Take control of the narrative | Alain Yav | TEDxBoulevardTriomphal
The speaker argues that all human experience is fundamentally a narrative, urging the audience to actively control and write their own stories rather than allowing others to define them. This principle is illustrated through examples ranging from ancient folklore like *Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu* to personal journeys, such as an acquaintance writing a vision for 2010. The central takeaway is the imperative to become the author of one's own life, business, or country's narrative.
## Speakers & Context
- Storyteller/speaker: Identifies with the role of a storyteller, believing narrative is central to human experience.
- Audience: Attendees of an event (implied TEDx context).
- Setting: Location where the speaker delivers their talk.
## Theses & Positions
- People's lives, actions, and events are fundamentally structured as narratives.
- The narrative is the most critical element: "The product is the same, the narrative makes the difference."
- Control over one's own narrative is crucial; failure to do so means "somebody else will" tell the story.
- The objective is to ensure the story projected is positive, controlling the "cover" to control the "content inside."
- The speaker advocates for active participation in writing one's future, stating, "The future belongs to us we need to tell the story about our future."
- The core message is the necessity of becoming the creator of one's own story, acting as the writer, director, lead actor, and producer.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Narrative:** Used to describe how people's lives, actions, and events are framed; seen as the fundamental aspect of life.
- **Storyteller:** The profession the speaker claims to belong to; the role of crafting narratives for others' brands or businesses.
- **Cover:** A metaphor for the surface presentation of something (e.g., Congo's greatness); the true narrative is the content inside.
- **Career:** Defined as being a writer.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Narrative control:** The active process of deciding and projecting the story about oneself, a business, or a country.
- **Storytelling:** Used as the primary mechanism for communication, persuasion, and making people understand who they are or what they want.
- **Writing a vision:** The personal practice of proactively writing down desired future outcomes, exemplified by the 33-year-old's exercise.
- **Running a campaign:** A process used to "sell hope" for democracy by encouraging public discourse.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Past (Childhood):** Time period leading up to the speaker's realization; includes childhood exposure to stories.
- **When the speaker was a child:** Age when the speaker first discovered comics (age six).
- **Age 12:** When the speaker read the Bible.
- **Year 2010:** Starting point for the vision writing of the South African subject.
- **2011–2013:** Period noted where the South African subject did not write the next chapter of their vision.
- **Today/Present:** The time of the speech; the time for action and narrative control.
## Named Entities
- **Congo:** Subject of a campaign the speaker helped with, used to illustrate the need to manage the narrative.
- **Lacasa:** Location where the speaker's grandfather used to tell stories.
- **NASA:** Location visited by Kennedy where the speaker observed job roles.
- **Michelle Obama:** Person whose book, *Great Story: Obama and Thanksgiving*, was cited as an example of a published narrative.
- **PA Sarah:** Person mentioned when detailing the difficulties of the visa application process.
- **Europe:** Destination for the speaker's girlfriend's diploma and visa process.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Comics:** Thing the speaker discovered reading at age six.
- **Bible:** Book read by the speaker when twelve years old.
- **Television:** Medium used to watch the "Ballet Andra."
- **Google Doc:** Tool used by the speaker to research information about "Obama."
- **Phone:** Device used by the speaker for recording thoughts.
## Numbers & Data
- Age when speaker discovered comics: **Six**.
- Age when speaker read the Bible: **Twelve**.
- Number of things the speaker decided to do on a sample day: **Ten**.
- Duration until the speaker's girlfriend reached the office after the visa setback: **30 minutes**.
- Age of the person in the final South Africa example: **33**.
- Year the South African example started writing his vision: **2010**.
- Age of the person in the final South Africa example who felt successful in 2010: **43**.
## Examples & Cases
- **The drought in the village:** Case where the King Lion called everyone and needed a solution in the Forest.
- **Little rabbit's attempt:** Example of a brave individual who solves the crisis.
- **Cinderella:** An example of a popular, but "worsted," version of a story seen in school.
- **Ballet Andra:** Musical shown on TV relating to all the Congolese kings.
- **Spider-man/Clark Kent:** Examples of superheroes who operate at night to save the world.
- **NASA worker mopping the floor:** Example where the job description was interpreted ("helping send somebody to the moon").
- **Bricklayers on a honey:** Trio whose roles illustrate different levels of contribution (job, career, colleague).
- **Blind man at the corner:** Example where the man wrote a hopeful message, "it's the first day of spring the skies blue flowers are bright," despite being unable to see.
- **Michelle Obama's book:** Example of a published "Great Story" about her and Thanksgiving.
- **Visa process difficulty:** Personal example illustrating how external obstacles can make one lose control of the outcome.
- **The South African subject:** Detailed example of writing a vision for 2010, which predicted future success.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Inaction vs. Solution:** The trade-off presented by the drought—perishing versus finding a solution.
- **Controlling narrative vs. being passive:** Choosing to actively tell the story versus being a "simple extra in somebody else's movie."
- **Advertising effort:** The choice between leaving nothing at the charity box or taking the time to write a hopeful note.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- Initial plea during the drought: *"my people we have to do something we otherwise the Ogura perish."*
- Acknowledgment of limitation: The speaker concedes that not everyone will know the reference to the "Ballet Andra."
- Warning against complacency: "I hate the verb waiting."
## Methodology
- **Storytelling:** Employed as the primary tool for communication and achieving influence.
- **Writing down visions:** The proactive practice of writing future goals to structure one's life and work.
- **Analyzing public discourse:** Observing prevailing narratives about figures like Barack Obama to identify gaps.
## References Cited
- **Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu:** The story told by the speaker's grandfather.
- **Cinderella:** Story viewed in school.
- **Ballet Andra:** Musical shown on TV relating to Congolese kings.
- **Bible:** Book read by the speaker.
- **Barack Obama:** Figure whose public narrative was analyzed via search results.
- **Michelle Obama:** Author of the book *Great Story: Obama and Thanksgiving*.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- People must communicate to navigate different cultures and mindsets.
- Everyone has one career, and that career is being a writer who shapes stories.
- The imperative is to "take control of the cover, and you will take control of the inside."
- The speaker urges the audience to "dream big" and proactively write the narrative for their future.
## Implications & Consequences
- If the narrative is not controlled, the outcome will not be controlled.
- Failing to document one's vision leads to wasting years "achieving nothing."
- The scope of the narrative applies to the individual, family, business, and entire continent.
## Verbatim Moments
- "my people we have to do something we otherwise the Ogura perish"
- "The story is the story of Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu cycle"
- "the story makes the difference"
- "I'm a storyteller yes that's what I do"
- "we can't be waiting because why are you waiting"
- "The future belongs to us we need to tell the story about our future"
- "we all have one job one career a career is that we are writers"
- "if you don't well you may stand up your life... be a simple extra in somebody else's movie that would be a pity"