provide the know-how, the sweat and the toil. He provides the support, guidance and encouragement. Where does the marathon of self-improvement take you? Well, on that never-ending spiral of personal and spiritual growth that takes you closer and closer to God. Or, on that road of leading others by serving others, in other words of becoming a servant leader based on the example of Jesus Christ himself.

What do you feel is a common misconception people have about faith in their life?

This is a tough question, but I’m going to give it a try to offer my best take on it. Perhaps the most common misconception is that the spiritual life and the secular world cannot coexist. Most believers either find total refuge in their Christian faith, or get engulfed in the stormy seas of the temporal world forgetting they are children of God. Their strategy is either one of separation or of surrender. But there is a better road. My book argues that believers are best equipped to bridge the gap between spirituality and materialism, between believers and atheists. And how could they do that? The only answer is, through engagement and using their moral authority. An act of charity, a decent behavior, a friendly attitude toward everybody, everywhere and all the time speak more than a thousand words. When secular people see Christians behaving in a godly way, they for sure ask themselves the questions, “why do they do it?” and “what’s inside them that make them be this way?”. Isn’t this the beginning of the opening of one’s heart to the beauty, security and mystery of the Christian faith? I believe it is!

This is book one in your Diamond Soul trilogy. What can readers expect in the next two books?

Books two and three will provide practical applications for the Diamond Soul Character. The second book will discuss leadership issues, while the third one will focus on interpersonal relationships. In them, I will argue that only men and women of character can lead people in a Christ-inspired manner, and build meaningful, pleasant and long-lasting relationships. It is, therefore, the Diamond Soul character we acquire by following the teachings in the first book, that will provide the moral foundation for our dealings with people around us.

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