Meet Jonathan Cave, the Author Behind the Book ‘The Tree and the Mountain’: A Modern Fable for High Achievers
We speak with Jonathan Cave, author of The Tree and the Mountain. The Tree and the Mountain is a wonderfully inspiring fictional book guiding high achievers to move beyond stress and frustration and reconnect with who they truly are, so they can live and lead with authentic energy, lasting performance, and genuine presence, bringing their best self to the people and work that matter most.
Here’s a book that is worthy of being a companion for life. The Tree And The Mountain, beautifully written by Jonathan Cave, unfolds Cave’s own lifelong learnings to address the most relevant questions about life. Because sometimes life will test our courage, life will test our journey, priorities and what we consider to be success. Among life’s many curveballs and challenging events, Cave inpires us to discover the incredible self within each of us- rooted in values, embedded within talents and aspirations, enabling the reader to be the best version of self, day after day.
In Jontathan Cave’s new book, we meet the main protagonist and hero, Andrew, who seems to have it all: a loving family, a thriving career and a future full of promise. But in one violent moment, everything is torn away. Andrew loses everything and is cast into a strange realm; an endless, verdant forest overshadowed by a single, forbidding mountain. To escape the limbo between life and death and return to his loved ones, Andrew must climb the mountain. In his quest to survive, he is helped by three secondary characters: Santi, a wise old man; Sophia, a demanding ‘do-er’, and Shuka, a young, sensitive child who one by one, help him on his journey towards the summit of the mountain he has to climb.
Andrew’s journey opens questions in the reader’s mind about decisions and opportunities in one’s own life. Jonathan Cave desribes the book as, “A modern fable aimed at helping the reader dare to become who they are meant to be. On the one hand, it is a fast-paced, page-turning adventure; on the other, it has a simple yet profound depth that speaks to one’s sub-conscious and inner child.”
We were lucky enough to sit down and speak with the author to discuss the inspiration behind the powerful page-turner and to learn more about the author himself. Chatting with Cave, he spoke of how his own childhood experiences have shaped the pages in the book. “As a nomadic child with divorced parents, I found purpose and comfort in excelling in school, university, and ultimately in work – climbing the ladder until I reached the top.
“Behind the scenes I was searching for belonging, recognition and the feeling of being important – probably things I lacked in my youth. The writing of the book uncovered the truths of my life.” Cave told YCB.
“Living in five countries before turning 18… I feel like a citizen of the world, probably why I found my anchoring within, as opposed to in a place or with a person.” Cave said.
When asked what has been the biggest lesson learnt so far in his life, the author said: “Learning to find within you whatever it is you have been seeking until now on the outside. i.e. you want recognition? Learn to recognize yourself first. You want love? Learn to truly love yourself first. This ‘inside-out’ approach gives you everything you want on the outside, by completely ignoring it there!”
Today, 49 years old, Jonathan is the Founder & CEO of MyPhyLeadership, where he is an international leadership coach, guiding people through self-discovery, transformation and alignment. At 40, he was already a partner in a prestigious Geneva law firm – outwardly successful yet inwardly restless. And so he launched MyPhyLeadership, determined to bridge that gap, turning inward, and seeking clarity and purpose.
The Tree and the Mountain, his first allegorical book, is born of that personal journey. Today, Jonathan Cave lives in Switzerland with his wife and two adorable children and the whole family loves rugby. So we learn about the visible parts in the author’s life: being married to his soul mate, having two great kids and two cats and a supportive family. But there is also the invisible part, as he describes it, “My three core values are love, honesty and making a difference; my top talents are connecting the dots, powerful communication, and calibrating my energy; my aspirations are to go with the flow, accept and love myself as I am, and write a New York Times Best-Seller.”
As we speak with him today, he is a thriving and active 49-year-old professional, author and father (we learnt that he is turning 50 in two weeks! Congratulations!) but it took him nearly 7 years in total (part time) to write the book, while he was building and running the leadership development business for leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. (Talk about having your hands full!) Within those 7 years, there were several twelve-day ‘isolated/off-radar cabin experiences’ to connect to himself and Nature, and write at -50m and beyond.
When asked where he went to find inspiration whilst writing, the author told us, “Wales, the Swiss Alps, and on planes (with noise cancelling headphones!). In terms of initial inspiration of the story, from my dreams. I had no pre-conceived plan to write a book. Rather, it came to me. I would wake up in the morning with more detail about Santi’s mannerisms, clothes, tone of voice, etc. . didn’t ask from whom or where this came, simply deciding to write what emerged.”
And what a success the book has been, and the readers’ feedback has been fantastic so far. Some testimonials have even brought the author to tears, as he discussed how he can feel the deep penetration and impact behind the words.
The writing and finishing of the book impacted Cave tremendously as a person. “It has given me enormous clarity of who I am and the ‘inside-out’ methodology I have created. It has also strengthened my belief I can do anything I set out to do, including become a published author.”
We asked the author if he has any plans of writing more books.
“Yes, I do.” Jonathan Cave said. “The next book (already well-advanced in my heart and head) will be the answer to: ‘how do I apply your inside-out approach to my life and career?’. It will take the reader step-by-step through what I do 1-2-1 with some of the top leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. I want everyone to be able to enjoy and apply a simple but profound process that has so transformed my life (as well as thousands of lives of others over the past 10 years).”
“My second book will be much less fable, spiritual and much more self-help, with frameworks to follow.”
And lastly, we wanted to know whether the next book by Jonathan Cave will have some valuable tips for parents juggling work and family/home life responsibilities.
“Completely!” Cave said. “There is already a chapter on calibrating your energy system, so that we can give your best energy at work AND your best energy at home to those you love the most. We often bring the left-overs home to our families – which is completely unacceptable and avoidable. Stay tuned for the ‘how’!”
The Tree and the Mountain is more than one man’s story – it is an invitation for each of us to rediscover who we truly are, to embrace what matters most, and dare to walk a better path.
www.jonathancave.com
www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cave/