It is during his visit to Sherbrooke on May 19 that we had the pleasure to meet with Alexandre Nadeau, expert in human transformation. Miracles: mode d’emploi, his second book, had just hit bookstores and caught our attention… Let’s say the title did not miss the mark! Miracles… Since the dawn of time, this word alone captivated, mystified and entranced with promises of dreams come true. Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on a magic solution to reach new heights in business not yet explored by entrepreneurs and company leaders?
Albert Einstein once said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” We are not talking about walking on water or multiplying bread loaves here. We refer to meeting our targets quickly and effectively, winning important contracts, settling internal conflicts, drastically improving our level of happiness in the workplace… We are often overwhelmed by our workload, by our to-do list that keeps getting longer, by the never-ending task of fueling social media, by the phone that wouldn’t stop ringing, by emails that pile up in our inbox, and so on. Too busy putting out fires, often we forget to pause, to take a moment to step back and look at the big picture… and to create a state of mind conducive to success.
This is what this book is all about. It gives several techniques that would take just a few minutes of our time – 10 to 15 minutes for most of them – to make sure we stay on track or adjust our course if needed. And if you have not set your objectives yet, Miracles suggests some methods to help you identify them. Be ready to break out of your comfort zone! It is not the kind of book that you would see on the desk of traditional businesspeople, and this is exactly why we find it so refreshingly interesting. It is year 2017… It is innovation that drives the success of companies nowadays. So let’s dare to reinvent how we plan our business, run our company and live our work experience! After all, how can we expect to discover new uncharted territories if we keep taking the same route that does not bring us anywhere?
While unconventional, the Miracles techniques are easy to apply and are well explained – there is no beating around the bush. Alexandre first leads us to explore the state of consciousness, the state of mind in which everything suddenly appears clear, lucid, unambiguous. He also shows how to sharpen our intuition and suggests several methods to make our decision-making process easier… without overthinking everything! I often use this approach myself when it comes to making choices, and it works every time. But first, we must get to know ourselves, understand our feelings and physical reactions. It becomes easy with a little practice and easy-to-follow instructions from Alexandre.
Any good business leader knows: next step is measuring your success. For each technique, the author suggests performance indicators. Most of the time, we are to measure our state of being, our awareness on a scale of -10 to 10. Then we have to repeat the exercises until we get to the highest mark of 10 (or as close to it as possible). All exercises are designed to be done alone or with a partner. So, why not take a few minutes off and practice one of the techniques to feel invigorated and revitalized next time we feel stressed out and anxious?
Each technique also comes with a how-to video. We see how these techniques work for many people. Miracles is a must-read for everyone who has an open mind, who is tired of doing things the same old way, or who is tempted to get off the beaten path. Whether you are a CEO, a corporate executive, manager or employee, or you are self-employed, this book is for all those who want to make a change in their lives. And we all know that a company is the extension of the people at the helm…
Isabelle Vincelette
Expert – Organizational Improvement and Coaching
Totem Performance organisationnelle
