“Winging it”

This weekend, I was given a writing assignment at the last minute and had no idea how I would treat it. I went, I watched and I wrote something.

Now it sits without much form on my computer. Will it turn into something readable and fun. I don't know, I hope so, and if it ever does, you have right there the miracle of creation when you go on wing and prayer... We'll see!

Killy says “time to quit”

Jean-Claude Killy has always been my ski hero and role model. I've followed his career since the French National Championships in Morzine, back in 1961 through the mid 80 when I worked closely with him on a Lange project and thought incredibly highly of him; in fact my whole career in America hinges, in large part, on Killy's ski success.

Then “Toutoune” went on to work on a number of sport marketing endeavors, including the 1992 Winter Olympic and became a member of the IOC. I don't think much of this organization, but this is just a matter of personal opinion. This week, Killy had the courage to quit that position and, hopefully, re-invent himself one more time. 

Too bad that he also stressed his admiration for Vladimir Putin, the tyrant-oligarch, but as some have said, this is merely an endorsement and in the sport marketing business, certain endorsements are better than others; some can backfire or badly stain one's reputation. Hopefully (?) the payoff will have been well-worth the damage sustained to Killy's pristine Olympic image!

My last ski students?

Forty years ago, I was making the ultimate turns of my last ski season, teaching full-time in Avoriaz, France. I remember these German students, they just had a great time on the mountain!

It's not that I didn't enjoy the job, even though I had measured its limitations, but I needed a year-round job. I wasn't a carpenter or an electrician or had any solid counter-seasonal occupation.

I didn't saw myself as a retailer or a restaurant operator, the other alternatives, and after trying my hand at a number of esoteric, off-season activities, I had given up these options, I was simply on my way out. Yes, the end of a fun era...

Facebook content generators

I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I said that 10% of my “Facebook Friends” generate 90% of the content I read when I waste my valuable time on that gossipy site.

Granted, I post too, from time to time and need to keep up to date with what goes on with social media, since it's part of my very part-time job, but I do my best to patronize it with moderation!

When I observe this, I ask myself the next logical question: Haven't these folks better things to do than consistently lay down their stream of consciousness for the rest of the world to see? Probably not.

Would I hire these same folks as (productive) workers ? Probably not. I've rested my case.

You've got to love life!

In order to have a great life, you need to love life. It you don't, everything you come in contact with often turns bitter, adverse and miserable.

When you love life, you always hope for betterment, you make accommodations for the rainy days, give people and circumstances the benefit of the doubt, always looking forward to a much better tomorrow.

To last longer, you've got to keep on loving life, no matter what terrible things it might have been done to you at one point or another, or even all along the way. If you love life enough, it will eventually return the favor. Keep on doing it, if you agree with me, try to love it if you're still in doubt, and of course, jump over to love if you have lost all hope!

Putin and the French

Anytime I speak to my French friends and try to tell them how bad Putin is, they respond by telling me how great the Sochi Olympics were. I reply by saying that $50 billion patches many holes and will blind the less discerning individuals for a while, but they don't seem to see the big, bad Russian bear in the soft-spoken tyrant.

I know that Killy publicly declared that Mr. Putin was one of his best buddies and I wonder if my countrymen continue feeling the same way the day Russian armor vehicles start rolling back into Hungary, Poland or the Czech Republic. Some folks can be slow to react...

Body language as a training tool?

We are fans of Ted videos. One of the recent one we saw was about body language used to train and develop ourselves. We all know that body language affects how others see us, but it may also change our self-image.

The presentation by social psychologist Amy Cuddy posits that “power posing” — namely, adopting a confident posture, even when we shake in our boots — might affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and as a result might influence important personal outcomes. I bought the argument and strongly suggest you watch that video too!