Author: Fabrizio

A different decision

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Our experience dictates how we are going to react to what happens around us.

A look, a word, a smile, or the lack of them. A failure, a comment, a blank page, a missed opportunity, a bad day, a mistake, a moment of anger, a lack of control, a fall into a negative habit, an uncontrollable impulse to do something that’s going to hurt us and others. All of this, and much more, can trigger distructive loops that we helplessly follow despite them being well-known and familiar. We spiral down.

In this situation, it takes effort to get back control. It takes presence, awareness, will. And when we have that, it is possible, in the moment, to make a different decision.

To answer an insult with kindness.

To see a failure as an opportunity.

To approach the moment of anger as temporary.

To interpret the laughs as unrelated to your worth.

To counter detachment with passion and warmth.

It’s a quality that can be trained, and the reward is having a spectrum of possibilities to respond to what goes on around you.

It’s worth a try.

The magic of technology

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We got accustomed to thinking that technology, whatever technology, as long as it’s shiny and new, will eventually solve a problem.

As a result, we have lost the ability to focus on the problem – though someone might argue whether this ability has ever been central. If left to itself, technology will not amicably and magically find its way into our lives. There has to be a feedback loop at some point, as early as possible, that matches the capabilities of the technology to actual, and positive, impact in the world. And if the match cannot be done, even after trying hard, it is ok to drop the technology and forget about it.

This inability to take the distance from technology is the reason why we have deepfakes and artifically generated faces. We are often so fascinated from what is possible nowadays that we forget to discuss about the convenience and rightness of what is created.

Technology needs more questioning and groundedness.

Replacing the fences

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You are given a straightforward task: replacing the fences that surround the garden of four houses (A, B, C and D).

Some people would have a plan, a modus operandi, something they have refined with years of experience. And let’s say that their plan is to replace the fences of house A, then the fences of house B, then the fences of house C, and finally the fences of house D. The problem they are solving is replacing the fences.

Some people would go around the houses first, and take note of the fences that are in worst conditions. They would make some sort of list, and they would then perhaps start by replacing the fences in house B, then the fences in house D, then the fences in house C, and eventually the fences in house A. The problem they are solving is making sure that the fences do not fall, and perhaps even cause some damage to the gardens or to the people who live there.

Some people would go around the houses, take note of the fences that are at risk of falling off, provide a temporary fix to safeguard gardens and people (for example, to house B and house D), and then go about replacing the fences with the plan they have put to test in their multiple years in the field (A, then B, then C, then D). The problem they are solving is making sure the fences do not fall and cause harm, while at the same time being efficient in completing the task.

The problem you are out to solve is rarely as simple as you believe.

And by the way, which one of the above is your company?

Miniscule

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There’s so many miniscule things we allow to much power to.

Our working day could be disrupted because we are asked to give a 10-minutes presentation in front of the whole company.

Our self worth could be jeopardized because somebody, caught up in their thoughts, has treated us unfairly or given us a harsh response.

Our self esteem could disentegrate because a person we have never met or talked to before is telling us they do not like our work.

Our relationship could go through a rough couple of weeks because our dearest one didn’t have time to answer our message the other day.

Putting things in perspective, relating them to the greater scheme of things, is a necessary skill for anybody who wants to make a change. And this question is still very powerful to achieve just this.

From here to there

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When you deviate from your path, the one that is right for you (to each their own), it’s seldom because of a swerve. More often, it’s due to the accumulation of many small turns, almost imperceptible. That’s the feeling you get when you suddenly look around and all you see is unfamiliar and unsatisfactory.

How did I get here?

If you are on a trajectory that gives you purpose, you have to invest in staying on course. It does not happen automatically, it requires effort and will, and the capability to say no, over and over again. Shortcuts, fads, occasions, distractions, are around every corner. Staying on track is the whole job.