The power of writing

Most products coming from science fiction portrayed of a world where people wouldn't write. If you remember most of Star Trek movies or Star Wars don't show people writing…

Then, what happened? Today as never before, writing is so important. Many young people don't talk anymore; they just type, chat or blog.

Reality is: writing has power. One thing is to transform the energy of your thoughts into words, which requires power in itself. To change an abstract energy into an energy that you can hear and it can be measured, an energy that can be recorded and reviewed many times, it is a wonder.

But we, humans, were not happy with only speaking. Many civilizations started to record those ideas, they started to WRITE. It is quite possible that if we have means to record our voices from the beginning of time, writing wouldn't be that important, and that would be a pity.

When I write, I have to organize my thoughts in a different way. While in speech you have the help of body language and the one of your voice, this is not present in writing. Writers give a carte blanche for the reader to interpret the printed thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions.

The power in it lays on the content and how it is expressed. Right ideas, at the right time in the right way can change the world...

Do you want to sharpen that power?

• Reflect before writing. You don't need to write the whole piece in your mind, just think of it in a deeper way.
• Before writing something long, create a short summary or a few thoughts on that. A few bullet-pointed phrases or words help.
• After writing, read it. Take your time with that... reading twice for important papers is good.
• When you see an error or you want to change the ideas, reflect again, and do it. Look for synonyms; remember people from different countries and languages will interpret your article.
• Read it a last time. Remember: those words will travel the world...

About dreams... Can you still chase after fireflies?

What is the difference between a dream and imagination?

Many things in the world today used to be just someone's dream: an airplane, this device you're using to read this blog, and this blog itself. Nowadays, we don't even look at it twice; it is common, a part of day-to-day life.

Which other things would we have if those who imagined them were able to make them into a dream? You see, there is a difference between imagination and a dream.

Everyone imagines things: your spouse imagines where you have been last night, your friend tries to imagine why you didn't call him or her back and your boss imagines perfect teamwork.

From that point, you need power and courage to consolidate it into your mind, to give it shape: your spouse reaches the conclusion you were working late and decides to buy you a small token on the way home; your friend, as any good friend, makes the decision of calling you instead of waiting, and your boss starts to see in his mind how a perfect teamwork would do its work.

Until it is not a dream, it cannot become a reality. Until it is not clear in your mind, you won't see it in practical life.

But, what about those wild dreams we have of being an astronaut or the next president? They are of course "fireflies", imagination; it comes and goes.

Is it worthwhile to make it real? When you look at the world today, the most incredible things came from these "fireflies". It is like someone was able to chase them, hold them and make them into something useful in life.

Do you have "fireflies" surrounding you? Get hold of them; the world probably needs some of these wild ideas to change the situations we live or watch everyday.

Nobody wants to be the one

In a world of massive connection and interdependence, where communication is extremely easy and interconnectivity is natural, it is interesting to think this as a world where people don't want to take initiative.

Humans evolve according to our own initiative. It seems that starts a new path in our brain and soul, facilitating the changes and helping creating something different.

Yes, there is lots of creativity and innovation and small pockets of leadership here and there, but the real initiative that made our ancestors to leave their places and go to a land they didn't know anything about, that is missing.

What are the consequences? We are stuck with ourselves, with our own mistakes... I am not mention your recent divorce, but I am speaking about the destruction of nature as a whole and the increasing exploitation of people enslaved in this otherwise wonderful 21st century.

That is what we all need now: we need to be the ONE. The one that stands when something bad happens, the one who changes before anyone does and that one, who is able to tolerate and tolerate, and in this way help the world to be a better place.

Would you like to be the one?

Gender awareness

There is hardly a topic more complicated than genders. If you are writing, for instance, you can't forget to mention both genders (his/him/her) or you will be criticized. Spanish, Portuguese and other similar languages will have to change its grammar including at some point an alternative plural as in those languages when you have men and women together, the plural is in its male form.

The reality cannot be denied as literally for thousands of years, one gender has pushed the other into oppression. It seems that for the last few years, things are changing quickly and dramatically.

However, I observe three main types of change happening in the world, and how they are being received by the society.

1. The first change is that which allows the society to adapt itself to the reality. It is not only gender then, it is more than that: abortion, right to drive in some countries and vote in others, right to be a person different than the spouse and so on. It is a kind of a huge political statement happening in the world today. And the reaction is HUGE: protests, use of force in different ways, refusal, splitting countries...
2. The second change is more related to the micro-world of families and offices. Women are taking over, there is no doubt about that. More and more, males have been losing their spaces in the reality of day-to-day life, which has had a big effect in the geopolitical organization - just think that two of the most powerful people today are women (Merkel and Dilma). Resistance has been futile, as what matters today is the depth and the understanding of the situations around. If you take the example of Merkel in Europe, her possible counterpart, the ruler of France or UK, has been almost non-existent.
3. The third change is very different. It is the rise of the soft power, where power is not understood as possession or wealth, but as an energy that allows things to happen. With the ascension of women, little by little negotiations are changing its shape. At last, Europe was not able to push Greece out, instead there was a kind of forgiveness which is the main feature of this type of change. Instead of resistance, it encourages participation and dialogue. Instead of resistance, this change can be assimilated by the other gender very easily; for the first time in History, women and men can be equal without forcing the other to be equal to them...

If you really want to keep the pace with the changes, instead of fighting against it, my suggestion is, no matter your gender, to focus yourself into those competencies that are important in leadership like negotiation, and those important in general life like forgiveness. These will help you to allow all that shining energy you have inside without much resistance; on the contrary, society will benefit enormously from that.

Take care!