Oh yeah, we are starting 2020 like “oh la la”. Big catchy title. Some of the internet “guru” would call it click bait. I call it a no BS title.
2019 was a significant transition period in my life. Settling in a new country, with a new culture, a new position and tons of learnings from my new personal and professional connections.
Science says that you build new connections in your brain every time you do something new or different. For example, taking a new route to work will stimulate your brain. Don’t ask me how it works… check what this guy/gal says: https://www.newswise.com/articles/want-to-improve-memory-strengthen-your-synapses-heres-how
I won’t pretend that all the new experiences I had were voluntary. But that doesn’t matter. What is important it that with so many stimulations, I learned a ton. Just like the homemade “breuvage” that my friend Big O gave me is from perfectly distilled rum from the French West Indies, I will also distill my learnings. Here are my top 3
- Embrace the unexpected – Doesn’t not matter how long you plan for something, life has this tendency to throw curveballs at you. We all get them. The difference is how we react to them. Do we catch it in the air, give it a big bear hug and move on? or do we let it fall flat on our head, and complain about it for the next 2 years? Claude this is barely a revelation I hear you say. Ok, ok… this is what I thought when I first heard this on one of my favorite shows on Netflix, Lost in space – Don’t judge, you can learn from everyone and everywhere :). I bet that even if this sound obvious you are not doing it. You are probably still holding a grudge against something that happened to you even more than 2 years ago, and blaming it on bad luck. And tomorrow when something will not go your way, you will blow a gasket. I know I did more than once in 2019.
- Use your time and make wise choices – The difference between a person achieving her goal and someone who does not is purely down to these 2 things. Are you going to watch Netflix tonight? pop bottles at the club? or are you going to find your passion, progress towards your goal and make bold moves to connect with the right mentors? I didn’t say the choices were easy to make… Bold ambitions, unlimited drive and resilience will be you main assets to make it happen
- Strive; Survive; (repeat) – This is my personal favorite. Probably because to make the most of this one you need to use 1 and 2 above. There are many elements at play on this once, Let’s break it down and debunk some common mistakes. Firstly, people think that you are either successful or you are not successful in life. Most believe that success is a sequence of events only getting better with time. Like a straight line to the top. Well, anyone telling you so, is lying to you. Likewise, when you struggle, it does not last forever. It may last for a long time… and it sucks… but everybody, and I truly mean everybody may catch a lucky break. The question is will you see it or will you be too focused on self pity to pull yourself out of your hole? That’s why my new approach in life is to truly enjoy every single second when I am successful. This is my chance to strive, recharge batteries, help others and be happy. When you hope something to last for as long as possible but you do not take it for granted, it feels 10 times better. You really it. When crap comes my way, well I get into my survival mode. That is my “Do not F@#$% up Claude”. When people are outside of their zone of comfort, they make critical mistakes… this is when the game is over. When I manage to not F@#$% up, I take the punches, do my best to stay on my feet until the round is over. And that for as long as it is needed for me to catch a break and strive again. I am convinced that the same way you can not strive forever, the survival mode will eventually stop. And I will be ready to strive when it does.
Some people may think “I am on board, now I need some more details on the how” This is where the internet gurus will advertise their service. You know, just at the end of the message that makes you realize you have a problem. How convenient they have a solution for you after talking about the issue. If this is what you are looking for here, sorry… I got nothing. I am figuring it out as we go. I can leave you with a quote that I hope will give you the strength to keep the momentum “Don’t downgrade your dream just to fit your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny” Stuart Scott
The Black Negotiator 