PećkoPivo » Friends

Emotions

Nikola Jovanovic — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:03:32 +0000

It’s not easy to define emotions.

No, really, it’s not… Try to define an emotion yourself.

Is it a feeling? Nope, I don’t think so – you feel an emotion, so they are connected, but it’s not the same thing.

This “feeling of an emotion” causes often your mood to change, as well as your physical state of your body. You react, mentally or physically because of an emotion, or by an emotion. This means that your perception of things is directly influencing your emotional state and reaction on various events, and perception is derived directly from your deepest beliefs.

So, I suppose it would be safe to say that emotions are our responses to the world around us? And then a feeling is a response to an emotion?

If so – is it safe to say that it is a psychological thing? I mean, many scientists are trying to prove that emotions are biological in its core nature, or at least biologically driven responses to a psychologically perceived stimulus (wow, I think I just confused myself!)

And how do we measure it? Have you ever thought about how EQ (emotional intelligence) is measured?

Hmmm

I also read somewhere that emotions “move us”, and based on my experience, I couldn’t agree more. But this is what puzzles me so hard. It’s an experience and undoubtly true, but why is it so easy to understand it and so hard to explain it?

Why am I even trying to understand it?

Well, thing is that I’m a very curious guy and since I got into people development for some time already, I got interested deeply into the topic as it affects my every day job (and my IT/geek background doesn’t allow me to just accept things as they are).

So, many things have happened and are happening lately in my life, and I usually cope well with different events and “swallow” them on the

way… but this time I caught myself reflecting and being overwhelmed with not just a huge number of, but also very strong emotions coming from everywhere and nowhere, depending on the way you look at it. And I started thinking how people, no matter how similar they are, still react differently on the same stimulus, and how this reaction defines where we are coming from.

Lemme try to explain by listing some of things I reacted upon (no particular order):

- Prom night 10 years reunion, or better a Prom night after 10 years, cause my high-school didn’t have a prom night because of the NATO bombing in `99 and because 2 of our classmates were killed in a terrorist attack couple of months earlier. So, we gathered after 10 years, now as refugees and displaced persons, to reconnect, to celebrate life and friendship and remember our late friends.
- my beloved coming back home after a year in Paris
- Partizan, my favorite sports club, winning trophies in almost all sports this year

I will stop here (and skip my professional life which is eventful too) as these 3 are more then enough to test you – I bet your emotions and feelings while reading them were going from “awww” to “why in the hell does he compares his beloved and Partizan”, or from “f…..g Partizan” to “disgustingly pathetic”.

What I am trying to say is that we are all using the same “set of emotions”, which proves that all people are the same, but based on our perception and previous experience, and most importantly our beliefs, different emotions, out of that set, pop up as consequences in different situations.

These emotions we usually don’t define and are not able to explain before they cause a reaction in a form of a feeling or a behavior.
However, in my moments of creativity, I think I see them as colors, and that is just for a moment, for a millisecond before they transform into a response. Sometimes it’s even a form, based on a previous and very subjective experience of course, but it is a form and it leads towards a reaction.

And now that I think of it, I believe that emotions are both biological and spiritual, or more likely the thing that connects those two.

I mean, how for god’s sake, could I otherwise explain all the colors bursting in front of my eyes during those 2 days of reunion, how comes that my blood boils every time I watch basketball matches of Partizan, or why my lips miracoulosly spread into a dumb smile every time I remember that She is coming back in 2 days?

(note: this text, like most of my texts, is written as a defragmentation process of my brain, which I do best while writing, so please bare with me and help out with comments and feedback)

After some time…

Nikola Jovanovic — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:21:00 +0000

Several people asked me why I don’t update my blog already… Facebook status updates are not enough for everyone, I guess

Anyway, if we forget a joke about Kostunica, it seems I haven’t written anything for a full year or so… jeez, a year…

Can’t promise I will be writing more often now, but I do promise I’ll try… I think I need this small part of my world again – need it to focus… need it to concentrate… to reflect…

Dunno about other bloggers, but I used to use mine to actually be alone with my thoughts for some time… To both get away from a tough day, week or month, and to defrag my brain – analyze everything and everyone and store it in a proper part of the brains…

So, there you go – will write as usual, about my life, economy, social responsibility, about issues in Serbia, major world issues, fun, beautiful serbian women, Partizan Belgrade etc…

hahaha, what a chat!

Nikola Jovanovic — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:47:00 +0000

so I had this chat tonight with one special person. That person was trying to convince me she is not such a good person I think she is… that she is a devil, that she is mean to everyone etc…

this is just the part of the chat… and I know that for most of the people it won`t be interesting since you don`t know who it is, but I had to document this somewhere

———————-

Nino – peckopivo.nomadlife.org says:

wow, you can actually be nice to poeple?

Someone says:

yes definitelly

Someone says:

i am gd in acting , role playing and sales

Someone says:

doesn’t mean that i am exactly the person i act , but i can make people feel themselves in the play for a certain time

Nino – peckopivo.nomadlife.org says:

nope.. dn`t trust you… you are just one nice little baby-girl… not more then that

Someone says:

hah

Someone says:

you dont know the devil inside me

Someone says:

but again

Someone says:

if you think that i am a baby girl – then this is again just another prf of how successful i am

Someone says:

with acting

Nino – peckopivo.nomadlife.org says:

I`ll continue to believe then

Nino – peckopivo.nomadlife.org says:

I love you like that

Someone says:

that’s how sales work

Someone says:

su pply and demand meet at some certain point

Someone says:

adam smith calls it “invisible hand ” and the optimum point

Someone says:

but these therminology finds its reflection in real life with 3 simple words

Someone says:

“Someone” is great

Someone says:

and somehow ( invisible hand ) everybody seems to accept it

Someone says:

which is quite surprising but expectable at some extend

Someone says:

i understand your feelings babe, and i su pport you for loving me

Someone says:

it’s not your fault

——————–

Andrew the Arab

Nikola Jovanovic — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:58:00 +0000

Heard tonight and couldn`t believe my ears… and he confirmed it to me tonight…

My US mate Andrew was selected to be the first MCP of AIESEC in Oman… When I heard I was speechless (not in a bad way, just speechless, surprised), but when I thought about it, it just sounded right… sounded like something Andrew would do

Cheers mate and good luck! (and don`t forget to polish your shoes before you go… or bring enough money hehe)

am not saying good bye…

Nikola Jovanovic — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 14:46:00 +0000

so Charlotte left… her 6 months traineeship is over and she went back to France…

one of the best persons I met in my life… and eventhough I promised to my self not to connect so much with other trainees (because I hate goodbyes and losing friends), she managed to get under my skin and we before I knew it we became really really close… started with ordering food together and watching a movie to relax after a hard day at work and ended up with some deep conversations and trust and understanding that we`ve built over time… she is the one I could turn to anytime to listen to me whining about anything and bitching about everything… to hug me everytime I`m down and miss Sandra and help me out with my countdowns `till my next trip to Belgrade, to hug me actually everyday I come back from work… in short to be there for me…

And even if I told her so, I think she will never know how much I appreciate that and how important it was for me…

so, I`m not saying goodbye… I know that people lose contact over time and tend to forget, but this was so special that I simply don`t want to and won`t do it…

and I know that we will be singing this song whenever we meet, and remember The days…

Once upon a time there was a tavernWhere we used to raise a glass or twoRemember how we laughed away the hours,And dreamed of all the great things we would do
	
Those were the days my friendWe thought theyd never endWe'd sing and dance forever and a dayWe'd live the life we choseWe'd fight and never loseFor we were young and sure to have our way
	
Then the busy years went rushing by usWe lost our starry notions on the wayIf by chance Id see you in the tavernWed smile at one another and wed say
	
Those were the days...
	
Just tonight I stood before the tavernNothing seemed the way it used to beIn the glass I saw a strange reflectionWas that lonely woman really me?
	
Those were the days...
	
Through the door there came familiar laughterI saw your face and heard you call my nameOh my friends were older but no wiserFor in our hearts the dreams are still the same
	
Those were the days...

Download it here

See you soon mommy…

Been that in Belgrade to show you real places for going out and getting drunk or in Bretagne to see famous highways… ah, yeah, you don`t have tghem there

Love,
Daddy

Photos

Nikola Jovanovic — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 08:33:00 +0000

——————————————————————-
*Update: Apparently, the link was wrong Now it should be OK…
——————————————————————-
Since flickr allows only 200 photos with free subscription and I`m not willing to pay any money to them (at least not yet ), I created my own gallery with all my photos at http://www.ic2003.org/~nino/Photo.

In a couple of days I`ll add some interesting plug-ins onto it, like saving photos to your phone, comments, counters etc…

Have fun while admiring my looks (just don`t fall in love with me, for I`m taken already)

Nikola Jovanovic — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 01:58:00 +0000

A new blog worth following…
A very good friend of mine and ex-colleague at the SCTM finally decided to start publishing his amazing texts, which he has many… I indeed hope he publishes all of them…

Read and enjoy… And follow his blog at http://nbgdblokovi.mojblog.co.yu.

——————

Svetsko prvenstvo. U fudbalu. Pocinje danas. Ima i nas, posle 8 godina. Tako smo navikli, jedno preskocimo, na drugo idemo. Bar je tako od 1972. Ja pamtim prvenstva od 1982. na ovamo. Kao devetogodisnjak sam overio prvo svetsko. I prve slicice, naravno. Espana 1982. Narandzasta maskota, Pizon, Pantelic, Vujovic, Surjak, Susic, Sestic, Gudelj, Sljivo… I Miljan, podrazumeva se. Nista bez MM-a. Nazalost. Rasturili sve u kvalifikacijama, a onda, kataklizma. Zbog cega, kako i zasto, nagada se i dan danas. Naravno, nama je najvise u secanju ostao Sorensen i ponovljeni penal. Uvek nademo kako da se utesimo i sakrijemo prave razloge. Secam se i igraca Hondurasa koji su plakali. A tek nasi… I tako je sve pocelo. U Meksiku nas nije bilo, pre toga su nas pregazili na evropskom i debitovao je Pikse. Onda opet kuliramo evropsko 1988, uzivamo u nocnoj mori Rinata Dasajeva, Marku Van Bastenu. Usput je i Sekularac unakazio bolju Zvezdinu generaciju od one iz Barija. Moja nocna mora, Keln 3:0. I onda Italija 1990. Imali smo sve. Ali smo imali kljuc. Cileanci na klupi, starci na terenu, trener Osim, jedan Meho, jedan Faruk, jedan Safet, jedan Refik, Robert, Alen, (hm, po kom je ovo kljucu islo…) Davor, jedan Dragan, janeza nema. Najmocnija igra 10 protiv 11 na jednom svetskom prvenstvu. I to protiv kralja kokaina i njegovih 10 gauchosa. Plakao sam kao malo dete. I nikad necu shvatiti zasto su tako kilavo sutirali Faruk i ekipa. Ubeden sam bio da bi dosli do finala. Kakav Skilaci, kakav Mateus. But… Posle smo odmarali osam godina. Evropsko 1992, Danci, koje smo gazili, prvaci Evrope. Nas oterase kao poslednje jadnike. Pa USA 1994, Engleska 1996. I onda, Francuska 1998. Sta hoces vise? Piksi, Dejo, Mijat, Miha, Savo, Deki klinac u naponu snage… Ali dzabe. Mentol Santrach na kormilu… Nema tu harizme. Nikad je nije ni bilo. A ni postenja. Kumovi, sestrici, rodaci. Kad se tako pravi tim, tu rezultata nema. Klanovi, plemena i ostali indijanci. Mislim da nam bolje nije ni sledovalo od onog gola u 92. minutu. Dosta smo se provlacili. I kao, ponadas se da ce se konacno nesto promeniti, ali ne lezi vraze. Dode Holandija 2000. Toga ne zelim ni da se secam. Lale su uradile ono sto je trebalo da urade 2 godine ranije. Ali, ni posle toga se nista nije promenilo. Pa ni kad smo preskocili Koreju i Japan, ni kada smo preskocili Portugal. Uvek ista prica. Sada se samo sa kumova i rodaka preslo na sinove. U principu pattern je isti. Da li sam defetista? Ma nisam, samo mi je krivo sto znam da bi dosta toga mogli da uradimo da su ljudi manje alavi i da razmisljaju kako treba. A ovako. Pa nista, lozimo se vrhunski kao i uvek, spremamo kokice i pakete piva. Ako doguramo daleko, bice nam Bogovi, ako ispadnemo i svi nas pregaze, pljuvacemo ih i traziti izgovore u narusavanju atmosfere i losim odnosima u savezu, u raspadu SCG i nedostatku motiva, zastave i himne… Naci ce se vec nesto, siguran sam. Ali nekako, mozda bas zbog svega toga ovog puta treba verovati. I pred raspad prosli put smo daleko dogurali. Zasto ne i sada? A po prvi put znam brdo ljudi koji su otisli, idu ili ce ici na SP. A ja sam blizu da dobijem karte za finale! I to je neki znak. Ne samo sto je blizu, vec zato sto ljudi nekako veruju da moze cudo da se dogodi. Meni se javilo ovako: Holandija 1:0, Argentina 0:0, Obala Slonovace 1:0. Osmina finala Meksiko 2:1, cetvrtina finala Engleska 1:0, polufinale Italija 1:0, finale Brazil 1:0. Zar ovo izgleda toliko nemoguce? Ne. Malo vere, hrabrosti, harizme, srece kao u kvalifikacijama i kao na EP za mlade, malo Nikole Zigica i voila! Hajdi nije ni svesna kakvu nam je uslugu ucinila…

Vlajko and Maria in Istanbul

Nikola Jovanovic — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 02:53:00 +0000

100_0919
Originally uploaded by PeckoPivo.

As I said, a wonderful weekend it was…
After a great Saturday with trainees and aiesecers from Istanbul, I spent a great Sunday and Monday with Vlajko, Maria, 12 other Brussels trainees and Ozi&Asli (alumnis from Turkey).
It was really cool seeing Vlajko in Istanbul and especially Maria after more then 2 years…

Thanks for a great time (and beer and chocolates, of course )!

The rest of the photos from both days is at Flickr.

Happy and proud… at last…

Nikola Jovanovic — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 02:15:00 +0000

“Rekli su mi da je došla iz provincije,
strpavši u kofer snove i ambicije.
Drug je studirao sa njom,
pa smo se najzad sreli ona i ja.
Shvatih, Bože, ovo je sazveždje za nju provincija…”

This is a story about an extraordinary person… A person with so much passion and motivation… A person that inspires and gives you a reason to believe in people…

Only two years ago she was one of the members in a LC that was about to be closed… No people, no plan, no knowledge, big financial problems… Noone believed in them…
Then, love for AIESEC, stubborness and passion helped and she took over the LC, gathering a new team and motivating them to work harder then ever… to show everyone that they were wrong about them… to show everyone what real AIESEC is all about… It took only a year for her to make this LC the best in the country, with loads of motivated members and constant growth in all aspects…

Then she moved to Belgrade, to work in the MC… I noticed that she didn`t change a lot… She was still the same person I met in Nis, driven by passion, not an agenda. Always losing nerves on small, irrelevant things and on the other side making miracles… In less then 6 months, she succeded what I couldn`t 2 years before – she brought CSR to Serbia… so smooth as it was the easiest thing in the world… heh…

And on the last NatCo, she took another step and became the MCP… And even if her mandate is officially starting in May, she already started sharing her energy and passion… I`ve never heard so many young members talking about their future in AIESEC, but after her presentation during the voting procedure. So emotional, so efficient… To hell with recruitment and selection processes – just bring people to the conference and let her talk to them…

And I`ve never been happier or more proud… She and her LC were the reason why I resigned from my MC position 2 years ago – they worked so hard at that time to rebuild their LC from ashes and other LCs were more then unsupportive. Not only that they didn`t believe in her and her LC, but some of them were directly working against… That dissapointed me and I quit…
But now, almost all the pieces of the puzzle are at their place… Let`s just wait one more year, to give her some time to put @ SCG where it belongs… Then the puzzle will be completed… and I know it will happen…

Way to go baby… Don`t ever change…