I do not believe in personal development and you should not either!
Nor do I think we need the "reprogramming of our mindset" that the great majority of entrepreneurship courses try to impose on us (even when they are excellent).
The personal-development "gurus" often sell us the idea that in order to succeed or to reach our objectives, we should remodel ourselves, "reprogram" ourselves, as if we were merely a rough stone that only needed polishing to become a perfect diamond.
Open your eyes! The reality is that we are not all made of the same "raw material" or of the same mettle! And a universal philosopher's stone that would be capable of turning lead into gold, and coal, still exists only in the alchemical imagination.
You can spend centuries polishing a block of granite, as finely as possible. What may come out of it is a lovely sculpture, or a worktop for your kitchen… But it will never be able to turn itself into platinum, ruby, sapphire, emerald or diamond.
But we are lucky, because in the game of life, granite sometimes turns out at least as useful, and sometimes even more so, than diamond.
What I have learned throughout my life is that our true potential is "only" to become a better version of ourselves, a little more, each day that passes.
Do not try to please everyone and do not lose yourself: only flavorless dishes and odorless perfumes win everyone’s approval.
Ultimately, finding fulfillment takes very little: working day after day on our qualities while accepting our flaws.
You will make people unhappy!
I have been criticized for many things:
– my haircut and the way I dress,
– the cosmic emptiness of my academic record,
– the color and the unusual character of my logos "that scare people",
– my political and economic positions, too "classically liberal",
– my techno-solutionism,
– my ethical and philosophical approach in which the responsibility and freedom of a single person are more important than established morality and than the supposedly common interest.
My alignment between what I think, say and do is often perceived as divisive, and has earned me, from school onward and throughout my life, as much criticism, as much contempt, and sometimes hatred from some, as the love and support I have received from others.
Learn to accept yourselves, draw strength from every part of who you are, without ever forgetting that even if you are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be a precious stone: each diamond, sapphire or ruby owes its value to its imperfections, and not in spite of them.
One final question: is this post personal development?
Answer me in the comments or come discover my brand-new video podcast there: Brain Inception, inside the head of Brain 0verride.
The audio version is available here: Brain Inception.
—
Christophe Casalegno
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