|
It’s not a story of mine. No. The great Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in his book Antifragile compared two people: a high-level executive with a good salary, dressed in a suit and tie, and an immigrant taxi driver, self-employed, with a variable income and dressed as best he can. ​ Taleb remarked that, while the executive may seem to have a calmer, more secure life with a better salary, better suits, and nicer restaurants, deep down, he lived in immense internal fear. He sh*t in his pants. This fear comes from his status. Everything he now has and doesn’t want to lose. Comfort zone or the pay check drug. ​ The executive trembles whenever company cutbacks are announced, loses sleep thinking he might be fired, and feels like his world is crumbling if his boss calls him into the office for no apparent reason. Why? Because the well-paid executive fears losing his lifestyle, being unable to pay the three mortgages he has, the car, and his kids’ school fees. And he fears this because, unlike the self-employed immigrant taxi driver, he has two major problems:
​ Therefore, the taxi driver is more antifragile, which essentially means being better prepared for unexpected events, disruptions, and change. ​ The taxi driver is used to earning a lot some days and nothing on others, having good months and less favorable months, and above all, dealing with uncertainty and change. ​ Security and certainty vs. uncertainty and change. ​ But you could work this around in your favour. ​ You could simply accept that there is no greater security or certainty than knowing that life is uncertainty and change. ​ This is why personal growth, remain flexible and alert, a side business or investments, are so important to keep your pants clean. ​ If you look for help in that regard, you can click below and start working.
​
PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day. PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below. ​ |
I talk about Personal Growth, Management, Infrastructure and More | C-Suite Executive | Mentor, Coach, Strategic Consultant | Real Estate Investor | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
When you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you lose the touch with the rest of the world. But some marketing emails I have not unsubscribed yet, reminded me this week that winter was coming in the North. Black Friday stuff. Black Friday… In the past, I used Black Friday to buy some Christmas presents… I must admit it. Things have changed. A lot. Just a few news. Not many undesirable emails… I’m just focused on what matters to me. Business (infrastructure & real estate) and family. That’s all....
Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure. But few have the guts to bring in world-class people. But the Ministry of Transport of Quebec did. When they launched the A-30 PPP, they didn’t hide behind local comfort zones. They opened the door. Contractors from Spain. Designers and Independent engineers from the UK… with limited French. The guys that were to remove the snow were not even from Canada… That was not easy in Quebec. Not politically. Not culturally. But it was brave....
Behind my computer I have a painting from Egypt. And this makes me remember how those guys used to work. They built the Great Pyramid of Giza 4,500 years ago.2.3 million stone blocks.Each up to 80 tons.No AI. No BIM. No “collaboration workshops.” Probably a whip, but also vision, discipline, and a leader who didn’t run design sprints. He ordered them. While today we spend months deciding whether to use Slack or Teams, Sharepoint or ACONEX, those guys were aligning tens of thousands of workers...