Featured Articles
The Keys to Cultivating Resilience in Your Sustainable Small Business
- By Sally Lever
- Published 07/2/2009
- Work and Life
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A research report from the EMCC (European Monitoring Centre on Change) has stressed the importance of businesses to cultivate “anticipatory awareness” and flexibility in building resilience to change. How does this translate into straightforward, practical steps that a small sustainable business can take to help it thrive during times of change?
Counter Clockwise
- By Ellen Langer
- Published 06/28/2009
- Reading
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There’s no way to turn back the clock or to fight the inevitable. We age and the vigor of youth becomes only a memory as we are ravaged by time. Chronic illnesses take their toll, our health and strength diminish accordingly, and the best we can do is graciously accept our fate. Once sickness is upon us, we give ourselves over to modern medicine and hope for the best. We can’t intervene as time marches on. Or can we? Be Real Not Right
- By Mike Robbins
- Published 06/19/2009
- Personal Development
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On our journey of growth, fulfillment, and authenticity, one of the best things we can do when we notice ourselves focusing on being “right,” is to take a step back, take a deep breath, and ask ourselves, “what's real?” When we look within, there's always something much deeper going on when we want to be right.
You ARE a Visionary, Intuitive Genius
- By Jamie Walters
- Published 06/4/2009
- Inspiration
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Do you consider yourself to be visionary? Intuitive? Creative? Having some unqiue genius? Do you sense these gifts calling for greater expression -- personally or organizationally? The Anyway Principle
- By Sally Lever
- Published 06/3/2009
- Work and Life
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In our business lives, the Anyway Principle can help us become clear on our business purpose, inspiring and motivating us and the others we work with and improving our chances of business success. It’s altogether a very effective way of living and working consciously. When Fear is Your Cue in a Bad Economy
- By Kare Anderson
- Published 05/26/2009
- Communications
- Unrated
Got stress? Anyone who says they don’t feel fearful sometimes in the face of this uncertain economy is in deep denial. One symptom, research shows, is that it is literally harder to hear when we’re stressed. That’s a signal to savvy, caring business owners to listen deeper and longer. Only then can we discover which problem keeps our customers awake nights. Solving that one is the thoughtful and successful way to sell. The 'Limited Vision' Problem
- By Jamie Walters
- Published 05/20/2009
- Inspiration
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What's the difference between a life of fear and a life of possibility? It's a pretty big difference. It's time to come alive, throw off the shackles, and move into a greater sense of connectedness and expansiveness. Just imagine … in a good way.
Playing By the Rules
- By Jim Seybert
- Published 05/18/2009
- Leadership
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I had the pleasure of listening to a series of CDs from Dr. David Ball, a consultant who helps trial lawyers strategize cases and understand how jurors might respond to their arguments. Ball's work is specific to litigators but his comments on "rules" caught my attention. I think you'll find value in some of them (paraphrased for a broader audience).
Innovating on Slender Means
- By Paul Sloane
- Published 05/15/2009
- Innovation
- Unrated
The problem is the recession. It is hurting businesses large and small. The answer is innovation. Innovation can help you to cut costs, improve margins, retain customers, acquire new customers, gain market share and ultimately to survive. But when you are cutting costs and squeezing resources in all areas how can you find the people, time and money for innovation?
Want to Flourish and Thrive in Tough Times? Add Some Vitamin "P"
- By JoAnna Brandi
- Published 05/12/2009
- Personal Development
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Each and every one of us bears the responsibility for adding to (or diminishing) the overall optimism of this economy. While a reasonable amount of pessimism is justified, there are several ways to look at the situation and here is how I am thinking about it - let me know if you agree.
Rules About Rules
- By Jim Stovall
- Published 05/8/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
It is ironic that, in our formal educational process, we are taught to obey all rules, stay in line, and don’t do anything out of order. Then we enter the corporate world where we are handed a book which outlines policies and procedures that we are expected to understand and follow. These boundaries are beneficial only if we understand their limitations and become willing to welcome the exception to the rule.
Voluntary Simplicity in a Nutshell
- By Sally Lever
- Published 05/4/2009
- Work and Life
- Unrated
Downshifting is what happens when people decide that the demands of their modern working life do not justify the rewards. They want time to enjoy their families, their relationships, and participate in their communities. The process of downshifting is how people change their lifestyle to meet those needs.
7 Steps To Building Self Confidence
- By Marla Sloane
- Published 04/29/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
There is nothing more appealing than a confident individual. Finding your passion and living your truth is the best way to build your confidence, and live a fulfilling life.
Know Yourself
- By Mike Robbins
- Published 04/29/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
How well do you know yourself, I mean really know yourself? An essential aspect of our journey to live a more authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling life, is to know who we truly are at the deepest level. Knowing ourselves, like being authentic itself, is a life-long process. The more deliberate we are about this, however, the more we can grow and evolve consciously. Doing More of the Same
- By Liz Weber
- Published 04/24/2009
- Work and Life
- Unrated
Refocusing and starting over is hard. It takes a lot of soul-searching and - if done honestly - it forces us look at ourselves, our skills, our attitudes, and our behaviors objectively. But for those who do truly want to be better, and more productive going forward, we need to do something different.
We Teach Best What We Most Need to Learn
- By Mike Robbins
- Published 04/5/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
So often the advice we give to others is the exact advice we need ourselves. It’s ironic that we sometimes don’t recognize this in the moment (or at all) and also sad that we don’t give ourselves permission to listen to our own good advice. Too often, we hold ourselves to some ridiculous standard of “perfection” (which no one ever attains) or we’re too self-conscious to admit we struggle with some of the very same things we advise others to do. The Dark Side of Individualism
- By John Renesch
- Published 04/5/2009
- Work and Life
- Unrated
It is time for we Americans to wake up from our self-absorbed, egocentric trances and start taking on the more adult responsibilities of being global citizens, sharing this planet with many others in a sustainable, thoughtful and compassionate way. Instead of building walls around our neighborhoods or our country, we can start engaging with the other 95% of the world as neighbors and help create a world of neighborliness. In such a world there is a place for everyone, even cowboys!
A Living Legacy
- By Jim Stovall
- Published 04/2/2009
- Inspiration
- Unrated
I just heard a story on the business channel of my satellite radio about a self-made person and their business success story. It was, indeed, an impressive story about a person who came from an impoverished background and--through diligence, determination, and tenacity--became a tremendous success. While I admire this person, and while there are elements in their story that we can all learn from, I was left with the question: Are any of us truly a self-made person?
Recent Articles
The Art of Surrender
- By Jamie Walters
- Published 04/18/2009
- Inspiration
- Unrated
The 'fine art of surrender' seems strange to our Western minds, trained as we've been in 'efforting' -- planning, doing, rolling that boulder up the hill, and swimming against the currents. And that can be pretty exhausting, and not a little frustrating, can't it? It can feel like you're traveling incognito -- pretending to be someone other than the unique and radiant being that you are. Sustainable Food for Thought
- By Sally Lever
- Published 04/17/2009
- Work and Life
- Unrated
In our move to a more sustainable way of living and of doing business, we know that we need to change how we act and also how we think. Our actions, after all, stem from our thoughts and, unless we change our approach to how we think, we will not manage to downshift or to sustain the changes that we make.
5 Attributes of Inspirational Leaders
- By John Maxwell
- Published 03/25/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
To restore society's confidence with those in power, leaders have to be able to inspire. I'm not talking about inspiring someone to buy into the corporate vision statement, to meet quarterly sales goals, or to work more efficiently. These aren't bad things, but right now, people are looking for a leader attuned to their personal needs. They want leaders who will encourage them, believe in their potential, and help them grow.
If I Were Amazing
- By Jim Stovall
- Published 03/24/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
Each of us are confronted with a myriad of tasks each day that require our attention. Most of us allow far too many things to get onto our calendar or day planner. There are very few things that are truly important or critical enough to require your immediate and personal attention; therefore, we go through our day confronting routine items while asking ourselves: “What do I have to do?”
“What is expected of me?” or
“What is the least I can do in this situation?”
If we did fewer things but did them better, we would find ourselves achieving and moving ahead faster.
Think Laterally
- By Paul Sloane
- Published 03/23/2009
- Innovation
- Unrated
Lateral thinking is a phrase coined by Edward de Bono as a counterpoint to conventional or vertical thinking. In conventional thinking we go forward in a predictable, direct fashion. Lateral thinking involves coming at the problem from new directions – literally from the side. De Bono defines the four main aspects of lateral thinking as follows: 1. The recognition of dominant polarizing ideas.
2. The search for different ways of looking at things.
3. A relaxation of the rigid control of vertical thinking.
4. The use of chance.
The Sandbox Syndrome
- By Stuart B. Hill
- Published 03/21/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
Professor Stuart B. Hill retells the parable of the "sandbox syndrome" and how real progress will be made when we "find commonality with others, form alliances and develop new measures of success." By keeping ourselves separate and competitive we limit what we are trying to do.Accepting What Is
- By Mike Robbins
- Published 03/21/2009
- Personal Development
- Unrated
Even though it can be scary and counter intuitive, acceptance is the first step in transformation. It’s very difficult and quite stressful (as I know from a lifetime of experience) to try to change things from a place of non-acceptance. Acceptance is not resignation or agreement; it is simply telling the truth and allowing things to be as they are.
The High Road Principle
- By John Maxwell
- Published 03/11/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
"It's nothing personal; it's just business," is a commonly heard phrase in the workplace. However, I tend to disagree with anyone who tries to impersonalize business. At its heart, commerce is a human enterprise, founded upon relationships between people.
Getting Unreasonable
- By John Renesch
- Published 02/28/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
As we grow in consciousness and become more self aware, we will start being more responsible for our world. We will make decisions that are based on what’s best for all instead of pre-programmed reactions mostly based on personal survival strategies adopted in childhood. It is a process - for some of us a lifetime one. And, like many processes, it has plenty of surprises, twists and turns, none predictable, all exciting! Dissolving or 'Shapeshifting' Obstacles
- By Jamie Walters
- Published 02/24/2009
- Inspiration
- Unrated
Can you dissolve or shapeshift the obstacles that are before you? Yes, though it may be in different ways from what we expect (or not), and it requires practices that take place despite current worries, fears, and old ways of seeing things. It's 'mastery practice', right in the belly of the crucible! My Last Lecture
- By Shep Hyken
- Published 02/12/2009
- Inspiration
- Unrated
How Shift Can Happen
- By Sally Lever
- Published 02/12/2009
- Work and Life
- Unrated
Having run several small businesses over the last 20 years, my experience has taught me a lot about myself and what kind of person I want to be in serving a particular customer base and also what it’s like to be a client of fast moving consumer goods type companies versus smaller, sustainable companies with a more humane and environmentally responsible outlook.