Believing is seeing

Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40 (NIV)

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Welcoming change

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly epitomizes the power of change. We often admire the difference in shape, size or color. However, going from a crawling creature to a flying beauty alone causes wonder. This change process entails discomfort and requires time for the insect to adjust to its environment at each stage.

Human life also induces continuous movement and change. The knowledge and skills that had propelled our forefathers to success might not apply to our current reality. Even the competences associated with our university degrees or certificates carry an implicit date of expiration, unless we keep learning and updating.

Change may inspire fear or anxiety, because of the uncertainty it begets. Change often presents a set of complexities. Change requires flexibility or adaptability. For these reasons, we tend to resist it, as we enjoy the comfort of safety in our known zones.

When we resist change, we miss the opportunities it offers, as they disguise in challenges. We cannot reach our lofty goals without embracing change and taking advantage of it. However, this attitude comes with a price in the form of preparation and self development.

Self development, through continuous learning, equips us with the tools we need to anticipate and make the best of change. Even to keep performing at the same level at work, we need to follow a learning and updating process. Therefore, we must invest time and enthusiasm in preparing for future change and in inching closer to our vision for ourselves and our communities.

Change doesn't have to be scary. Let's see it through a positive lens. Let's keep updating and strengthening our spirituality, knowledge base and skills to welcome it and thrive with it.

Jean Ricot Dormeus

Check out my book “Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future” for more tips on developing self and nation.

Monday, January 21, 2019

The Spirit of Right Association

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

Tell me who you spend time with and I will tell you who you are; so goes the saying. People we admit in our company or associate with influence us. They can even define us. Consider your native language and accent, the way you dress or even your nutrition habits. All of this reveals what culture or country you hail from or which social traits you are trying to copy.

Sometimes, we cannot choose the people we gravitate around, such as family or household members. However, most of the time, we determine who we want around us. Therefore, we must develop the spirit of right association.

The spirit of right association matters so much that Alexis de Tocqueville singles it out as a key factor to prosperity in America. People in America tend to associate for business ventures. Even geniuses bounce their ideas with partners who stimulate their thinking and help them with their projects.

It is hard to generate game changing ideas or embark on novel undertakings when we embrace excessive aloneness that reduces brain stimulation, or wrong associations that fosters regression.

Self development requires right associations. We must go along with people who travel in the same direction as us. This logic applies also to the books, movies or entertainment shows we expose our minds to. Peer pressure doesn't impact on teenagers only, it affects adults as well.

Whatever dream or goal we pursue, let's associate with like minded people. We will intensify our motivation and enthusiasm. We will share tips and references. And we will create large scale projects.

If you usually discuss other people business or things with your friends, take time to reevaluate your associations. Seek to gravitate around great minds that discuss ideas, because the spirit of right association will blow fair winds into your sails.

Jean Ricot Dormeus

Check out my book “Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the future for more tips on developing self and nation.

Monday, January 14, 2019

Open your way with a smile

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

A good first impression offers a strong foundation for a successful interpersonal engagement. Flash a thoughtful smile and you will make a solid first impression and win hearts. A sincere smile expresses kindness and inspires confidence. It helps bridge the gap with your interlocutors. It initiates a pleasant disposition and stokes goodwill.

A smile creates value both for the giver and the receiver. The giver displays friendliness, gets relaxed, thus setting a conducive environment. The receiver tends to respond in kind, for at least two reasons. Firstly, a smile is communicative. Secondly, he will feel invited to engage.

A smile holds unsuspected power. Many people even take it as a sign of weakness or a show of vulnerability. Make no mistake, this social catalyst will go to great lengths in terms of facilitating social interactions and persuasiveness.

We will smile often when we understand how precious an asset we have in this nice facial expression. The business world has used it abundantly. One day in Washington DC, I saw at a store window a sign that read: “smiling faces needed”. This means that customers give positive feedback to the stimulus of a smile. Voters, students and negotiating counterparts are no exception.

Smile more generously at home and at work, and see the encouraging result. Let's drop the frown mask and put on the sumptuous outfit of a smile. Smile to brighten your day and uplift those around you. Smile to show love and appreciation, even in difficult circumstances.

The next time you meet someone and you don't know how to start the interactions, open your way with a smile and let the conversation flow.

Jean Ricot Dormeus

Check out my book “Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future” for more tips on building self and nation.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Eager to enjoy the good life? Be optimistic.

Eager to enjoy the good life? Be optimistic.

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

Often we create our reality. A class hardly performs beyond the expectations of the teacher. We treat our family members according to the way we perceive them. And the quality of our relationships with our colleagues depends on how we interpret their attitude toward us.

In this context, when we cultivate optimism, we exhale positive energy. We show patience as we seek to understand issues. We foster unity and encourage people to come together to find solutions to their problems. Optimism derives from the hope that we will someday reach the goals we are pursuing. Therefore, we focus on what we want, and what works.

Pessimism feeds on doubt and the belief that we don't measure up. So the bleak reality trumps it all and generates a sense of resignation, despair and defeatism. In a culture of pessimism, people focus on what they don't want and what is bad. They wallow in mediocrity because they don't believe in themselves and others around them. Therefore, pessimism brings or reflects decline or stagnation, complaints, and conflicts.

Regardless of our natural inclination, we must deliberately embrace optimism to stand a chance to live a fulfilling life. We must keep believing that the best is yet to come, that our interlocutor harbors good faith, that we have the potential to overcome any situation. The benefits of this attitude redounds on our families, our communities and nations.

Once we choose to make optimism second nature, we will expose ourselves to what is constructive, endeavoring to read, watch and listen to the things that help us improve on our lives.

To enjoy the good life, let's believe that we can and will experience lasting happiness and success. Let's be optimistic.

Jean Ricot Dormeus

Check out my book “Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future” for more tips on developing self and nation.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Our communication skills, our strength

Our communication skills, our strength

By Jean Ricot Dormeus

One day, in a meeting, a colleague asked me a question related to my field of responsibility. I didn't quite make sense of his query. Yet, I made an assumption and provided an unrelated answer. From that embarrassing moment, I learned to understand a question and its implications before venturing to reply. Also, that incident opened my eyes on the importance of sharpening our communication skills to understand, get understood and extend our influence.

Interpersonal communication opens a channel to the minds and hearts of our interlocutors. It involves verbal and non-verbal components. It includes a complex set of tools, from a smile to our choice of words, from a gesture to the tone of our voice, from our thoughts at the moment to our emotional state, from the circumstance to the setting of the communication. All this can be improved for more credibility and persuasion.

Improving our communication level takes continued learning and deliberate practice. Then, we will adjust to the sensitivity and the culture of our conversational partners. The better we know these partners, the more grace and effectiveness we can inject to our talks.

Good communication skills matter. For want of these skills, good intentions and hard work fail, great business ideas crash on misunderstanding, and wonderful love initiatives hit the wall of resistance before fading away into frustration.

Equipped with refined communication skills, we will readily reach the hearts and the minds of those around us, we will more often win our negotiation engagements, and we will nurture excellent relationships. And we will achieve this feat in a peaceful and pleasant way.

Isn't that a compelling reason to hone our communication skills? Let's build our social strength and live a more fulfilling life through better communication skills. How soon will start?

Jean Ricot Dormeus

Check out my book “Land of Dormant Dreams - A Walk into the Future” for great tips on building self and nation.