Over the past few days, I have read on french news sites that a french entrepreneur called Bertin Nahum has been named as 4th most innovative entrepreneur in the World by Discovery Series. (he’s french by nationality)
And I guess if I had senegalese friends they will be calling him senegalese entrepreneur (he’s born in Senegal).
So, to french people, I would like to say it’s time you start recognising african born people are contributing a big chunk to your economy. đ
To my beninese friends, I would like to ask: what are you really proud of? that you are born in the same country as the parents of someone you don’t even know? or what? please enlighten me… what are YOU doing to change the World? that’s what you should be proud of.
For a field where experiments are conducted very rigorously, that’s a huge number!
But I am not writing to discuss about that number.
I just want to point that, if 90% of medical research is flawed, what does it mean for all the other knowledge the human race acquired over the ages? These things we consider true but which were not “proved” by rigorous testing and experiments.
It means that human knowledge is mostly wrong. It means your ideas, opinions, education,… everything… well, almost everything you think is true, is plain wrong!
It means, the next time you open your mouth, there’s 90% chances (or more) you are going to say a lie… So, better think about that when you deal with others who don’t have the same opinion as you about some subject. Just accept the differences, you may be the one in the wrong.
Easy doesn’t equate simple.
When something is easy, it means you don’t have to go out of your comfort zone to do it. It means you don’t even have to think, to create, to take a risk, …
Simplicity, however, can (often?) arise from a difficult process. Search for simplicity is a way of life. It is a never-ending quest.
Simplicity is not for the fearful.
Simplicity is not for the greatest minds only.
When presented with a different way of doing something, they say: “wow, this is an improvement! but it is too complex and we are already used to the old way”.
No, it is not complex at all. No. It is just difficult.
You are hiding from the real problem instead of confronting it.
You are missing out on an opportunity to make your life better.
Search for ease is fear and laziness. Avoid it.
Few seek simplicity, but they are the ones who change the World.
Please don’t get offended. I know you are working very hard today. You have so much things on your to-do list. You like your work (or maybe you don’t?). Anyway, you are putting in very long hours and you are planning to work even harder for the years to come. You have to, because you want to get to the top, don’t you?
Well, let me tell you. You chose the easy way. I don’t want to devalue your hard work, but everyone can do that. Everyone can put in the long hours, come back to home exhausted every single evening. Everyone can do the extra work you are doing each week-end to earn promotions and more money. It’s so easy as it doesn’t take much thinking. Just do what you have to do and do it well. That is.
Is it worth it?
Valuable work doesn’t mean hard work
Hard work does not always create value. I mean, it may create value for your employer or your customer because they have one hell of robotic servant (you of course!) doing very difficult tasks for them. And they can replace you with another robot the day your body won’t keep up with all the stress anymore. But does it create value for you?
What about your health? Taking care of your children and your spouse? What about your hobbies? Your dreams? Having fun? All those things you wanted to do when you were a kid? Those things you can’t do now because you are working hard? I know, you don’t want to think about these things. When you think about them, you feel bad, you feel guilty, then you come up with your perfect justification: “I have work to do and it is very important”.
So, let me say it again. Working hard is easy. It is easier than taking the time to actually think about your real accomplishments. Does your work actually create any value for you? Do you reap the benefits? Or are you postponing your happiness for a hypothetical future which may not come (because, you know, life is short)?
Maybe there is an easier way to do what you are doing every day? Maybe your work is hard because the process you use is not efficient? Because you are doing it wrong?
Question the value of your work. Now!
If you are working hard today, stop what you are doing and answer these questions. You will not find the answers now because these questions are very difficult to answer. That’s were the difficulty, the real value are. Your work is hard, but it is harder to stop and to take the time to question the value of what you are doing. It is hard to ask yourself the questions that matter because the answers are not obvious and/or difficult to accept.
I am not telling you to leave your job or be lazy. I am telling you this: “from time to time, you should just stop and look at the value of your work”. Hard rarely means  value, it usually means inefficiency. If your work is hard and take all your time, then there is 99% chances that something is wrong. Question yourself.
You can’t hide behind your hard work, it will come back and bite you. And you will then realize all the time you lost (if you are still alive). And it’s too late. If you think your work is valuable because it is hard to do, think again. Stop working hard, work smart. Do the things that actually matter, do the work that matter, the work that will give you happiness now instead of in the future because the future may never come.
1. Don’t listen to those who belittle your success
Don’t EVER listen to them. They will try to depreciate your achievements. They will tell you that you are not truly successful, that you lack so and so. They will say what you have accomplished is not important, then they will give you a list of things you should do to be more successful “by their terms”. Don’t listen to them. Ever.
In fact don’t listen to anyone. Not even your friends, or your family. Yes, they are well-intentioned. Yes, they want your well-being. But they are not you. Only you know what is good for you. Maybe they are trying to help you, but in the end they will just hurt you. And you may not even notice. What worked for them may not work for you. Success is YOUR state of mind, not what others say it is. Just do your work and be proud of that.
2. Be humble and learn
Don’t take everything for granted. You are successful today but you may not be tomorrow. What works today may not work tomorrow. Don’t be too full of yourself. Learn from others, from their failures and their successes. Learn from anyone, the best lessons often come from unexpected sources. Be humble and don’t think you were the first to be successful ever. Other people have been there, have done that. Listen, be careful, improve yourself, every day.
3. Don’t impose your way on me!
Don’t impose your way on anyone. We are free to define our own success, the same way you defined yours. Your way is not better than mine. We all have the same goal and that is to be happy in life. What makes me happy is different from what makes you happy. So, don’t tell me what I should be doing. Yes, tell me what you have done. What worked for you and what didn’t work. Tell me, share with me, inspire me. But, please, don’t try to force me to do the same as you. Please. Pretty please. Don’t try. Just don’t. I will not listen. And you will hurt me.
These are my advices. Fell free to take them into account, or not. đ and let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Often people will tell me I am lucky. They will say it as if a godly being had given me a secret power at my birth that gives me an unfair advantage over them.
I am no more lucky than the average person. The highest amount I won at a lottery ticket was five dollars.
I work very hard to reach my goals.
I try to learn everything related to my subjects of interest.
I don’t think twice, I embrace every opportunity.
I love risk.
I am very stubborn. If I fail, I will try again and again until I succeed. And I fail very often, and I succeed sometimes, but I keep trying.
I am always seeking to do the impossible. I sometimes do and it amazes people.
I dream, in every possible way. I dream at night and I daydream. I build my stories in my head and try to realize them in real life.
There is no better solution to your problem than the one you have at hand. I don’t mean it is not possible to improve upon. Sure you will find a better solution in the future. In fact, you should always be seeking for a better one.
But don’t wait for the perfect solution to solve your problem. Your current solution can solve it! It may not be the ideal one, but it does work. Act now, act fast and apply your solution to the problem. You will be better of than waiting indefinitely.
Nothing is perfect. Your solution isn’t. And if you either find a better one, it won’t be perfect either (in some cases, it may… but those cases are very rare).
What do you think is better? Waiting for the perfect solution while your problem is getting worse? while your competitors are taking a head-start? while the World is evolving and you are being left being? Or just taking your solution and solving the problem.
Yes, I would be great if you solved the problem with the best solution. But you can do that later. You can improve later. For now, just go on and fix it.
On the other hand, don’t rest on your laurels. Lack of later improvement always lead to failure.
Don’t you agree? Or do you think in some cases it is better to wait?
Random Thoughts 