Take control of the narrative | Alain Yav | TEDxBoulevardTriomphal
## Speaker Context
* Speaker identity: Storyteller/speaker.
* Audience: Attendees of an event (implied context of sharing ideas).
* Setting: Speaking at an event (implied by mentions of TEDx).
* Framing: "I believe in the power of people stories; I believe in the power of narratives because I believe that a lot of things we do... somehow is a narrative."
## People
* Grandfather: Told the story of Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu to the speaker when the speaker was on holiday in Lacasa by the fireplace.
* King lion: Called everybody together to address the drought.
* Little rabbit: The character in the story who tries to solve the village's problem.
* Kennedy: Person who visited NASA and had a discussion about the job roles of workers.
* Michelle Obama: Released the book "Great Story: Obama and Thanksgiving."
* PA Sarah: Person the speaker mentioned when describing the visa application process.
* My girlfriend: Person who applied to a school overseas and faced visa difficulties.
## Organizations
* NASA: Location where Kennedy visited and observed workers.
## Places
* Forest: Where the village of animals was located.
* Village: Location of the animals and the initial crisis (drought).
* Lacasa: Location where the speaker's grandfather used to tell stories.
* Congo: Subject of a campaign the speaker helped with; a place the speaker tries to make people think is great.
* South Africa: Location where the speaker's example subject was located.
* Europe: Destination for the speaker's girlfriend's diploma/visa.
## Tools, Tech & Products
* Comics: Thing the speaker discovered reading at age six.
* Bible: Book the speaker read when twelve years old.
* Television: Medium through which the speaker watched the "Ballet Andra."
* Spider-man: Favorite superhero mentioned by the speaker.
* Clark Kent: Character who operates as Superman.
* Phone: Device used by the speaker for recording thoughts.
* Google Doc: Tool used by the speaker to check information about "Obama."
## Concepts & Definitions
* Narrative: Used to describe how people's lives, actions, and events are framed; what the speaker believes is the fundamental aspect of life.
* Power of narratives: The core belief of the speaker regarding life and human experience.
* Storyteller: The profession/role the speaker identifies with ("I'm a storyteller").
* Story: The subject matter used by the speaker to illustrate points; can be about clients' brands, their own company, or a country like Congo.
* Cover: Metaphorically represents the surface presentation of something (e.g., Congo's greatness); the real narrative is the content inside.
## Numbers & Data
* Twelve: Age when the speaker read the Bible.
* Six: Age when the speaker discovered comics.
* 10: Number of things the speaker decided to do on a sample day.
* 30 minutes: Duration until the speaker's girlfriend reached the office after the visa process setback.
* 33: Age of the person in the final example from South Africa.
* 2010: Year the person in the final example started writing their vision.
* 43: Age of the person in the final example who felt successful in 2010.
## Claims & Theses
* The story of Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu is what the speaker's grandfather used to tell.
* The little rabbit eventually fights the thing, kills the monster, gets the solution, and the village gets going back again.
* A lot of things we do somehow is a narrative.
* People need to communicate during times of different cultures and mindsets.
* The product is the same, the narrative makes the difference (referring to selling hope vs. selling data).
* The first one's got a job, the second one is got a career, the third one is got a colleague (different roles despite similar actions).
* The story can make a difference between loving you and hating you.
* The story can make a difference between buying and rejecting.
* The media tells your story, and the speaker's role is to ensure a positive story is told (e.g., about Congo).
* The future belongs to us, and we need to tell the story about our future.
* We all are writers; we are turning the story.
## Mechanisms & Processes
* Running a campaign: A process where the speaker helped sell "hope" by encouraging people to talk for democracy.
* Writing a vision: A personal process involving writing down desired outcomes (e.g., the 33-year-old writing about the year 2010).
* Narrative control: The active process of deciding and projecting the story that is told about oneself, a business, or a country.
* Memoir/Story Collection: The act of documenting and writing down personal history and vision.
## Timeline & Events
* Past: The time period leading up to the speaker telling the story (when the speaker was a child).
* Twelve years old: When the speaker read the Bible.
* Day of the election: Current period referenced by the speaker regarding big discussions about democracies.
* Visiting NASA: Event attended by Kennedy, where job roles were observed.
* Year 2010: Starting point for the vision writing of the example subject.
* 2011 - 2013: Period mentioned by the example subject where they did not write the next chapter.
## Examples & Cases
* The drought in the village: Case where the King lion gathered everyone and needed a solution.
* Little rabbit's attempt: Example of a brave person being chosen to solve the drought problem.
* Cinderella: An example of a popular, but worsted, version of a story seen in school.
* Ballet Andra: Example of a musical showing on TV relating to all the Congolese kings.
* Spider-man/Clark Kent: Examples of superheroes who run out at night to save the world.
* NASA worker mopping the floor: Example where the job was defined as "helping send somebody to the moon."
* Bricklayers on a honey: Example trio whose roles defined their contribution (job, career, colleague).
* Blind man at the corner: Example where the man wrote "it's the first day of spring the skies blue flowers are bright" despite being unable to see them.
* Michelle Obama's book: Example of a published "Great Story" about Obama and Thanksgiving.
* Visa process difficulty: Example involving the speaker's girlfriend, where she faced obstacles and had to regain control of the outcome.
* The 33-year-old from South Africa: Detailed personal example of writing a vision for the year 2010.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
* Alternative to inaction in the village: Finding a solution rather than letting the Ogura perish due to drought.
* Advertising guy's choices: Taking the time to write a hopeful note ("first day of spring") versus simply leaving nothing.
* Writing the story vs. letting others tell it: The choice between controlling one's own narrative or being passively defined by external forces.
* Being a productive participant vs. being a simple extra: The alternative to contributing actively (winning an Oscar) versus being a background actor ("a simple extra in somebody else's movie").
## Counterarguments & Caveats
* The initial plea: "My people we have to do something we otherwise the Ogura perish."
* Skepticism regarding the speaker's experience: The speaker acknowledges that many people might not know the reference to the "Ballet Andra."
* Warning about inaction: "if you don't take on from the narrative well somebody else will."
* Warning about waiting: "I hate the verb waiting."
## Methodology
* Storytelling: Used as the primary mechanism for communication and persuasion.
* Writing down visions: The practice of proactively writing future goals to guide action.
* Analysis of public discourse: Observing what story is being told about figures like Barack Obama.
## References Cited
* Kabu Kabu Kabu Kabu: The story told by the speaker's grandfather.
* Cinderella: Story seen in school.
* Ballet Andra: Musical shown on TV relating to Congolese kings.
* Bible: Book read by the speaker.
* Barack Obama: Figure whose story was analyzed via search results.
* Michelle Obama: Author of the book "Great Story: Obama and Thanksgiving."
## Conclusions & Recommendations
* People need to communicate.
* Clients need stories to make them look good or help people understand who they are or what they want.
* People must take control of the story/narrative.
* Take control of the cover, and you will take control of the inside.
* Dream big and write the story about your future.
* Be the writer, be the director, be the best lead actor, and be the producer; make sure the movie is fantastic and wins an Oscar.
## Implications & Consequences
* If the narrative is not controlled, somebody else will tell the story.
* If the narrative is not controlled, the outcome is not controlled.
* If one does not write their vision, they risk spending years achieving nothing.
## Open Questions
* What is the correct historical context or depth of the "Ogura" that needs saving?
* What does "The Ballet Andra" specifically show about Congolese kings?
## 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"