While I was eating my lunch today, I was reading an article about the Vancouver-based sportswear company Oqoqo which is an offspring of the well-known company, lululemon. The article says the company stuffs a 'corporate manifesto' into each shopper's bag to encourage them with phrases such as "do one thing a day that scares you". Now how exactly does one go about that? Saying no to your boss? Stepping out in traffic? Running that extra 1/2 mile despite thinking you might be having a heart attack? Talking to a stranger?
Many scary things are scary for a reason - because they are unsafe or just not a wise thing to do. Walking up to strangers in Vancouver is not only scary, it can be stupid too. Never backing up your computer is very scary (among a whole bunch of other things). And can a person really keep up performing scary things on a daily basis? What scary things should you be doing on a daily basis?
Now I realize this was just a light hearted comment which perhaps the majority of shoppers ignore, but how do we know what advice to follow and what we shouldn't? And do people care when they find out the person giving them their advice has fallen too? Take Dr. Phil for example, allegedly he's on the brink of getting fired for visiting (or perhaps, ambushing) Britney Spears in the hospital. If he is fired, will people burn all his books and stop watching his re-runs, would they feel hurt or even betrayed? Or do people just move on and forget because as fast as some things come into our lives, even faster they are forgotten or replaced?
Perhaps just believing everything you see on TV each day would satisfy 'doing one thing a day that scares you". Could it really be as simple as that?
2 comments:
Dear Curious Me:
Brilliant post. Clever and light, deep and thoughtful.
Given the theme of this blog I won't go two deep but two thoughts for your consideration.
The first is that the phrase is a summary of a philosophy. Typically you can't work backwards from a summary.
For example, in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" they ask the smartest computer the meaning of life. It answers "42". They ask how it arrived at that answer and it says "7x6". You get the point, you can't work backwards.
Second, some of your examples are dangerous. The saying is "scary" not "dangerous".
The idea is for people to break their routine and doing something diffferent.
But you knew that because you are brilliant!
JMO
bye
UnderThere
Actually, I believe in this. I aim to do things that scare me so I won't be like my dad and let fear rule my life. Or let fear limit me. I was getting a bit squeamish of roller coasters, so I took a trip to magic mountain. Going to movies alone makes me uncomfortable, so I force myself to do it at least once a year. I think it's good to look fear in the face and laugh on occasion. Makes you more confident.
Post a Comment