“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. 

In a crisis, be aware of the danger–but recognize the opportunity.”

― John F. Kennedy

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Hello friends,

2020 has been a year that we will remember all our lives. 

Here is my story. May it spark a few surprises and some inspiration for you. 

In January, I went with Arthur to Australia. It started with bush fire smokes so big that one day the tournament tennis club was  closed because it was too dangerous to breathe! 
Some coaches and players chose to wear masks, who knew it would become a theme for the year! 

In any case, for us playing the Australian Open Junior remained a great adventure. Certainly we could have done better with the results (3rd round in single, semi final in double), and this is part of the game to analyse what we did well and what we could have done better. 

The lessons we carried from the defeat in single has helped Arthur to grow and win many matches later on in 2020: he ended up wining 5 British Tour tournaments, against players ranked 250-1000 ATP. 

Would we have appreciated to win these matches in Wimbledon (canceled), US Open (also canceled for Juniors) or any professional Future Tournament? For sure! 

And a key theme for this year has been the word: ADAPTATION. 

Surely, my coaching work is full of uncertainty. 

I don’t coach many players at the same time. 
If any of them, Arthur especially (with whom I’ve spent 80% of my work time with) get injured, and I would end up without job. 

This risk is also the beauty of my calling, living on the edge. 

This forces everyone involved to do their best. Players and parents place quite a bit of money on the table. If I’m not good, game over then!
No time for being hesitant. We all need to show up NOW, at our best, and make things work. 

This system is, in my opinion, the only system that does work to make tennis players the best they can be. I will explain this in more details another time. 

I just wanted to point this out because it illustrates what Taleb calls SKIN IN THE GAME, something leaders like Leonidas, king of Sparta, used to have…

Back to Adaptation. 

I’ve had many moments laughing with Arthur’s mother this year, talking about our plans. For sure we were already good for adaptation to any normal circumstances (well, she is), like booking flights/ hotels/ courts, thinking ahead.

Covid and the plandemic that occurred pushed this adaptation to a whole new level: this has been ADAPTATION ON STEROIDS! 

I mean, by the time we thought: “let’s do this tournament in Greece”, to the moment it was time to go in Russia, we were probably in the midst of plan # 24! 

Thanks to all the governments who have made these restrictive measures, you made us more resilient!

FREEDOM!

Besides adaptation and doing my best to share this skill with the players and parents I accompany, there has been another big skill I’ve had to develop. 

You see, freedom is the most important value for me. 

You want to know how to push my buttons and make me react: tell me that I cannot do something! (should I add: and I’ll find a way to do it anyway?!?)

So, I let you imagine what’s happening when I’m told to stay home, to wear a useless mask, to not shake hands, or any of these non senses imposed on us.

I will also spare you the story when I went to a supermarket and being told to wear gloves. Long story short, I told my wife right after: “better if you go to the supermarket next time, or I might end up in jail…”

A very good consequence: since then, I have new friends at the local open market every Tuesday morning: win-win for everyone!

Regardless, this year have had a hard time understanding why so many people do accept to remain sheep. One book that helped me to understand this is not something new is this short classic, from French philosopher La Boétie:

ANGER. 

Since January, hearing about Wuhan, I sensed that there was something off with what we were told. 
So I’ve invested lots of my time doing some research. On one hand, taking note of what the mainstream media propaganda was saying… 

…and on the other hand comparing them with what scientists, doctors, or experts in various fields were explaining. Reading tons of articles and books. Discerning ideas. 

In general I think I’m a pretty awake person. 

Turning my life upside down and having lived 10 years in Hong Kong did change perspectives. 

Having dived into the personal and spiritual development world for more than 25 years, too. 

And being married to Elena, an American woman who also chose to live outside her country of origins opens the eyes. Without talking about the most important person for us: Diane. 

All of this to say that I’ve been quite aware for a long time about CORRUPTION in every possible industry. Sure…and so I thought! 

This year with this deep research dive, I became angry realizing what was really going on behind the official narrative and these liberticide measures. A natural anger that emerged and more or less remained in me from March till October! 

This lasted till Elena said stop, no more, and Diane told me it was not a good service to myself to remain angry, making me vulnerable, too. Ok, ok ok I hear you both!!

So, I visited once again my EMDR therapist. She explained to me that anger is an energy that needs to be used, to be channeled into a chosen direction. Right!

2 weeks later I also had the opportunity to visit The Isle of Skye in Scotland. And this is there, among the sheep and eagles and the mountain and the clouds and Nature whispering that finally I received what I was looking for: PEACE and RESOLVE. 

On this beautiful land, what came to me is this: 
1: When there are no humans, in fact, it’s all good! This seems so obvious and yet when I was among these animals, living their lives normally, eating grass and looking at this guy who was climbing near them, it came down to me that there was no story about virus and masks and distancing and vaccines and cases numbers here! Just live Benoit, beyond these lies it’s all good so just live…

2: There is always a next good step. I also realized then that there was a new level of serenity for me to discover. The serenity that, no matter what, there is always a next best possible step for each of us to choose. 

Sure, some doors close. 

And this might be a good thing for exploring something else! 

As long as I remain open for what this best next step is, rather than hoping, being concerned or thinking what it should be. 
These 2 days in the depth of Scotland I believe have changed my life in a very good way.

Other big Victories in 2020

– I’m really proud of the work done with Arthur. 
3 years of adventure together. 
End of the Junior Tour. 
He’s finishing this part of his life as a young man, mature in many ways, knowing himself, his strengths and some of his weaknesses. 
Not only one of the best tennis players of his age (he ends up 12th in the world in Juniors), most importantly someone confident who will do something great with his life. Arthur, Olivia, Loic, Craig, Gareth and Alex, thank you for the ride!

Now I intend to have similar transformative results with Ronan and Melchior. Let’s see!

– I became SFB (StrongFirst Barbell) Instructor! 2 years and half chasing the standards to lift what’s required. Finally got my bench press to 102,5kg! Still a chicken compared to real strong men, and yet, I’ve also loved this part of my life growing up physically. 

• – finally, I’ve been able to discuss with my parents about the covid treatments. One thing the fear media-governments propaganda has done, is to separate people. Read again Machiavel, with his famous quote: “divide and rule”. In any case, I’ve seen different attitudes within my family: those who say we need to follow the governments guidelines so that covid will be over soon, those who are pragmatic…and my rebel position. And now, what do we do?
• We discuss. We listen to each others.
• For me what was very important is that my parents understand that there are treatments for covid.
• I acknowledge they don’t want to hear about the lies and propaganda, so I won’t go into this topic, not necessary.

And now that my mission is accomplished, I’m very happy to say that fear will not be a way of life in the Foucher’s family, only love, care and acceptance of our differences will prevail! 

About 2021

How Do We Change?

In the spiritual development realm you will often hear that in order to change something, anything, you first need to become aware of it. What’s true for individuals is also true for societies.

This process is not comfortable.

Being angry as I was is one step. 

Closing our eyes and refusing to look at the issue is another one. 

So is becoming hopeless and depressed!

At the end of the tunnel there is light with real acceptance, that will propel us to new decisions. I think the more people choose to become aware of what’s happening, the more we have a chance to change.

In other words, we all need to look deeply at what’s been going on and say:”ok, this is really horrendous all this corruption made for money, power and control. Now, let’s change this!”

We can still turn things downside up!  

Just for fun, I’m now going to play the game of predictions: 

• – Globalists with their new world order sinister agenda will crash down. 
• – Propaganda medias will be changed, and journalists will tell their truths, based on their researches and not on what they’ve been told to say/ not say if they want to keep their jobs. 
• – Mass arrests, with bankers, financials, big tech companies and corrupt politicians will be put in jail for life. 
• – Re-information of the masses so that we all restart from a much healthier foundation. Yes, we failed. Yes, this is what really happened. Now let’s start to build a great world together! 

Will these things happen? 
I don’t know!

Do you believe I’m crazy saying these things? 
Yep, welcome to my world!

Regardless of what you and I think, one thing is sure –> IT ALL STARTS FROM WITHIN

Your voice counts. 

Your actions count. 

You and I influence each others. 

Each of us make a difference. 

Each choice is important.

 
The energy we place in something echoes and amplifies.
Our decisions inspire others. 

This is why I’ve chosen to stop using Whatsapp for Signal

For details about this decision, please visit this other blog post.

To each and all, I wish you an epic 2021 year. May you be one of these heroes we’ve seen in 2020 standing up, champions to defend freedom, real science or journalism, and simply not evils.

Stay strong. 

Remain close to your friends and loved ones. Share. Discuss. Listen. Debate.

Have fun. 

Live the life you do wish to live!

Yes, stay strong my friend. And free.

Love,
Benoit