We need reminders. We need to be reminded the whole fucking time (excuse my French). Today I was reminded why I created the 100 Day Warrior. It is not just a project to make people who can afford a course with lots of personal attention by professionals feel better in their bodies. It has never been about that. The 100 Day Warrior is my way to make highly skilled and successful people believe in change. Because dammit, we need to wake up as a race. My hope is that by leading smart, creative and influential people to an openhearted, vulnerable and simultaneously empowered, inspired and deeply connected place the chance for a moment of brilliance will increase dramatically and when it happens we will have so much talent in place that we can move fast.
Every day I read and hear so many stunning examples of our human ignorance that I alternate between wanting to slam my head on the table and going numb. Then I get sucked back into the feeling of paralysis; the feeling that humanity is beyond repair. But then I realize that I really don’t want to live in such a cynical world and I am reminded that I want to be part of a tribe that contributes to consciousness and compassion.
Today I bought the new book of Joris Luyendijk called ‘Dat kan niet waar zijn’ (‘That Can’t Be True’), a Dutch journalist and anthropologist who has interviewed 300+ bankers and other people from the financial industry in London to understand why the financial crisis in 2008 could happen. What sparked his curiosity is the phenomenon that the public is not very interested in topics that they have a personal interest in. He noticed even that in many other languages this paradox of similarity in words exists. In Dutch: weinig mensen hebben belangstelling voor onderwerpen die hun eigen belang direct raken. Tell people somebody is stealing their entire life savings and you have their ear, tell people about financial reforms and you will feel their attention fading. I am one of those people too. But it is very scary to realize how apathic we are. It made me realize how important it is we have writers like this guy.
Later in the evening I saw the video I show below. It is funny, insightful and totally revolting at the same time. John Oliver reveals the way the tobacco industry operates in his own funny (scripted but funny) way. That industry is so cynical that it is almost baffling. Good that we have a clown like John Oliver to ridicule them to the bone.
Seeing such a video reminds me of the importance to fight back and not give in to those cynical forces. It reminds me of why I created the 100 Day Warrior in the first place: to surround myself with clever and inspired people so we can formulate appropriate and constructive answers one day. Although we as a group still have to find our collective voice at least I am convinced of the urgency. Today I received the reminder I needed.
Now watch this video! And then tell me if you want to part of such a cynical system of believe we should change something.
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