Change Is Not Really Happening That Fast

The buzz in the business world is all about how complex things are and, specifically, how fast everything is changing.  If you are a leader in business you need to be so smart and adapt so quickly...  That is such a load of bull.  Yes, things are changing quickly, or at least there are greater possibilities, choices and options available right now.

What I find in businesses is that in general business leaders aren't really changing.  Right now I can think of at least six leaders and business models that are based on old thinking.  I understand that actual change really takes time.  Media and the status-quo would lead us to believe that everything is changing so fast.  In reality I see these powers that be as the ones changing the slowest.  It is in their best interest to keep things as it is.  Take the latest Robin Hood film starring Russell Crowe:  Just when it looks like true change will come after generations of hierarchical, unjustified, autocratic exploitation by a leader over the people things simply remain the same - the leader has seen how beneficial a system of dominance is in his favour.  "Why change it, it works for me?"

The same thing is happening in organisations globally.  Truly transformational models of business have emerged in the early 1980's in South America (here I refer to Semco) as well as earlier than that on other continents (the Tata group of companies come to mind) but it has been isolated.  My question is why hasn't it happened more?  Why hasn't this truly transformational business models been occurring much more.  It is a model where the business is about people first and how they come together to create a better world through what they do - real meaning!

Instead of the direction of the organisation being set by a bunch of people that only want to see a financial return; how about the direction set by the people on the ground and who have a daily relationship with the business - they are the business.

So here is my current thesis on why this does not happen more: Leaders with big egos.  Of the greatest leader when he is gone they will say we did it ourselves.  The greatest leader is one that is not a leader.  There is no such thing as leadership.  I am convinced there is only love, dedication, vision and action.  A person that can use love, dedication, vision and action to enable others to do the same is needed.  It is not about them - they know that.  It is about using their abilities to help others do whatever is needed to get the job done and do it in excellence!

As soon as we start talking about leadership people clamor for position, title and money.  Ask people to help others achieve their wildly important goals and help the organisation succeed while these people get all the recognition and reward and I don't think you will have many people left that can do the job.  It is a job that requires people to see them selves as enablers, facilitators and connectors so that things can start unfolding on their own.  You have to be secure in your identity so that you don't have to fight for it publicly and embrace complexity so that things can unfold organically.

My aim is to spread the message and work with people to unleash potential and release creativity and let it go where it needs to go.  What are you up to?

Dream vs Security

On my journey I am continuously challenged by different opportunities.  I dream of freedom, creativity and simplicity.  As I dream I look around me to see what needs to be done practically.  I am continuously aware of the tension between the dreams in my heart and the requirements of living a life that is secure.  Secure, that's a nice word.  What the bleep is it anyway... Security!?  Is it freedom from danger, risk, etc. as the dictionary tells you?  Is it something that we put on to make us feel better - a little like an expensive coat?  A coat that can be taken away at any moment...

Why does it look like if you choose security you sacrifice your dreams?  I see so many people that have settled for security or have faced the choice of taking greater risks and have chosen to settle for something secure.  I personally also know people that have taken risks and have then burnt their fingers trying a new venture.  The result is that they then choose a more secure option for the future.  Can you blame them?  You have to start thinking of the kids, education costs, retirement...  The list is endless.  The basic cost of a decent standard of living is rather ridiculous.  Have you ever been in a situation where you look at what's left of your salary/income after deductions for medical aid, cars, house and a few other basics and thought to yourself: "How on earth is this possible?"

I am an idealist, iconoclast, dreamer and believer!  I want to see the small guy win.  I hunger to see a world that really cares but still gets things done.  I hope to find many more inspiring leaders just around the corner.  I see the future for others as they themselves can't even see it yet.
In all this I have to find peace in tension.  Tension between the dream and security.  Tension between action and rest.  Tension between fatalism and free will.  Aaaagh!  Man this is really frustrating... And actually very exciting.  It is not just one thing.  Not boring.  In actual fact the challenge is beautiful.  The way I see it is that if I can get a little more comfortable with change I can be so much more - BE, NOT DO!

I guess this is why I try stuff.

Measure by Growth

What do you measure by? Results are important but many times results come much later like fruit on a tree or grapes on a vine.
Many times in the past I have looked back when it seems like I am heading in the wrong direction and asked my parents if they think I have made a mistake.  The answer that I mostly got was: "No, because we can see how much you have grown".
Perhaps they are looking at results but it is results on a continuum.  In other words the result is me being more mature yet knowing that it is the next step on the journey that I have achieved, not a destination or final measurable result.

My current season really reflects such a phase.  I know that I have grown tremendously in the last year and have come to accept myself as I am more than ever before.  I am making peace with where I am and have come to greater insight regarding ambition.  I see ambition as the driving and destructive force behind our current global condition.  Think about what ambition - the desire to achieve, stand out and be something, has done to our world and communities.  Never before have we been so ambitious in our goals and never before have we wreaked such havoc on our planet.  Inequality is greater than ever and even though we have made major advances that contribute to our standard of living we are no happier than 50 years ago.

I believe that it is ambition that drives a meaningless pursuit after our own, predominantly instant, gratification.  We have polarised our societies into those that are rushing forward at a reckless pace and those that seek greater meaning and purpose in what they do.  I don't think this divide will ever change but hopefully more and more people can meet in the middle where we engage one another in work that centers on love, money and meaning.  I don't think we have to settle for the tyranny of the 'or'.  It does not have to be about money or love; why not both?

What I do make a case against is the domination of our ambition that blindly leads us over the precipice into the abyss.  Ambition that looks at monetary results and ignore the growth of individuals and communities.  Ambition that ignores the growth required to make things more sustainable and full of life.

So what are we measuring?  What is the result we are looking for, and more importantly, who do we have to be to realise our dream?

Try Stuff

For those of you who don't know I am fairly young.  I turned 31 earlier this month.  I have however been privileged to live on 3 continents, an island, 3 countries, have witnessed snow, tropical storms, lava, amazing wildlife, bodyboarded in different oceans, snowboarded on a mountain, worked in vineyards, built a house, waitered, catered, consulted, coached, facilitated, studied, got married, and had a kid.
Maybe I am just restless and perhaps I could have been way more financially successful by now if I denied my heart and curiosity, stuck with tradition and tried one thing.  In reality I see myself as experienced (experience is what successful people call their failures) and would not want to change a thing about my past.  Point is that I love trying stuff.  I know my personality is prone to this but I have really gotten in to it over the years.
I am always very sad to see people hide behind what is safe and never take a risk to try new stuff.  How else can you truly discover your passion and purpose?  I do believe it should come together in work that answers your need for love, money, and meaning but opening up the opportunities is essential.

Even now as I stand on the edge of something new and amazing (moving back to Stellenbosch in a few days) I look forward to transforming my memories into hope and in this way use my past to help create my future.  Ultimately this is at the heart of our spiritual experience - looking back and making sense of what has happened so that we can be more in the future.  It is at the heart of purpose and destiny; purpose and destiny that we choose.  Choose to learn.  Choose to live.  Choose to be transformed and shed the shackles of self-centered ambition generated by our fear and ego.  Who am I, where have I come from and where am I going?  What do I live for?

Making the Change Connection

In my previous post I spoke about looking inside myself for real change.  I would like to take it a step further and link it to the actions we take, the work we do, the decisions we make.  Have a look at this clip and take a few moments to think about the link between your internal world and the external world that you encounter.  How does your behaviour (thoughts, actions and emotions) interact with the world out there?  When we have a great idea and can apply it in our own lives  it does not necessarily mean that it will flow to the world out there.

I don't want to contradict myself  in terms of where your focus lies when it comes to change - change begins inside.  Many times we are unhappy about our circumstances and we love to blame the rest of the world for our pain.  In reality we create our own pain.  Once I have however seen the error of my ways and can start to change my behaviour I want to start thinking about how it touches the lives of others.  As you will see in the clip there are three ingredients to change:  First you have to have an idea, then connect with other people and finally take some action.

What I have come to realise is that when changing something outside of myself has beome bigger than changing myself I have lost perspective.  The most important guideline here is not to take myself too seriously.  Being motivated by some misdirected sense of duty and therefor doing things because "I have to" is really not what I am aiming at here.  In line with the values (freedom, creativity and simplicity) that I identified I frequently check that I am not striving to be accepted but rather let action flow from a full and whole heart.  At the heart of the change process there is the reality that if I am not focusing on being changed I cannot expect others to change.

So I challenge you: Have you been changing inside lately?  Have you considered how you interact with the world around you?  How are your actions (or lack thereof) having an impact on the world around you?
I think this is very difficult and the answer probably changes every now and again.  I think there are some core things (values, principles and beliefs) that remain and define who you are but the how changes.  The more you are aware of your core the easier it is to tackle the how.

I want to connect with more people that have a calm determination regarding their place in this world.  I can't change this world but I would like to be with people who are changing themselves, improving their worlds and simply spreading that vibe. How about you?

The Change Conundrum

You really think you can change stuff?  No, I mean really?  All those wonderful attempts that, you make to be the wonderful, amazing person that actually wins the Nobel peace prize - what is it for?  I think we think too much of what we can actually change and completely miss the point of what needs to change.

Deep rooted change lies within yourself.  The first thing that needs to change is the way I see the world.  Once this has taken root I can change the way I approach the world.  If there is one thing that I have been learning in the last while it is that my power, ideas, creativity, etc. is not as much as I think it is.  Where I truly shine is where no-one sees me.  It is the deep work of the soul.  It is the work that gets done when no-one is looking and that I don't get rewarded or recognised for in the traditional public spheres.

I know however I have done this work and that I am successful when my wife looks me in the eye and can say that after a tough time together she loves me even more than before.  I know I have done the work when I hold my little boy and I am not in a rush to get anything else done but just hold him and be in his space.

Seriously, do we really think that building that company or building, making great profit, saving the world or bring great illumination is going to do anything if we have not made those changes inside ourselves?  There really is nothing new under the sun but it is very interesting how easily we forget the lessons history has taught us.  It is as if every generation wants to go and find out for themselves.  Every generation wants to go and scratch that itch for itself but then never stops scratching.  Peace and contentment are fleeting ideas of some other esoteric religious sect, not something close to our hearts or even in it.

The problem is not out there I realise.  It is in here with me.

The Gifts of Pain

In my previous post I spoke about the challenges that I am going through in terms of physical pain.  I would like to follow-up with the gifts of pain.  In the last year and a half I have been brought to my knees, literally and figuratively, and even though I would never want to go through this again I believe that we are given the opportunity to claim who we really are when we are in pain or go through periods of suffering.

Through the tears, anger and deep disappointment I have to look myself in the eye and see a man that has to be brave due to circumstances.  I now realise that being brave is actually not something that I want to do.  My idea of the hero that is so brave has blown away with the wind.  Being brave means that you have to dig in where it hurts; it means you have to do stuff you really don't want to do, again and again and again until your energy is depleted and you feel like crawling into a little ball and die.

It is here though that I have the choice to get up again through the pain, tears and pills and just focus on the next ten minutes or hour.  Ignore the fear of having to this for an indeterminate time.  What I am saying is that the character that is being built, the faith that is being developed and the relationships that are being strengthened is invaluable.  They are gifts of pain.

I don't want to be sore.  I don't want to be weak.  I do however have to face myself, let my ego be trimmed and my will be shaped so that I can be here and have peace with who I am no matter what I do or how I look.  All that is not necessary is being challenged and removed.  It is another gift that is accompanied by pain.

Today I fight to smile.  Today I look for the beautiful.  Today I cry.  Today I recognise the opportunity to live.  Today I welcome peace and joy.  Today I welcome the gifts of pain.

A Bit of Silence and A Lot of Reflection

I haven't posted anything in the last two weeks or so.  Since the beginning of the year I have been very consistent and did not miss a week.  Over the last few weeks however I have gone into my shell and have been quite silent.  In the silence I have been reflecting a lot, looking at how things 'hang together' and hence I now write this post as a result of it.

Have you ever gone into times when it seems like the world is disconnected from your reality?  A time when other people speak a language you don't understand; it even seems like their lips are moving but what they are saying is completely senseless or even in some cases completely void of any sound.  I have just gone through about three weeks of that.  During these three weeks I have also been rather emotional.  I am not normally very emotional.  In fact, I am quite left brain and can control my emotions masterly.  It has not been like that over the last few weeks.  Now something has to really shift in order for me to embrace deep underlying emotions the way I have.

A number of things have in fact flowed together to bring about this waterfall of reflection, transformation and emotion.  The big thing that I don't normally talk about is my physical condition.  As I have an auto-immune condition where my immune system gets bored and then attacks the healthy tendons where they connect to the joints.  This causes severe pain, stiffness and fatigue.  Some mornings I don't even feel like getting out of bed - literally!  I sit on the side of the bed breathe deeply and attempt to get onto my feet, ankles and knees that simply fold away under me when I get up.  It sometimes takes a few tries before I get moving.  The mornings are difficult but fortunately it gets a bit better later in the afternoon.  The catch is that I have a limb length discrepancy - big words for saying that my right leg is 7mm shorter than my left.  Add a bit of inflammation to the problem and voila my hip rotates out of position every now and then.  In order to combat this I have to do my stretches and core exercises religiously.  All of this takes quite a bit of time and energy.

I am also six months into a new job and through all of the change and adaptation I have come to see where my real value lies.  Accordingly I am taking up my studies with great vigour.  Perhaps my original plans of using this blog as a source of income and creating more freedom in this way will still happen later on.  The reality is that I have learned that the values that I identified earlier; freedom, creativity and simplicity are as relevant now as ever before.  The difference is how it is applied.  Freedom of thought, ideas and reasoning; creativity of life in every regard - in the house, relationships, work and artistic expression and finally simplicity which is reflected in focus and reduction - use what I need and recognise the difference between need and want.

As I navigate this part of my journey I long for the deeper parts of what I am created for and know that it will take a combination of steady action, trust and patience in order to bring about a sense of wholeness that has eluded me for far too long.

Where are you on your journey?  What are you learning?  How are you moving from survive to alive?

Moment of Truth

I just had a moment of truth ...A grand realisation that perhaps I really am that different and special.  Perhaps I truly should be challenging the status quo, not by creating my own status quo but by tearing down captivity and building foundations of freedom.  I continue to have conversations with people that seem truly open minded but with some more investigation I realise that they might have adopted language that 'keeps them on the edge' but that their approach and expectation of life still very much resembles the industrial revolution - top down, hierarchical, unilateral, etc.  It will work for a little longer but the world is a different place today...

What I have come to realise is that the tool of control has served us (modern society in general) rather well over the last century or so.  The challenge now is that control is no longer as useful as it once was.  The scientific approach to business management was all about that.  The leader was the one who controlled, knew everything and was infallible.  That kind of leadership will pass soon and only businesses and leaders that embrace connection, trust and complexity will last.

This is the next step.  Leaders must become facilitators in order to trust the organisation's future to everyone involved.  Yet few people are willing to push for this kind of change.  What is much more likely is that people stick to their old ways, ways that are not so threatening, in order to keep their position of power.  I have seen this very often in the business environment.  Due to different influences people don't want to change and most of the time right at the centre of it all sits some kind of fear.

I don't think that my mind or abilities are that special or different but I do believe that they are geared towards a specific purpose to which I need to pay more attention.  I know that through my efforts on this blog, academic talents and abilities to write, facilitate and teach I can devote my life to a great passion for change.  It is a gift-set, passion and awareness that few other people share and because of that I am excited.  Within that lies my unique contribution and realising it has really been a moment of truth for me; a little like when the winemaker gets to taste the grapes of the season for the first time. In that instance everything that has led up to that moment, every element comes together to reveal the special character of that season.  It helps me to go from survive to alive.

Wisdom Journey

Every day spent in a big city makes me think about the pace of life.  What are the things I get up for in the morning?  What is the golden thread that connects everything?  I am really challenging myself to see things differently and especially see myself differently.  I need to reframe myself and my life in order to approach challenges with peace.  Part of this is also recognising the really important things that I need to be a part of and which things are distracting me.  I believe this will also bring peace.  I do not want to focus on things that seem great but that are actually distracting me.

I desire to look at life integrated and holistically and not let one part dominate the rest (as I wrote earlier this year).  More and more I am becoming aware of how important it is to take the journey inside and connect with the journey outside.  I find that if I am busy and distracted on the outside that it has a negative impact on the inside.  I need to travel the soul and travel the world in order to connect with humanity and with myself and I see this as my Journey to gather wisdom, grow in wisdom and share it with a hungry disconnected world.  It is a journey of spiritual intelligence and connectedness that taps and feeds my greatest potential and leads to being truly alive.

It is a Wisdom Journey that I am on and this is the golden thread that connects the different parts of my life.  It is my choice to see it this way and it is my choice to make a difference by being on this journey.  It is a life of beauty and simplicity; freedom and creativity.  It is about connecting with my highest values and letting my energy flowing from there.  In a way it is like being a martial artist that merely sees every challenge as an opportunity to dance - taking the perceived negative energy and translating it into beautiful positive movement (thank you Julian).

How do you see your life?  How can you reframe in order to position yourself to be truly alive?

Grit Baby, GRIT!

The last two posts looked at dreaming as well as habits.  The whole idea is that we want to make shifts in life but how?  That is why I have looked at dreaming as the source.  On the other hand it seems like connecting dreams with hard goals and driving towards them have created a world that is in danger of falling apart.
That is also why habits can serve as a method of making a shift by focusing on the moment and intrinsic value.  From here the challenge is to stick to one thing.  Identify an area of passion that can be sustained over a period of time.  It means that you have to combine perseverance with sustained passion in order to get things right.  Not just an interest or curiosity but a burning passion for something over a long period and whenever something becomes too challenging you have the ability to persevere through the difficult times.  This is what is called grit and you can watch this video to understand it better.  I guess the words of Mister Han in the latest Karate Kid rings true: "Your focus needs more focus."

The challenge however is that you could be sticking to the wrong stuff.  Perhaps you have learned perseverance from your parents or you're that kind of person that never gives up.  You know that you have to do this thing no matter what and no-one can talk you out of it.  But what if it is not really a passion and what you are doing is in fact leading you in the wrong direction - not grit, just perseverance.  Ever hear that old saying that you climb the corporate ladder to the top only to find out that it is leaning up against the wrong wall.

On the other hand you could be too impatient because you are over-passionate.  Perhaps you are pushing too hard to get somewhere.  This is also not grit.  It is truly a delicate yet powerful combination that can propel you forward.  It is a way that you don't have to drive towards change but where you are internally transformed and change occurs around you.

This is truly a rare combination of sustained passion and perseverance that results in true grit.  I meet few people that display this but also find great challenges not to get distracted and rather isolate a passion.  One passion that will give my focus more focus and then... Persevere.

Not Goals, Habits

In the previous post I wrote about dreaming.  Simply just dreaming!  I see so many people that have given up and feel that they're dreams just don't matter anymore - what nonsense!  But that was last week and you are welcome to read more about that right here.



It does all start with dreams but my question is what follows next?  Set those big goals and hit it as hard as you possibly can?  Rev it up and see where it ends? Man O Man!  I am simply tired of all the rushing and pushing for bigger and badder every year by the "leaders" in society.  I do believe that we have to look at our behaviour and change, transform, grow and simply be amazing.  ...But how?

Just to recap: I have been working with people development and in business now for about 11 years within different fields and what strikes me every day is how simple it is to fail.  There are endless resources that are really excellent out there yet it is still so easy to fail.  It is simply about the behaviour that is so deeply rooted.  I think it is because we have faith in our behaviour; faith in our habits.  ...Faith that it will bring us comfort, security and protection against the thing we don't want - failure.  It is a little like believing that brushing your teeth will save your life.

What I am getting at here is that our habits shape us because they are rooted in our beliefs.  I am also challenging the approach that you need to change your beliefs before you change your behaviour.  I am not saying that your beliefs are not important but sometimes seeing is believing.  If you can see the effect that changed habits have on your life you will perhaps be persuaded to believe that you can.

I have gone through periods that I have had to choose to change habits (perhaps pressured to a certain extent) and through this have been able to see what I am capable of.  The reality is that when I change a habit my behaviour changes and I am made aware of what I believed about myself previously.  So here is the great epiphany: focus your focus and passion on habits rather than goals as an alternative approach. I guess it does relate to the principle of ensue that has this habit of popping up every time.  The point is that if you are doing something because you feel called to do it and make time in every day to pursue it there should be a breakthrough.  Focus on the outcome and it has a way of causing stress.  Be in the moment and find the intrinsic value of your activities, build habits (e.g. playing a guitar for an hour a day, every day between 8 and 9pm) around these activities and see real growth occur.

Dream, Just Dream

I have had some really beautiful conversations with some special people in the last few days and it has opened my eyes to the power of dreams.  Dreams are ideas deeply embedded within us that we hope will become real.  Yes, there is a lot of hard work that goes into making a dream come true but the beginning is so important.  ...The beginning is where your imagination takes you to a place that you are someone different.  It is a place where you have overcome fears and where you are truly living up to your potential.

This is as special as it gets.  The conversations that I have been having have really inspired me because I had the opportunity to share my dream with people as well as listen to the dreams of others.  What I have also found, sadly, is that there are a number of people that dream of getting away or out of something.  That's it; nothing more.  It is a fantasy of escape but with no destination or journey beyond that.  No dreaming.  In the same instance I am saddened and overjoyed because even if people aren't dreaming there is an opportunity to revive an old dream or begin a new one.

You are responsible to the world to live your dream and nothing less!  It is a responsibility that is the greatest privilege.  It starts with the reality of your dream; the acknowledgement that you do have a dream and that is as important as anyone else's.  No one can dream your dream for you and ultimately no-one can live it for you.  NO ONE BUT YOU!

By dreaming and living your dreams you fill this world with more beauty.  And that beauty no one else can give to the world except you.  We have every day to decide how we will live and if that decision is not powered by dreams what is it powered by?

Dare to dream and then dare to take dream-inspired action.  Dont' wait untill tomorrow or the most-ideal day.  TODAY!  Grab a pen and paper and write something down.  Put some pictures on a piece of paper.  Take photographs of things that inspire you and remind you of who you are and where you are heading.  Above all remind yourself that you are special and only you can dream your dreams.

Trust and Action

Last week's post was all about looking for the loopholes in our unwritten social contracts.  This week I would like to follow-up with a post looking at how much you trust and how much action you take?

I look at many people in my environment and see over-hasty and busy people.  I also see a lot of people that simply trust that things will work out without taking the appropriate actions.  In the last year I have gotten some good lessons on trust and I am still learning.  I know it is something of vital importance.  I can see that there are many times that I am confronted with fear being a failure and then react by trying extra hard or being extra busy - I over-compensate.  I lose sight of my purpose, become impatient and then let fear govern my action.  Like I mentioned above, I am learning to recognise the signs sooner, be calm and trust that the path I am on is the one that I need to be on.

From this awareness I concentrate on the few things that are really important.  I use journaling to bring my thoughts into the light and also look back at previous journal entries to remind me of why I am here.  The idea is to reduce things to the required minimum in order to release the beauty of life.  This is where the action is rooted and also combined with patience and trust - not so easy...

Think about which actions combined with trust (peace and contentment) will give the desired result.
Aha!  Now things are getting interesting - results, oh yeah!  Is that the focus?  Or should you be doing things for intrinsic reasons according to the principle of ensue?  I guess it is a bit of a paradox where you get the results by not focusing on it (no I am not on some experimental drug).

The point is not getting bogged down into distracting activities but to make sure that you are busy with the right stuff. It is a unrelenting focus on the non-negotiable basics of your life.  Never back down and always look for the loopholes in order to stay true to your path.  I don't want to sit back and wait for a super event that will change my life but I also do not want to run around trying to control everything due to fear that I will not make it.  My actions must flow from a place of trust and patience rooted in purpose and meaning.


P.s. I took the picture a few years back and I think it speaks to the approach of taking action from a place of trust and patience - easy and sure on the beach...

You Gotta Be a Lawyer

Nowadays you have to be a lawyer if you want to do things differently.  You might say: "Huh, are you nuts?  ...Me a lawyer?"  Nope, not nuts.  What I am referring to is the set ways of society.  Even though we have made great changes in the world we live in and there are many more opportunities and options there still are many rules, norms, and accepted ways of doing things - especially in the world of work.  Have a look at my previous post where I took a cynical view on the world of work and survival in order to look at some of the hidden norms and values that we perhaps do not question that much.

If you want to break out and really do things with flair and fire you need to ask yourself where the loopholes are.  Pretty much like a lawyer looking at a contract.  In life we pretty much have various unwritten contracts that help us along the way.  Whether it helps us in the right direction or the wrong one is debatable.  The point is that we engage in work, leisure, friendship, and many other good things based on certain assumptions/expectations of how we are supposed to do it.  And here is the magic of society:  These rules and norms guide us without us even knowing it.  We do that lovely little human thing called assume.  In my opinion wars are started on assumptions - don't assume.

We assume that friends are really honest with us (and themselves); we assume that the way that I am working is the right (or best) way; we assume that the way things are done is the best way (especially if someone senior with a title told me to); we assume that I can't take risks because I will fail; we assume that things won't get better so I might as well get use to it; we assume...

As a lawyer you don't assume, you investigate and look for areas where someone else assumed that they won't notice or see an important loophole.  So for example in my life I don't assume that things are set.  Very few things are.  Most things in life is invented and until someone else comes along that does not assume but rather investigates or challenges the 'as is' or status quo.  The art lies in how you dig in.  I have made a number of mistakes by being too direct or blunt as well as wanting to change the system before changing myself - very important lesson that I have learnt and need to look out for because it is a weakness - I'd rather change the system than myself.

So now I look for loopholes before I try to change the whole system as well as see where I need to be more diplomatic or soft in my approach and then pray for a lot of patience in order to change the system.  I gotta be a lawyer to go from survive to alive and make the loopholes work for me.  The big thing I realised is that it links to my highest practical values and that is what keeps me motivated.

P.s. Now if you are really curious you would wonder what the text in the picture is all about...

Survival of the New Fit

So here's a bit of a cynical take on things: Is there a new elite in business that is setting a damaging pace but with a smile.  In the past (and in many cases still today) there has been a ruthless approach to performance in business. 

Quite simply if you can't produce the numbers you are swiftly removed from the organisation.  This use to be a rather cold and ruthless way of doing things without any care or empathy.  Now, however it seems like there is much more care and empathy within businesses but still no tolerance for poor performance.

It seems like it is exactly the same intolerance for non-performance but at least you get a smile.  Krishnamurti once wrote that "it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society".  It seems like we are becoming very well adjusted to a very sick society.  What I am specifically referring to here is the push to performance and the continual growth of people required to perform at these levels - a new breed of 'fit' individuals that are surviving.  I have spoken to many individuals that testify to burnout and I have also witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of a business society that puts massive pressure on people in order to gain results.  Please don't get me wrong, I do not say that poor performance is acceptable but the pressure on people to perform or be rejected by the system is not healthy.  In fact I don't even want to talk about performance - we are not cars.  Perhaps the term should rather be accomplishment.

It is therefore no longer blatant/cold domination but now a psychological approach where you are culled with emotional rejection and social isolation in order to move a cohesive breed of predatory business people forward.  The pace of capitalism and the electronic herd determines the pace of our development and the shape of comfort and discomfort.  We are indeed very well adjusted and do it with a smile.  You lose control due to the price of living with certain standards set externally but gain control through time spent within the system as a means to learn how to beat it.

Like I said, it is perhaps a cynical view and only highlights the negativity of the situation.  From the last sentence of the previous paragraph I do however believe that there is much to learn within a sick society.  True transformation starts with awareness and if there is anything to be taken away from this post it is to be aware that you are perhaps only surviving in a sick society.  See the sickness and take a decision to start (or continue) the healing in your own life.  The more individuals there are that heal themselves in a sick society, the better the chance of healing the society.

So perhaps we see the result of moderate change instead of true radical change at the moment.  Perhaps this is the 'safe' way of doing it.  Who can be certain?  All I know is that it is my job to challenge the dominant thinking and suggest new ways of looking at our current situation in order to assist in the transformation of society.

BOOM!

Musing, Coffee, and Momentum

So the last few days I have been in Cape Town for work.  I am currently at the airport waiting to board.  Obviously I am using the time wisely to muse on my current situation over some good coffee.  I think about the momentum I am experiencing in more ways than one.

On the one hand I am enjoying the physical momentum and motion of traveling by car, plane, elevator, escalator, and foot.  The mere movement through space and time is invigorating and inspires me to write this blog.  I'll follow-up and connect some of my previous topics but I though it wise to stand still in order to move forward.  On the other hand my physical condition is currently not well suited to travelling.  The pain I am experiencing makes it tough not only to travel but when combined with the rigours of client-facing facilitation work that demands high energy at all times it is very exhausting.

There is however magic that happens inside of me.  The stretch due to the momentum is truly magnificent and perhaps by looking at it from this perspective it is in fact following-up on my previous post quite well.  Just as I feel the stretch of working more interdependently I am also feeling the stretch that momentum brings.  So here I refer to momentum in psychological terms.  The fact that things are moving and I need to move, or have momentum of thought and being, in order to benefit from the new challenge.  I expand in order to adapt and the expansion creates depth inside of me as a human being.

I don't have to.  I can also complain that I am physically and emotionally drained because of it but in reality that doesn't matter.  What really matters is whether I see the big picture.  This is my season to traverse some of the more challenging and possible darker aspects of my personality.  In the last while I wanted to hide away somewhere that is comfortable and only use my strengths.  Man, how the circumstances are teaching me masterful life lessons and I am definitely learning that the height of cultivation runs to simplicity.

Right here, right now, I feel joy, satisfaction, hope and blessing.  I will continue my journey and write my story because there is no-one else that can.  My voice is my voice and I will use it to speak life.  I will not dwell on what is wrong but see the beauty and blessing around me and in me.  There is so much beauty that I can't be bothered by all the bulls#!t.

Ps. Please excuse the rather intense expression but I believe my current emotional state needs some intense expression!

Pps.  I am however very tired at the moment...

Lone Ranger or A-Team?

Late last year I started a wonderful journey with a group of people in a new business.  I moved from a situation where I pretty much had an independent role and could conduct most of my day according to my own preference.  As I made the moved I was not fully aware that my new role would require me to be so interdependent.

I was in fact a little shell-shocked when I had to go from a place of independence and considerable competence to interdependence and incompetence.  I have in fact been stretched and tested on some of my weaknesses that I didn't expect.  The lone ranger in me just wanted to fight it with all the energy I had.  Fortunately I was aware of my personality and how I was reacting.  I could pause and decide to respond in an appropriate manner.  My original reaction was to get on my horse, six-gun at my side, and ride of into the sunset on my own - Lone Ranger style.

The circumstances I found myself in, however, challenged me on my Lone Ranger attitude and I had to make a choice.  I realised that I had to dig in and become part of the A-Team.  I could see how the challenge would reveal a part of me that would create a synergy within myself and the team.  The beauty of it was that within the A-Team I would still be able to have my own unique role; I would still be able to maintain the heart of a Lone Ranger as well as fit in with the team.  Not either/or but both!

In order to go from survive to alive I had to overcome the fear of losing myself within a bigger whole.  I had to confront the fear that my uniqueness would be lost and I would have to go through long days merely getting by on some of my lesser skills.  In reality I now see that through sacrifice a better road is being built where excellence is being revealed.  I am being sharpened every day.

I am naturally a bit of a recluse and love my own company.  I have perhaps been doing it a bit too much.  Things happen for a reason and I can see that this phase is working on my hermit mentality.  I believe that some of my best work still happens on my own but it is empty and meaningless if I can't build and share it with others - balance and synergy.

In the end I will always connect and collaborate with others and it is good to see how it is happening in this phase of my life.  I wanted the exposure and growth but wasn't aware that it was going to be so tough.  It is however a plan coming together and I love it when a plan comes together!

Kick It Like Bruce Lee

A while back I used a quote by Bruce Lee that goes like this: "One does not accumulate but eliminate.  It is not daily increase but daily decrease.  The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity."  Now I know he said this with specific reference to Jeet Kune Do but the philosophy behind it is very powerful.  It is the same as an artist that reveals a magnificent sculpture from the rock, removing bit by bit until the artwork is revealed.



Society does not teach this anymore.  I believe that in society we are taught to accumulate.  We lose focus of the journey of cultivation and instead we keep adding on until we are so smothered wit stuff that we have lost sight of our journey.

A good illustration of this is the saying, work hard, play hard - more of everything!  Yip, squeeze life so full of stuff that there is no room for you.  How about just living?  I get so sick of 'successful' people that put the pressure on society due to their accumulation syndrome.  I believe we can do with less and be more.

It is however about getting and keeping my focus right.  By implication focus means that there are things I need to say no to or my energy well be dispersed and when I strike it will be off-centre and weak.  What I want is on-target and powerful blows.  The real accomplishment in this is perfecting the art and not what can be gained through it.  It is therefore of intrinsic value and not primarily instrumental.

My passion here lies in knowing myself and specifically questioning the image society projects on me.  I will reduce what is not necessary in mind and heart first and let that guide powerful action.
It is this compelling vision of simplicity that gives me energy.  Knowing that I am free of many of the burdens society want to heap on me.  I can choose and I choose me; revealed from the rock and ready to strike a powerful blow.

Awareness

There are a number of things that are not quite the way that I want them in my life at the moment.  I would venture and say that most people can say the same at the moment.  What am I doing about it?  I have come to a place where I realise that awareness of who I am is once again giving me the breakthrough.

I recently did the Myers Briggs personality test again and through doing this I have come to realise where my blind spots are holding me back.  The biggest insight has been that I get stressed when things are not settled.  I really like getting finality and closure and if things are 'in the air' I get stressed.  For the last few months I have been trying to clearly understand why I get stressed and this I believe is a very great insight for myself.  What I also realise is that I unsettle things for myself by desiring growth.  So on the one hand having things settled really helps me but on the other hand I am very future orientated and struggle to be present because I want to grow.

It doesn't make things easier however because even though I know this is what causes the stress how do I now go about improving my situation.  Certain things simply are outside of my control and will be settled when they are settled.

The most important thing that I do have control over is my response, not reaction, response.  Reaction is impulsive and response is decided.  I choose my response.  I therefore need to become aware of the things that are unsettling me, take a breath to experience the emotions and then decide the most appropriate response to the situation.  The bottom line however is that if I don't have a greater dream and purpose that propels me forward it becomes a futile exercise and very tiring.  So using a personality analysis tool to understand how I react has become very useful in order for me to recognise the emotions and fear I am going through in order to decide how I would like to respond.
Phew!  All this growing is hard work.

So if you are not serious about stepping out and going from survive to alive don't try this at home.

Am I Generation Y?

In the last few weeks my circumstances and conversations have led me to ask whether I am Generation Y.  It seems like the general definition of Generation Y is the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s, typically regarded as increasingly familiar with digital and electronic technology.

This is really not very specific.  Upon searching a bit further I also came upon the following (http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/07/36-facts-about-generation-y-in-the-workplace-and-beyond/):

• About 60% of younger workers say it is not very likely or not likely at all that they will stay with their current employers for the remainder of their working life. (In contrast, 62% of Generation X workers say it’s likely they will never leave their current employer while 84% of Baby Boomers expect to remain with their current employer for the rest of their working life.)
• Only 1/3 of Millennials say their current job is their career. 
• 41% of Millennials use only a cell phone and have no landline.
• 53% of the total blogging population is 21-35 years old. 

and

• Most live under the radar of establishment (www.litmos.com) 

Now the picture starts getting a little clearer.  Perhaps I can summarise what I understand Millenials or Generation Y'ers are all about:  I want to be real about who I am and do not necessarily want to subscribe to the rules and norms of the 'establishment'.  I see possibilities everywhere and get frustrated with people that look at me and want to subscribe a certain role to me because of my age.  I am passionate about change and want to see that our planet is treated better.

From this point of of view I definitely am part of Generation Y and proud of it!  What I however have encountered is that society, or more specifically business, is not that open to Generation Y.  They are still operating on older command and control models that is not Generation Y friendly.  So here is where the radical change comes in that I have spoken about previously.  Now, I suspect that there are a  lot of Generation Y'ers out there that are frustrated with the way things are but feel disempowered to do so.  On the other hand I also see more Generation Y'ers that are working for themselves and disregard 'the establishment'.  I love it!

I see a future where more people step out, are creative, connect and collaborate.  More freedom, more real, and deeper relationships because everyone's voice matters from the beginning and we are mutually responsible for the freedom we create.  Oh yeah, I am definitely part of this generation - bring it on!

This awareness inspires me to keep on writing and spreading the word that there is more out there and the more people get up and show what they've got the stronger the movement will become.  I guess I am helping to create a beachhead in my area of influence.

P.s I know this post is a day late but I was kidnapped by aliens that did experiments on my mind... :)

Revolution vs. Radical

A few posts ago as part of the mini-series focusing on 5 Things to Think About I spoke about revolutionary change.  Although I believe it gave a good portrayal of how intense I feel about change for the better in society pioneered by business I now realise that my word use was not very good.

Revolution normally holds some form of violent action/reaction as symbol of the movement for change.  Although I know I get impatient and sometimes want to give people a swift kick under the... um... backside I do not think violence should form part of the imagery when change for good in the business world is being considered.

So I had one of those midnight moments, you know when your eyes pop open in bed and you see the light.  No, I wasn't dying!  What I mean is that I believe that I suddenly came to the insight that the word radical is much more appropriate than revolution.

Why?  Simple - radical refers to going to the root or origin of something and that is exactly what I love doing and challenge people to do.  I am therefore asking us to look to the root of business and as a simple and powerful question:  "What is it for?"

More dramatic than that I want to turn on my philosopher side and ask each of us individually the same question:  "What am I for?"  In other words, what do I stand for, what am I here to do?  On a much deeper level I ask myself what makes me special?  What are my dreams?  How can I contribute?  How can I add to life and not take away?  Survive to alive?

The sad reality is that I meet few people who think this way and even less in the business world because instead of doing business they do busyness.  People get up in the morning, jump in the car, rush through traffic and start the process of profit at the expense of themselves, nature, and society.  Yes, yes, I know that I am taking a very bleak view on things but remember I want radical stuff man!  So let's get to our own roots in order to radically change the roots of business.  Dig into the whys of everyday - don't just assume because assuming is the worst kind of laziness and fear.  ...Too lazy to challenge the fear of having to do something different, speaking up, or radically changing something (like yourself).  In business ultimately we are individuals that have come together for a commercial purpose but not primarily - the primary focus is people, let's not forget that!  Commerce should serve people, not the other way around.

Ps. I just couldn't resist using an example of Jackson Pollock's work for today's image.

Project Freedom

Thus far I have shared journeys with you in a retrospective fashion with perhaps a few glimpses into the present and future.
I want to mix things up a bit and also raise the bar.  I continuously speak of the journey from survive to alive and currently I am engaging on Project Freedom.  No, I am not participating on the next NASA programme but by identifying clear values (check my previous post) I now have to align goals and actions.  I will therefore give you a front row seat and a challenge.
As I progress on my journey I hope it will be entertaining, meaningful and inspiring and that it will challenge you to take action and overcome inhibition, fear, and obstacles.

So what exactly am I referring to?  Well, if you missed out on my previous posts (the mini-series about 5 Things to Think About) then I will quickly summarise:  Recently I have identified some clear values that I have always believed in but through some pretty tough times have been revealed as highly important.  These values are freedom, simplicity and creativity.

For many years I have been writing this blog without really pushing it that hard.  I believe that I have some skill to write but more importantly that I have a talent for challenging things.  This is because my biggest talent most probably is connectedness - the constant awareness that we are part of something bigger and that by creating connections between one another (i.e. relationships) we have the opportunity to serve this ultimate Greatness (capitalised because of my believe in It being beyond the visible and much greater than us).

I do however now realise that I need to take the next step or steps.  The first is regular blog postings and I think about once a week sounds pretty good (I am going to try Thursdays and see how it goes...).  I also need to add more value.  That is why I am going to be compiling short writings that I will sell at a reasonable price.  I will also be looking into subscription services.  I have been working on my eBook for a while now and I am aware that I need to focus on it more diligently.  I am also considering using my blog as an advertising space although I am not very fond of the idea.  I will perhaps try it out to see how it goes but will be discretionary about what gets advertised - if it could add value to the people reading my blog I will allow it.
Bottom line:  Survive to Alive needs to be one of the avenues that I use to make sure that I am fully alive.  Through the posts, books, and other value adding products and services I want to create freedom for myself and my family.  This will also require me to be creative and as far as I am concerned it is simple (...like I said, as far as I am concerned).

So I will be sharing my progress as I go along.  I will continue to blog about going from survive to alive and this time around I am illustrating it with my own journey.

P.s. You might have noticed that I have started using my own photos in my posts.  I will continue doing so as part of a more creative effort.