What Is The Secret To Survive & Thrive In this Chaotic World? It’s VUCA
[This is going to be a long story but if you read only one blog article this year, I suggest you read this one. Some deep secrets are going to be revealed… Make yourself comfortable because secrets such as this one cannot be revealed in a few paragraphs. I am going to take you on an epic journey. Off we go]
Read full storyIf Turkeys Thought, They'd Run Away a Week Before Thanksgiving Day...
If turkey thought, They'd run a week away before ThanksgivingPhoto by freepik via freepik.com. “If Turkey thought, they’d run away a week before Thanksgiving Day. But Turkeys can’t anticipate, and so there’s turkey on my plate.”
Read full storyThe Secret To Survive and Thrive in This Crazy World Is That There Is No Secret
The secret to survive and thrive in this crazy world is that there is no secretPhoto by Look Studio via freepik.com. Wherever we are in the world, we all want the same thing. We all want to survive and thrive. We want to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. Surely, there must be a secret to get to this Eldorado. I’ve got news for you: the secret to survive and thrive in this crazy world is that there is no secret.
Read full storyHow Do you Handle Adversity? Are you a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean?
Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?Photo by Amenic via freepik.com. How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? The story of the carrot, egg, and coffee bean is well-known; for those who have already heard about it, read it again, it is worth it and for those who are hearing it for the first time, you will enjoy it. It is a story about perspective, adversity, and freedom to choose how you react to things happening in your life because there are always two sides to every coin; your perspective is your reality.
Read full storyLife Is a Battlefield
Life is a battlefield.Photo by freepik via freepik.com. Nothing is easy, we have to fight our way through everything, and with this, in mind, it would be a good idea for us to familiarize ourselves with combat strategy and learn the best tricks in the book from trained warriors. In military strategy, before combat units are sent to combat zones, they have first to learn the art of mobility, protection, and precision firepower.
Read full storyHoney, Don't Follow the Crowd. They Are Lost.
Honey, dont' follow the crowd. They are lost.Photo by freepik via freepik.com. Everyone on social media is looking to gain more followers on their social media platform. I say, stop following the crowd. They are lost. In order to stay sane, our brains create the illusion that all our thoughts are completely rational and independent. But, no matter how independent-minded you think you are, it is easier — and unknowingly more seductive — to follow a widely accepted dogma, than create your own. Human beings have a natural desire to be accepted into a group or community. Being an outsider is not a good place to be, it is lonely and uncomfortable. That is why a lot of people prefer to follow the crowd, without realizing that it could lead straight to the slaughterhouse.
Read full storyWords Can Heal. Words Can Destroy. Choose Yours Carefully.
Words can heal. Words can destroy.Photo by Amix Studio via freepik.com. Words can heal. Words can destroy. They have tremendous power and energy. Choose yours carefully. Well-chosen words can breathe hope into you when your spirit is broken and can make you stronger than you know. Mean-spirited words can deflate you, destroy your spirit, make you feel hopeless, and force you to live in idiocrasy.
Read full storyNo One Wants to Hear This!
No one wants to hear this.Photo by Masou Rezsaeipour via freepik.com. No one wants to hear this, but we are all being mind-controlled, and the truth is not true anymore. You may think that this is a harsh statement, maybe it is, maybe it is not. It depends where you are standing. The problem these days is how do you know what’s true and what is not true? The truth of the matter is, we are living in a world of information overload, making it very difficult to know what and who to believe.
Read full storyDon't Put a Label on Me!
Don't put a label on me.Photo by Yarruta via freepik.com. Don’t Put a Label on Me. Don’t put me into a box and stick a label on it before you even get the chance to know me. I am not the same person I was when I was 20, 30, 40 years old. I am the sum total of my genetics, my upbringing, but also the books I read, the countries I traveled to, the ups and downs that came on my path. I can be reliable and predictable and also spontaneous and unpredictable. I respect people and choose not to worship them. I am a giver but I need to give myself enough time and space to advance my interests too. Today I can decide to be as exuberant and as colorful as I want and tomorrow, I can decide to be as dull as the grey sky if I feel like it. I don’t gossip, but I read and write. I am all of that and more and a constant work-in-progress. So please, don’t put a label on me.
Read full storyMind-blowing!
Mind-blowing.Photo by Master 1305 via freepik.com. If you could describe in one word the world we are living in right now, what would it be? Tricky question, right? True, but it is a useful and fun game because it forces you to gather your thoughts in a precise and concise manner and pack everything of importance into one little word! Coming back to my original question, describe the world we are living in right now in one word. I would say, MIND-BLOWING!
Read full storyDo Not Underestimate The Writers' Role In Society
Do not underestimate the writers' role in society.Photo by user 31947721 via freepik.com. We should not underestimate the writers’ role in society. From the beginning of time, knowledge was shared from generation to generation thanks to storytellers who used their artistry to pass on information, knowledge, and wisdom to their community. Writers start writing in solitude but once the work is done writers wish for their words to be read and shared with the public at large.
Read full storyGiven The Choice Would You Rather Be a Good Person or a Dangerous Person?
Given the choice would you rather be a good person or a dangerous person?Photo by User 14901510 via freepik.com. Given the choice would you rather be a good person or a dangerous person? What an odd question to ask, you may say, of course, I’d rather be a good person! For those of you who know me and have read my work before, you would know that one of my favorite things is to tackle difficult subjects, look under the surface, lift the veil, and shake things up a little. This article definitely falls into this category, it is not for the faint-hearted. What if I tell you, that if I was given the choice to be a good person or a dangerous person, I will choose to be a dangerous person. Before you give up on me and react in shock and disbelief, bear with me a little because my whole thinking on this subject was inspired by Bruce Lee and Jordan Peterson.
Read full storyStop Asking for Permission When You Don’t Have To.
Stop asking for permission when you don't have to.Photo by Wayhome Studio via freepik.com. To seek or not to seek permission? I say, stop asking for permission when you don’t have to.
Read full storyA Mother's Wish For Her Daughters
A mother's wish for her daughters.Photo by Thierry Nikolaeff featuring Joanne & Alize Reed. Dress by Nathalie Pezzotta-Davranche. As a mother of two daughters, I was thinking recently about the most precious gifts I could give to them. Something useful and timeless, that they would cherish each and every day. After pondering on the subject for a little bit I came up with 3 gifts ideas in the form of a mother’s wish for her daughters:
Read full storyHow Can We Find Hope Amid Uncertainty and Conflict?
How can we find hope? Photo featuring Alize Reed.Photo by Thierry Nikolaeff @terydiving. Dress by Nathalie Pezzota-Davranche. @lartisanecouture. Whether we think about it or not, Hope is part of everyone’s life. How can we find Hope? Everyone hopes for something. We are living in an age of despair and fractured communities where we are being forced to alienate ourselves from our family, friends, colleagues, and clients. The world currently is filled with fear, stress, and sadness, and it can become second nature to develop a negative worldview and a feeling of hopelessness. There seems to be more pain than we can heal, more dissent than we can mediate, and more uncertainty than we can comprehend.
Read full storyMetamorphosis. How Does One Become a Butterfly?
Metamorphosis.Photo by Thierry Nikolaeff featuring Joanne Reed. Dress by Nathalie Pezzota-Davranche. Metamorphosis. Photo by Thierry Nikolaeff @terydivng featuring Joanne Reed in the role of the Butterfly-mermaid. Dress by Nathalie Pezzotta-Davranche @latisanecouture. Ile de la Reunion.
Read full storyHow Contemplating Death Can Teach Us How To Live
How contemplating death can teach us how to live.Photo by Tao55 via freepik.com. Death is a difficult topic of conversation. People would rather not think about or talk about death. While we all know that we will die, this is a fact upon which few wish to dwell. Even though, each day countless individuals reach an untimely demise in the prime of their life, rarely do we contemplate that this risk hangs over our head as well. Despite its inevitability, death is one of the least discussed events in our lives.
Read full storyThe Importance of Spaces-In-Between
The importance of spaces-in-betweenPhoto by Doomu via freepik.com. “Horror Vacui” — Nature abhors a vacuum. Aristotle coined the phrase that expresses the idea that unfilled spaces go against the laws of nature and physics and that every space needs to be filled with something. But, is this right? I am thinking that applying this concept of horror vacui to our life may not be such a good idea after all. I am thinking that instead of filling up all the available space that we have, we should instead keep those spaces in-between empty to reflect, to pause, to re-energize, to find ourselves. We should not underestimate the importance of the spaces in-between.
Read full storyBack Home
Back home. Cap La Houssaye. Ile de la Reunion.Photo by Alize Reed featuring Joanne Reed. I have always had great difficulties answering the question “Where are you from?” This seemingly innocuous question always throws me back a little because I don’t have a simple answer to give to that question without having to explain my whole life story including giving an impromptu geography lesson to the person asking the question. I was born and raised on Réunion Island, a place that most people on the planet have never heard about. Location: Indian Ocean. Tropic of Capricorn. Coordinates: 21.11 degree South Latitude. 55.53-degree East Longitude. Official language French & Creole. I am a French national married to an English man and I have spent the past 30 years living overseas (England, USA, New Zealand, South Korea.) I recently reentered my homeland to settle back on my island. Coming back to Réunion Island after so many years away has made me think about the concept of Home Sweet Home.
Read full storyWork It!
Work is part of our lives, and it starts from the day we are born. As brand-new infants, we have to figure out a way to drink that milk that will keep us alive whether it comes directly from our mother or from a bottle, and for a little person, it requires effort and hard work getting through that bottle. As a toddler, we have to work our way through a nursery. As a child we have to start doing some real hard work going through school to learn A, B, C. As young adults we leave high school with our diploma to walk straight into university. After a few years on Campus, we leave with a degree to walk straight into a job that will keep us busy for the next 30 to 40 years, whilst working on building a family and a home at the same time. Finally, we get to have a break in our olden days to enjoy some quiet time during our retirement, where the only work we have to do is to babysit our grandchildren from time to time.
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