La crise, quelle crise ?

Auteur/autrice : marc

  • 5 good reasons to step out of the herd

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    https://unsplash.com/alex13

    Day 702 In nature, most hunted animals live in herds: gnus, antelopes, buffalos, to name a few. Most hunting animals live in tribes: lions, hyena, or hippos. Some tribes are hunted too of course, but herds are rarely hunters. When it comes to the human animal, the herd and the tribe are generally metaphors. Any human may be part of the herd when it comes to politics, believing the biggest liar, and part of the small tribe that loves paragliding for instance. Admittedly, human herds and tribes are not about hunting, at least not as in life and death, however they are about behaviors, decision-making, and happiness. Some people love to conform and be part of the herd, however most, if not all, belong to one or more tribes they feel good with because it feels good. Politicians have always targeted herds, marketing used to and still is with less and less success, successful businesses are no longer taking care of herds but do their best to penetrate as many tribes as possible. Belonging to a herd gives a feeling of security, this is what society wants us to believe in. As Napoleon Bonaparte rightly said: « The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need. » Some days ago I was writing on being different, being ourselves, not conforming to what society wants to us to conform. Here are 5 good reasons that came to my mind, why the herd mentality has to be avoided to become the true you.

    1. Man is a thinking animal and as such can form his or her own ideas. Use your brain to think and make decisions, do not let others, politicians, businesses, activists decide for you. You are your master!
    2. My needs are different from my neighbor’s. Maslow have defined human needs, and we may all have the same kind at the physiological, safety and love levels. However, when it comes to self-actualization and self-transcendence, their realization is different for each individual. It’s critical to find your path and your tribe.
    3. Success comes to the audacious not to the conformist. Look around you to famous and successful people, they have some characteristics in common, but are mostly weirdos and risk takers.
    4. Happiness is the result of achievement, and achievement does not come without risks. Do things nobody else does, do not listen to the naysayers, feel the thrill of having tested your limits.
    5. Herds are manipulated. Read the quote of Napoleon, it’s the basis of politics, and go back to point number 1.

    Our modern world has reinforced both the herd and the tribe feeling. The herd goes shopping on the Black Friday or on the first day of sales, resulting in really stupid behaviors. Tribes are easily identified and built with social networks, crowdfunding and modern technology. It has never been easier to get rid of a herd and make our own decision. Tribes are becoming far more powerful than herds. Step out of the herd!

  • Le lâcher-prise est nécessaire pour une bonne santé mentale

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    https://unsplash.com/kylry

    Jour 701 J’ai entendu le terme lâcher-prise il y a de nombreuses années alors que je montais à cheval. Tout cavalier sait que pour monter à cheval correctement, il faut un savant mélange de décontraction pour faire corps avec l’animal et de détermination pour rester le maître à bord. C’est un art et une science subtiles, et donc découle d’énorme satisfaction quand vous sentez cette communion avec votre monture. Cet état n’est pas du détachement, un « je n’en ai rien à faire », c’est l’eau qui coule sur les plumes du canard sans y pénétrer et c’est un état nécessaire à qui veut vivre une vie harmonieuse et sans stress inutile.

    J’ai appris le lâcher-prise avec mon ami Bernard Alexandre, avec qui je montais à cheval, et continue à l’entretenir au quotidien au travers de la méditation. Mais vous allez me dire, ça permet quoi ? Pêle-mêle : de ne pas s’énerver, de ne pas se laisser imprégner par les émotions négatives, de comprendre l’autre, d’améliorer son écoute, de vivre le présent sans le poids du passé et l’incertitude du futur, tout simplement de vivre en étant soi-même sans que les événements négatifs n’aient un trop grand impact sur sa vie.

    Maintenant, il convient d’être à la fois simple et réaliste. Simple, le lâcher-prise ne l’est pas. On ne décide pas de lâcher-prise en claquant des doigts. Cela demande du temps et de l’entrainement (oui, je sais, il va falloir encore travailler dur), et chacun trouve son chemin : yoga, méditation, tai-chi, respiration, etc. Réaliste, cent fois sur le métier remettez votre ouvrage. Il faut entretenir sa technique tous les jours. Elle est évanescente et ne demande qu’à être entretenue pour pouvoir être disponible quand vous en avez le plus besoin. Voici un petit test à réaliser pour voir où vous en êtes, et un article pour une perspective psychologique. Essayez et accrochez-vous, trouvez le bon équilibre sans tomber dans la nonchalance, vous verrez, cela vaut vraiment le coup !

  • Embrace modern tools or be doomed to disappear

    Day 700 Have you flown a commercial flight recently? If so, you probably noticed it’s a non-smoking flight. I think I have not flown in a plane where smoking is permitted for 20 years. Every time, the flight attendants remind that « this is a non-smoking flight, smoking is not permitted in the toilets… ». However, back in time, smoking was permitted, just not during take-off and landing. This is why we had the no smoking and fasten seat belt signs next to each other.

    J 700 - 1

    But in 2015, soon to be 2016, why keeping the no smoking sign? Times have changed and there is something we cannot do only during take-off and landing phases: having our electronic devices on. So modern airlines have started to change their signs with an « electronic devices off » sign, replacing the no smoking one. It makes perfect sense. I started to notice this trend a year or two ago. The interesting point though I noticed is there seems to be a correlation between the new sign and the way the airline takes care of its passenger. In other word, if the airline embraces the new sign in its planes, the meals are better, the service is enhanced and the flight attendants feel more caring.

    J 700 - 2

    But it reflects a deeper change: embracing modern tools. Those are the same airlines equipped with modern devices, both for the pilots and the flight attendants. Those are the same that provides power to the passenger at their seats. They have understood that if they want to be a trusted brand, they need to embrace new tools at the same pace as their customers. Companies who will not make the necessary decision to be modern are doomed to disappear not by going bankrupted, not necessarily. They will just become irrelevant and will be swallowed by larger ones and forced to change. Darwin was somehow right.

  • La critique est aisée, l’art est difficile

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    https://unsplash.com/marcusdallcol

    Jour 699 Après les atroces attentats de Paris et Saint-Denis, tout le monde y est allé de son « y’avait qu’à », « fallait qu’on ». Toutes ces personnes avaient sans doute raison. Peu d’entre elles cependant sont à des postes de responsabilité et ont la main sur des actions qui pourraient changer le cours des choses. Etre dans l’opposition est position facile, être au pouvoir l’est moins. Dire ce qu’il faudrait faire, mais n’avoir aucun pouvoir pour le faire est une posture facile. La critique est aisée, paroles, paroles, paroles comme dit la chanson.

    Pourtant, s’il en était un qui aurait pu faire acte de contrition, il ne l’a pas fait, ou alors je l’ai manqué. Les excuses sont la première étape de la remise en question, précédent la décision et l’action. Mais l’art de l’action est difficile, celui de la fuite en avant plus simple. On arrive, on fait un beau discours et on s’en va. Alors oui, la critique est aisée, comme celle diffusée par ce billet me direz-vous. C’est avant tout une réflexion sur la parole et le temps perdus à critiquer ou à diffuser des yaka, faucon. Si cela se fait dans le cadre d’une concertation avec ceux qui peuvent agir, alors cette parole est utile. Si c’est simplement pour passer à la télé, alors c’est de la démagogie, comme l’extrême-droite en a l’habitude.

    Le choix de celui qui veut diriger sa vie est celui de l’action. La seule critique utile est celle qui permet de modifier l’action entreprise afin de la rendre meilleure et plus efficace. A condition de pouvoir être acteur de cette action. Se focaliser sur ses actions a un effet incroyablement puissant, pas facile à faire, simple à décider.

  • Dare to be different

    Day 694. I particularly appreciate two quotes of Oscar Wilde :

    « Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation »

    And

    « Be yourself; everyone else is already taken »

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    https://unsplash.com/jordanfmcqueen

    They both tell the same truth: only original matters, copies are just copies! Those two quotes came to my mind when this morning I read this post from Gary Ryan Blair: Dare to be different. I wrote other posts on this, but as I approach my next birthday (more on this soon), some questions come to mind (hey, we all have questions, the older I get the less answers I receive). So it’s always good to be reminded sometimes that we are who we are. As I was sharing in this post from last year, it’s the original painting that costs the most. A copy costs nothing.

    Society does everything it can to make all of us to conform to the original it has imagined. Get rid of this, free yourself and be who you are deep inside. It’s frightening for most of us, but the only way to live a full life! It may not please others, it may be make you like an ugly duck, a weirdo or an original, and this is exactly what we should aim being, an original! Be yourself, everyone else is taken! Have a wonderful day!