”We live in challenging times and I think that especially now, we need to “vitaminize” ourselves with healthy connections, nourished by presence and consciousness.
In the last two years, I have been lucky enough to meet wonderful people from whom I learn continuously, even from a distance, but even more when time allows us to converse face to face, in a welcoming space like the DADA Restaurant where we had the great joy of having a dialogue, full of heart, with Georgeta Dendrino, the rainbow man who amazed me as always with his spirit, style, delicacy, expertise.
Dear Georgeta, some time ago you told us (in Proust’s Questionnaire) that your motto is: “You can change the world, little by little, with time; at least your world and the one close to you…”
So I am curious: what would be the first actions you would take if you were to receive a magic wand from the universe?
I would bring artists of all kinds to teach people to appreciate and cultivate beautiful, in all its forms. It seems to me that we live in a city, Bucharest, where someone seems to have sucked all the colour, imagination, freedom, exuberance. We are but lost souls looking for meaning, joy, love, wonder in the face of beauty.
I would invest in education at all levels. I am sure that, in the long run, education will make us richer, more fulfilled, more at peace, it will lead us forward, as a society.
I would take care of abandoned children and the elderly. I would make some centres where these elderly people (who no longer have anyone) should receive care, attention, and help educate, raise those children (with all the precautionary measures).
2. In the book “Natural Born Learners”, Alex Beard said: “ In a globalized world, where resources are almost depleted, a Learning Revolution is our only chance to succeed as a species. ”
How do you see such learning revolution in Romania, starting from your active involvement in our education process?
A Learning Revolution begings with scraping everything that is holding us back, getting rid of our old habits. It is like when you want to go to a concert at the Athenaeum: you take off your all day clothes and put on some suitable, more sophisticated ones. You do not put on your evening dress over your jeans and t-shirt. That, on an individual level.
At a macro level, I believe that we should involve other players in the process of re-designing education than those involved so far. The same minds will produce the same results they have produced for 30 years. The ‘new times, still us’ model should be set aside and involve consultants with international experience in design thinking, educational models, younger people.
I would design the process, I would establish the painful points, I would get the business environment involved and I would provide substantial fiscal facilities to those who support: the technologicalization of schools (IT&C companies); restoration and improvement of conditions in schools (construction, design, furniture, garden); equipment for offices, gyms, etc.; training for teachers (training and consulting companies).
I would pay the teachers extra to go, during holidays, to classes on how to rethink the way they teach a subject, both online and in person.
I would increase theachers’ salaries, establish performance systems, so that:
to become aspirational to be a teacher; only those who can and want to work with children at high standards to stay.
3. What have you learned about yourself in these challenging months?
I learned that if I had not studied all my life, it would have been much more difficult now;
That there will be moments when I will be up and when I will fall; but that it depends on me to manage myself, to keep my balance, to have 2-3 people who I can lean on;
That books will always support me, as they did in the past;
That I need to be more patient with those around me;
That people come and go, many will hang around as long as they have something to gain in immediate term, that I should not prevent them from living, and to only stay attached to those who deserve it.
4. If you had the chance to talk to the 5-year-old Georgeta, what would you like to tell her about who you are now?
Trust yourself, leave your doubts behind, they only keep you in place.
Relax, the sun will rise on your street as well; until then, be your own sun.
It is ok if some people don’t accept you, a client will tell you later that it’s very good to be different.
You will see that people will never stop disappointing you; strive to have expectations only from yourself.
Keep dreaming of going to Paris, you will get there. Do not let yourself be influenced by those who tell that no one is leaving the country, that you are only dreaming. It is true, no one is leaving now. But they will, trust me!
Do you know that French poem that your mother kept repeating to you? It is an important starting point, French will always be your favourite!
5. I read in one of your articles an exercise of introspection so beautiful that I kindly ask you to leave us your answers to those questions, namely:
“If you were to build a portable self, which would help you depending on the context, what would add there? What new things would you learn? ”
I would learn to have more patience, attention to detail.
I would learn to dance, to play a musical instrument – this would give more ease and grace to my life
I would learn how to cook – for many years I have been eating erratically, my stomach hurts, I take pills… I feel that I cannot do anything with my hands and I face a blockage here.
I would put my thoughts in order and I would create a school for executive coaching, the same way I learned at Insead, based on academic standards.
I would continue to read, stay informed about various fields, and learn, no matter how little, according to Zappos’s principle: be better with 1% every day. It ‘s like you start the year with 100 euros and, every day, you add 1%. At the end of the year you will end up with 3778.34 euros! If we add 1% every day to what we know, we will grow exponentially.
I would learn a little more finance, I have only scratched the surface there.
6. In the VUCA environment (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) in which we live, what would be the 3-5 skills that we should develop?
Curiosity – Let’s explore, as Robert Frost said, ‘the less traveled road‘, the unbeaten path. Critical thinking, clear, analytical thinking combined with empathy and compassion
Entrepreneurial thinking in all areas of our life, with all that means: initiative, responsibility, consistency, flexibility, resilience, courage, decision, risk.
7. You love beauty in different forms, perfumes being an example. If you were to create a perfume that would represent courage, authenticity, what scents would it contain and what would it be called?
Courage and authenticity can take different smells and colours, sounds, at different times and for different people.
I would say the perfume that would represent courage is one that you can wear with a simple dress and intense red lipstick, along with a bold attitude. The perfume is defined by the wearer’s attitude. If you don’t have the right attitude, it will wear you.
Authenticity has other valences, however, I would say that it’s the same, interpreted differently by various perfumers (wearers). For me, the scent of authenticity is not in a bottle, but the smell that you feel on Christmas Eve, when the neighbours cook sweet bread. This smell takes me straight to the countryside, when I was a child, without worries, without major preoccupations, happy, with my loved ones around me.
Otherwise, I love all perfumes, I can spend hours in a niche perfume shop, I can combine them to create something unique, for me, I can recommend to someone what would suit them, after I know the person well.
Perfumes create moods, define us, complement us, differentiate us, give us elegance, create a whole universe around us – provided they are chosen carefully.
Thank you Georgeta, for being open and for the meaningful conversation in a hot August day!”
via: gabrielablaga.ro