Reinventing Yourself

In the present economic and employment situation we are continuously hearing this concept we must "reinvent ourselves". Reinventing is now an urgent need to survive the difficult times we are facing, at all levels. We need to change our attitude towards our way of life, facing precisely the way we make a living, to overcome the difficulties that complicate our existence as we try to get out of the bloody crisis. Brands, companies and individuals must work with another approach, one which could even force us to  start from zero, or practically zero. It is clear that nobody, or almost no one takes this path willingly. The fear of change and all that entails is something innate in us and we are not on the tremendous task of reinventing ourselves if we do not really need to get out of a critical moment or situation.

That insecurity and feeling of cliff jumping given by thoughts of starting again mean we will not gladly face changes if what we leave behind involves some comfort and lack of concern. But we're not talking here about adapting to a different situation, we are talking about changing completely. We are talking about doing something that not everyone felt able or willing to support the hard work and commitment involved. To succeed in such a process we need to firmly believe in ourselves and our possibilities. The rest is a matter of optimism and constant work. The psychologist Luis Rojas Marcos clearly defined it: "True reinvention is not to change attitudes but to change behaviors." It is not just about believing we can do it but about adopting the habits and routines that will lead us to that change. Changing our routines allows the appearance of new person we pretend to be.

Anyone who had the "revelation" on the need to create a new personality, or to have new interests and a new profession, seldomly reaches such state if it is not caused by an external event or sudden change in life situation that forces to change tastes, hobbies, and even relationships. And everyone who turns in this "reinventing" all energies and hopes is likely to succeed.

We live in times of major social, economic, cultural, labor changes... A vast majority of us had to reduce our standard of living while we become "hyperconnected" individuals. The way we communicate and interact expanded in an unthinkable way just 5 or 6 years ago ("if you fail to communicate, you don't exist"). Many of us feel misplaced professionally in recent times by ability, potential and interests. It looks like the speed at which changes happen in our environment has been increasing and we feel if we do not "update" and join the train of change, we can finish completely offside. Recently I read a sentence about this sense that I think sums up what I mean: "if you can easily explain to your mother what you do for a living, it is likely that your activity is in danger of extinction".

It seems that we are getting to a point where "we no longer look for employment but we must create it for ourselves". We must enjoy some autonomy in what we do if we want to achieve our goals, overturning all our interest in developing and enhancing our capabilities. Dreams need maximum commitment in our pursue as there is much more effort than "genius" in the process of successful reinvention. And definitely, the fear of losing cannot be an obstacle to paralyze us as the key to achieving our ultimate goal happens in 99% of cases by learning from experience given by failure. If we assimilate these few assumptions, if we are convinced of its value and make them our own, who may fear the radical change which means reinventing yourself?

IBIZA

"Water transparent as air, water clear sky, "Pitiusas"... Inhabited for thousands of years, one wonders what made ​​these islands so appealing across all eras and all civilizations. A seductive and magnetic force that goes beyond its mild climate, still attracts thousands of people to a land where mysticism and hedonism live, dream and reality ..." So begins the chapter of Spanish TVE series" Cities for XXI Century" dedicated to Ibiza and Formentera. An essential report, conducted objectively and lovingly, to which I often go when I feel nostalgia from the land I consider home. We can find in almost half an hour of filming a deep appreciation for these blessed islands which offer unique corners of our Mediterranean Sea and are World leaders in natural beauty.

http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/ciudades-para-el-siglo-xxi/ciudades-para-siglo-xxi-ibiza-formentera-sueno-realidad-pinos/644324/

It is difficult to find a native or resident of Ibiza who would not worship their land, who does not miss it when is away, always with the hope of return as a consolation to mitigate this concern. For many, coming in every age and every condition, the White Island and its southern sister have become something far beyond a more or less exclusive holiday destination, they are a land of eternal spring, they are a way of life. Almost everyone who has ever walked these unique islands, takes home feelings of peace, beauty, freedom and happines to have received the special energy gift that the "Pitiusas" deliver.

The entrance to the report follows with a phrase that is registered in the minds of those who repeat its name like a mantra: "Ibiza, five letters for a magical place ... 30 years ago, many of those who could not point Spain on a map, had heard of Ibiza..." The references to fashion and hippie culture that left such marked spirit on the island are inevitable, as the emphasis on protecting and safeguarding nature and unique cultural traditions that make up an essential part of its essence.

I love to include Ibiza on a blog that seeks to establish a vision of hope (but realistic) on what lies ahead. This corner of the Balearics Islands means to me, for almost a decade, the "Land of Future" that gives name to this blog. Lots of people went through it looking for that dream life, that mythical utopia that meant the global village that became Ibiza in the 60s and 70s. The nostalgia of the islands of those years is another constant presence that floats in the air whenever one is lost and left enchanted by the roads, landscapes and people of their inner lands. Every paradise survives until it is discovered by mass tourism but in Ibiza and Formentera that spirit of authenticity seems to be much stronger than the fierce attack that undercontrolled development of the last 3 decades has planted on their essence. One cannot help thinking about such strength when crosses with the typical "payesa" dressed in her traditional clothes, a few kilometers away from the new "Megaclub" or the most exclusive and fashionable spot in Europe.

It seems that centuries before our era, ibiza already was chosen a place of eternal rest for upstanding classes of Romans, Phoenicians and Carthaginians, as evidenced by the thousands of graves that burrow in Puig des Molins hills in Vila, capital of the island. As a culmination of the many legends that run from it, for a few years it's been spread the story giving prediction from Nostradamus about Ibiza being the only refuge of man on our planet after a nuclear holocaust. Some even exaggerate enough to ensure that the author lived for a time on the island and ended up falling in love with it. However, something emerges from this land that constantly makes us dream of returning to her, of enjoying these fresh and transparent waters, of the sight of those fields that extend a red earth carpet multicolored with fruits and flowers throughout the year.

The brand "Ibiza" continues booming, like her little sister, "Formentera". Each passing day the passion and militancy of its addicts increases. In recent months we did not stop reading news about Balearic Islands being the first to emerge from the economic crisis that has embittered our Mediterranean existence since 2007. Expectations and forecasts for the next tourist season, essential engine that drives the economy of these islands, seem to follow a steady upward trend. Its society works with emphasis on seeking new initiatives to adjust seasonal demand that, if reaching the desired shape, predict a more stable future for the people of Ibiza and Formentera.

The constant struggle that rages from the 60s to find a sustainable balance between nature and development will continue. It is our duty to maintain that essence to keep it generation after generation. Emphasizing the importance of being aware of the treasure we have in our hands I make my own the last words of the same Tv report that opened this post ... "It is difficult to think of the "Pitiusas" without missing its elemental purity. There are a Formentera and Ibiza that the world would like to keep in the heart knowing their interest but also their vulnerability. So that when we will come back in a thousand years through the children of our children, we will remember that in the XXI century we were able to realize that they are a paradise and how we kept it. "

Reasons for Optimism (Part II)

These past two years, every time we commented to friends and family our intention to return to Spain from our Brazilian “adventure” as soon as we can, the answer is almost the same "are you crazy, everyone is pretending to leave the country and you want to come back now ? Don’t you see every day in the news how bad the situation is? ". Whatever they say, we think every moment is good to be back home. We are not only moved by the feeling of missing family and friends. Our believe is that with or without economic crisis, after 6 years far from our country, there is no better place in the World to live. 

We understand the constant “crush” you are suffering by the media, which are the first to use the continuous drip of discouraging news to keep you glued to the screen. We understand the drama of mortgage foreclosures and unemployment levels out of control. We understand the damage the expending cuts are causing to basic services we have enjoyed (even abused at times) in the last 25 or 30 years. But we also know that to see things clearly and with a renewed spirit you need to get out of this reality that surrounds you.

We talk with you and you seem to be stuck under water with no way out to breathe. The only thing is you are constantly explained is you are drowning  with the rest of the country, unable to come up for air. And that is because from outside, from other countries with very different realities and other ways of looking at life, we see that the future is not as dark as they are painting it.

Those of us lucky enough to be far away from the constant barrage of gloom and despondency are not so heavily influenced by the entire media hubbub that comes from our country. Moreover, we see what is happening, at an increasingly rapid pace, it is a positive change on many levels, whether social, political and economic policies. Please, be serious, is anyone now surprised about these cases uncovered of widespread corruption? Nobody knew or suspected anything? Anyone surprised to see that we cannot sustain an artificially inflated welfare state in a society generally unenthusiastic when complying with their tax obligations? Does anyone believe that the cow we have spent years milking lives from the same air we breathe? In Spain, in the last 30 years, we’ve been accommodated to lend our mouths to the teat of the cow, that parties and governments have sought to maintain their “tribe” at power.

We fed the privileges of banks and savings institutions without stopping to think that we were ripped off and taken advantage of our ignorance in direct complicity with the main political parties that have held power. Make no mistake, one day all this crap had to burst and put everything in place. Such day has arrived. It is an inescapable and unforgiving natural law that is unevitably fulfilled. To express it in a simple and clear way, the Universe puts things in place whenever they are out of control and we are no more than just atoms floating happily in one of its corners.

What the reality of life in Spain may not allow us to see is that we are at a crucial turning point, a historic change in the way we understand the world and how we’ll live in it in the coming years. This crisis, at all levels, is a unique opportunity to stop and breathe and realize how precious everything we have enjoyed so far is. That does not mean we cannot continue to enjoy such things in the future. We're just going to have to dose it so we will enjoy it much more intensely every time we can access them from now on. Think well, we have become a society bored and overfilled of privileges, leisure and enjoyment. And we need a crisis as deep as this (a "war", to paraphrase our grandparents) to enjoy what we have now at the plate. We will have to share much more and we’ll have to get by with less. It is clear for me!

I like to joke with friends at home saying that you are too "crushed" lately and you need back those who spent some time out of the country. We come with fresh air and renewed hopes to give a good boost to all who are trying to pull forward every day. You need our optimism and our desire to return to enjoy the best of our land and our people. Clearly, we are privileged to live where we live and where we are. We need some discipline and even some desire to excel, we have settled into some privileges that were unsustainable in practice and we have to reinvent ourselves and adjust our lifestyle to continue looking at the future with hope. We have plenty potential, ability and pride. We need to let the mind go blank for a moment, to see the glass half full to convince ourselves that we will come out ahead even stronger. Our "feet of clay" have hardened and we are stepping now safe. A friend sent me a few days ago a great video that exposes the same attitude to convince us that we can return to the path of growth and prosperity that we have lost in recent years.

Enough of regret and considering we are a lost generation. From a distance, among so pessimistic and discouraging news we are already seeing developments that make us remain hopeful we can thrive again, in the best sense. We are beginning to see people are mobilized, awaken, they are moving forward with new professions and new businesses. Many of us left some time ago with the idea to bring back what we’ve learned outside. And no better time to return home as when our energy and renewed optimism are needed the most.

A new Life in Brazil

Following the line of reasoning opened at the first post of "In a Land of Future", I’d like to keep reflecting here some impressions, comments and opinions from people who once chose to settle in Brazil, called by the promise of a different life, detached from the sometimes frantic pace we are used to in old Europe. People and characters of all kinds we came across in the last 6 years brought their reasons, their experiences and their vision of what this country gives them and what they believe will be their future relationship with it. 

Sympathy, spontaneity and open arms with which Brazilian people welcomes foreigners collide with force against the increasingly closed and restrictive bureaucratic attitude of its institutions and agencies, especially those that regulate and determine the opening of the country to the outside World. It is surprising how a country that has been an unparalleled example of multiracial integration, welcoming and coexistence appears now so restrictive with the European visitor.

Since January 2013 Federal Police is not extending any European tourist visa for more than three months, forcing the traveler or extended stay visitors to leave the country after that period. This restriction, for instance, is being suffered by relatives of aliens who want to spend long periods in the country, homeowners who do not have residence visas, retirees who decide to spend the European winter in a land of gentler climate, and displaced staff of multinational companies that do not want to go through the formalities of endless and thankless work visa to finish, in most of the cases, receiving a incomprehensible refusal. This restriction began in late 2012 for French and Italian visitors, followed soon after for Spanish and Portuguese, and the rest of nationalities that make up the core of the European Union have fallen behind.

The Brazilian citizen links this attitude of their immigration authorities to a reciprocal treatment to their fellow citizens when entering “Schenguen” territory and justifies the sometimes unfair treatment and arbitrary immigration agents to "bleeding cases" as the old woman who spent several days in Barajas Airport (Madrid) unable to enter Spain to visit her daughter. The headlines about this issue all around the country, appealed to popular outrage and to a reciprocal treatment for the Europeans arrived in Brazil, specially for Spanniards. The truth about the case disclosed by the Brazilian Embassy in Madrid (a few days after the major fuzz in the Brazilian media) in which it was stated that this woman was visiting a daughter in an illegal situation, with two orders of expulsion from Spain, and also had had consular assistance from the first moment she was banned to entry into the EU, of course had the least media attention and passed without any highlights.

Attending to these blatantly manipulated news, created to generate attitudes of rejection towards the wave of European immigration towards Brazil directed in recent years of financial and labor crisis, the foreign resident in the country cannot be more than puzzled, confused and even a little angry. The pulse on the street, especially in communities where foreigners and Brazilians share space without the slightest problem, displays exemplary coexistence and total integration. European residents feel increasingly annoyed and confused by the multitude of obstacles and restrictions that we are facing now for the opening of new foreign-funded enterprises or carrying out any procedures for renewal of permits or documentation.

Federal Police, agency in charge of immigration proceedings and control, justifies this stiffness in its actions with cases that they considered "rogue". They explain foreign companies have been set up with little or no activity just for residence visas, which brought the country increasing currency sums. Any way this money is not easy to repatriate back to their home country and therefore was driven to facilitate, at greater or lesser extent, local economies. It is even more surprising their will to restrict this form of obtaining visas while they offer retired Europeans a residence permit where the main requirement is they should "only" send to Brazil a minimum monthly pension of R$6,000. That is, at the current exchange rate, €2,500 representing nearly 10 times the base Brazilian salary (and a pension that not many people enjoy today, for example, in southern Europe). It is not understandable to find such strong restrictions on the side of a professional investor visa, for instance, which will mean such a boost to Brazilian economic activity, while they open the door without hesitation to "luxury" retirees that will contribute little to the Brazilian productivity besides some foreign exchange earnings. And what is even less understandable from this attitude is finding, in recent years, residence visas granted through successive amnesties to foreigners that had long been considered illegal and that rarely could be considered as a serious contribution to the productive, social or entrepreneurial core of the biggest Latin American economy.

Despite this nonsense we find lately, people who decided to stay and live here really feel that this is their place to escape from the stressful way we deal every day in Europe. They rarely repent of their decision as it normally came from a balanced and realistic thinking on what will be their new life on this side of the Atlantic. We commented about this issue a few days ago with two Catalan businessmen, settled for more than seven years in a famous tourist spot in the Northeast of Brazil. They believe it is very easy to detect when someone is installed in Brazil with a mistaken idea of ​​what will be his new life. They argue you cannot come to Brazil thinking you will win be earning more money than in their homeland and will enjoy full advantage of the same services and benefits as from the structured life we ​​come. To enjoy this experience it is necessary to mentally adapt to the change. One should know that life here must not move around work. Our patience will undergo an ordeal if we pursue results in an organized and quick manner as that we generally obtain in our country. We must forget about that and find ways to have a job that gives us a means of earning a living and enjoy the day to day life in Brazil, filled with moments of joy, beauty and simplicity. Being centered, even obsessed, with work and money is not a clever focus in this part of the world and may even be counterproductive to mental health. The hours of effort and tireless dedication here do not guarantee better results because the environment in which we are going to deliver such effort is not going to keep our pace. Better said, it has its own rhythm. The balance point is different and we should value more non-business factors to evaluate whether we will be able to adapt to this new and different way of life.

If you manage to find that balance, very different from what we have experienced and developed over our years of working life in the "Old World", we will adapt smoothly to the new rhythm and we will hardly get out of here. If, as it happens to many of us, we still need to tackle and face life with a different speed, always having the feeling that something is missing in our current day to day in Brazil, we will have to return to our place of origin or fetch a new "adventure". Yes, we'll get in the backpack the memories and experience gained in this continent as special and magnetic as Brazil is. We will have gained wisdom to appreciate the best each world offers to us and we will enjoy them without doubts or prejudices.

Reasons for Optimism (Part I)

 Some of you might think I'm being frivolous or maybe overly optimistic, but I like what I envision by the end of this economic crisis. For someone lucky enough to be at a certain distance from all this, whether physical or mental, it is something that begins to be clearly perceivable in recent months. Forget figures, statistics and other "weapons of courage destruction". I mean a real perception that we are now facing the beginning of the end. Yes, I dare to say that as I felt now for a few months, even though we fight every day against a tidal wave of contradictory speeches and news. 

Of course it will cost a lot to get to the levels before the current "big dip". That if I we ever get there, because I doubt that our society will allow itself the luxury of falling back on such a mess ever again. I see too many signs that this will not happen and of course I see with real optimism that it will not be because we will never be the same again. 

No doubt that this experience has made us all much distrustful, much more cautious, even suspicious, if you prefer. We are sharing our environment with people who have fallen much deeper into the pit in which we all are, and that's given us a new awareness of the value of solidarity and collective effort. From his "great depression" we live we will come out stronger and, yes, more supportive. Much more aware of where we have failed, ready to not repeat the same mistakes. Turning to more or less liberal ideologies, I have always believed that we were spoiled children of "Daddy State" in the last two or three decades. Reality has given us a good slap to mature of a sudde. We have to assume that social benefits will have to be better managed, well targeted to reach those most in need. And the rest of us will have to spend a little less. What seems certain is that it will end the bullshitting, the waste, the blatant corruption and cronyism. We'll be much more aware of who and how to manage our common heritage and will hardly allow what we have allowed until now while we were looking some the other way as this chaos did not affect us directly. That’s over, it’s finished!

I envision a society now emerging with other values​​. May be because we are unwilling to swallow again what we have swallowed, rather than caused from a deep conviction or mature reasoning. But while this first step will be taken it is worth for me. We need to readjust, to reset, to get rid of all the crap from the ones who have addressed and taken advantage of the system to wangle some privileges not deserved. I perceive with certainty that we are already starting from a regeneration point we all need to clean up our courage and face the future with the hope we all deserve to get back.

It is a common saying we must always remember where we came from to know where we are going. We might have not agreed yet or may not have a clear idea of where we all want to go. But what is sure we all know, without exception, is we do not want to continue down this same path. And that, my dears, is marking a new beginning that cannot be other than hopeful.

The Future is "social"

I cautiously admire the rapid change in marketing and customer relationship caused by the social networks booming. While 5 or 6 years ago some "gurus" predicted that the future was turning 100% "social" reality has shown us that these networks have democratized further dealings with the client but have not eliminated traditional channels or promotional techniques forever. Nevertheless, they have transformed these techniques in a way they shall be supported by an active presence on social media. This way the client, or potential client, will refer to these channels as a relevant aid supporting their purchase decisions.

In some sectors, the change has been even blunter, in others the actors do not agree on the scope of the actual influence of the networks. Time will help us see up to where this revolution evolves, but the statistics and data of 2012 seem to indicate at this point that users do not find in them the most determining factor in their final decision anyway.

I've always had the belief that the key to customer loyalty, especially in the service sector, are proximity, transparency and pro-activity. Since the late 80s we find in Harvard study cases several reports that shared success stories in customer loyalty in the hotel industry through programs called "empowering the front line." These consisted in directly delegating decision making and initiative to resolve issues with clients to staff working in direct contact with them, especially in awkward situations or unpleasant service failures. The front desk of the Hilton chain, for instance, had some freedom and a monthly budget that could be used to resolve these uncomfortable situations immediately and at their discretion. With that they were not just pleasantly surprising customer in a "crisis" but also were encouraging employee motivation by letting such responsibilities in their hands. Everyone who worked in that kind of position knows how important it is to decide with immediacy and resources available to address any problematic situation with a client that we have face to face.

I perceive social networks as an evolution for companies and brands of that direct “face to face” relationship with the customer. Their active presence in the 2.0 environment has become a key requirement in order to compete in today's market and is a definitive approach to transparency and accessibility of information that consumers demand today. Not just that as social networks are a meeting point where users can share ideas, opinions and advice about these particular brands or products. Every company that wants to survive on today´s environment must listen to what consumers say and these networks have already become fundamental tools for exchanging valuable information between consumers and suppliers of goods or services. It seems a clear evolution in the same direction as what 30 years ago were cases of success in customer retention strategies, but now every company should take the drift if they do not want to lose the pulse of their market.

We must be attentive to the course B2C relationships wil be taking during this coming decade. In the breeding ground of this boom we are clearly experiencing there are new ways of working, new positions in companies that just very few years ago we could not even imagine to become fundamental part of their structures as they are today. It motivates me a lot to be an active observer and part to find out if we have a new "tech bubble" or we are at the first steps of a real revolution into the ultimate democratization on our habits of consuming and relating.