Connection to Everything

 We are all connected to one another. The actions of any one individual, impacts the whole quantum field; both in the present and in the future.

Our Life is the sum of our words & actions on a daily basis.

Our connection to each other requires us to act responsibly & to speak up against injustices against our fellow man.

The forward movement of humanity, is the result of the collective conscious.

From womb to tomb, we are bond to others.

By every action we take or don't take, we create our future & the future of others.

I was speaking with a longtime friend of mine about his challenge of being a small fish, in a big pond.

 To put this in context, he has a small business and must compete with larger companies and bigger pocketbooks, everyday. He asked me for some ideas and strategies to help them survive.

 I told him that by planning ahead, strategizing and remaining flexible, he could hold his own. The key is to find his competitors weaknesses and attack them.

 I told him the one thing that a small business can do better than a large corporation, is provide a better customer service experience. Large companies and organizations can't respond as quickly and agile as a small business. It's important to know and understand your customers names, business, tastes and preferences.

 Small businesses have the freedom to be nimble when necessary and take risks at will. Large companies and organizations take much longer to make changes, and the risks are much bigger.

 I told him to ask his customers what they want and need. Then, ask potential customers what the competition is not providing & provide it.

 There are so many things that can differentiate a small business owner from the competition; but, I'll leave that up for a later discussion.

This weekend I took some "me" time to relax & recharge.

I began the weekend by attending the opening of "Iron Man 3" and then on Sunday, attending an exclusive advanced screening of "The Great Gatsby". Although both movies were portrayed at different times in history, were completely different genres, one being action/adventure and the other being drama; they were both an Odyssey of rebuilding and retribution, when faced with the proposition of "losing the Love" of their lives.

They were both Outstanding movies. However, I found it interesting that both movies showed the main characters living lives of extreme opulence and wealth; while being closer to a vision of the world teetering on the edge. 

 The Psychology of Learning

As many of you already know, I've had several traumatic brain injuries. It's because of this, that I'm constantly working on exercises to improve my cognition. Although every brain is wired differently, we are designed never to stop learning and exploring. Memories are volatile & susceptible to corruption.

Short-term memory is a collection of temporary memory capacities. Each capacity specializes in processing a specific type of information. Short-term memory is also called the "working memory".

Working memory is a busy, temporary workplace, or a desktop that the Brain uses to process newly acquired information.

The brain processes the ability to modify neural connections to better cope with new circumstances. The molecular basis for this process is called “Plasticity”, revealing how learning and memory occur.

Our brain shapes our thoughts, hopes, dreams, and imaginations.

 The brain must decipher 100 billion nerve cells that produce, grow, and organize themselves into effective, functionally active systems that allow us to live and operate every single day.

The motivation of learning is twofold: to understand human behavior better, from how we learn; to why people have trouble getting along together.

Learning can be changed due to environmental influences, which include many factors, such as toxic substances, diet and level of physical activity; but, also encompass stressful life events.

The brain adapts to constant change and expects and takes advantage of opportunities, to transform itself into something even better than it was.

The human brain exists in an ongoing state of change. To create change or to learn; the brain builds and strategizes, as to create manipulations and sequences, which result in learning transformation.

 The right hemisphere of the brain streams information via each of our sensory systems. The left hemisphere thinks in patterned responses to incoming stimulation.

The left hemisphere is filled with ingrained programs of pattern recognition. This allows it to predict what we will think, how we will act, or what we will feel in the future, based upon our past experiences.

Understanding your own character, strengths, and weaknesses is a critical aspect of Leadership and personal development.

Most individuals would agree that character is critical to Leadership; however, few leaders consciously evaluate and seek to develop their own character.

Instead, they idolize or vilify the character of others, which only distracts them from facing their own character development.

You can be very knowledgeable, eloquent and have existing relationships with the people you are trying to influence; but, if they perceive that your character is flawed, your power to lead and influence them, will be greatly diminished.

By definition, Character is "the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing".

Our character is much more than just what we try to display for others to see; it is who we are, even when no one is watching.

Our character is what determines how we live our lives.

One of the most challenging developmental shifts for Executives is, the evolution from Management effectiveness to Leadership excellence. This transition is one from expertise and control, to authenticity and shared purpose. This critical evolution requires building self awareness, fostering team collaboration and increasing strategic innovation.

Innovation has become the new Leadership.

Leaders aspire to make a Change in their own unique way. They want to know not only how to cultivate new ideas; but, how to foster a culture that makes new ideas and turns them into innovations, that transform people's lives.

Questioning gives us the capacity to change “what is," by capitalizing on disruptions and challenges to the status quo. Rather than viewing disruptions as threats, leaders proactively explore their possibilities. This questioning generates learning and innovation. Questioning challenges accepted thinking and moves us from “what is” to “What's Next”.

This new thinking Methodology, allows leaders to proactively navigate toward openings and the capacity for turning uncertainty and volatility, to an advantage.

My life's work has taught me about living and leading connected to your Purpose, your authentic self, and to what is truly meaningful.

One of the ways I stay connected to my Purpose, is through Philanthropy.  I currently sit on the board of trustees for “Hope to Haiti." A philanthropy project, that is committed to creating abundance business models within Haiti. We do this by providing resources, micro-loans, training and opportunities that empower and enable Haitians, to lift themselves out of poverty.

I highly recommend taking or joining me on what I call a "walking safari" or going off the grid, without cell phones, Internet, or e-mail for a week, 2 weeks or a month.

This is an experience for reconnecting with nature, the Earth, quiet, solitude, and to another way of living, as part of a sharing community, in order to also reconnect with what makes us feel genuine happiness. Disconnected from the demands of the world, we pause to reconnect with ourselves, "to quiet our own chatter,” to listen to others around us in a simpler place, in a different world where it is more conducive to stepping back. By doing so, we connect again with our own hearts and minds and really listen to our own voice upon what is most important and meaningful, so we can then listen more genuinely and contribute more generously, to others.