Who are you being?

Are you being someone other than who you are? Even before we are born we are reacting to all kinds of stimuli and wiring up our brains in reaction. Later, in order to survive, we try and fit in…to be the good girl or boy, to behave, to conform and live according to the norms of our family, teachers and, later, our employers. Yes, we may well end up being good at fitting in to match other peoples requirements of us but what has happened to the real me?

What has happened to our authentic self?  It is always there often hidden below layers of “you cant”, “what will others think of you”, “you are not good enough”, “be like your father” or “your mother” etc.

You being at your best is you being your real self… the authentic you. Only when you are truly being who you really are….not what others want you to be, you are able to fully express your natural gifts, find your purpose and live a life of joy and fulfilment. And if you are not being your real self, you will experience a deep longing, a sense of lack and maybe sadness. You just know you could be more and capable of being more who you really are.

All to often we look outside ourselves for the answer to fill the void inside or our sense of lack. We strive for the next certificate or qualification, the title, the income, the car, the ideal partner and maybe eat or  drink more.  The list is endless. We continue to search achieving fleeting satisfaction as we get one thing after the other. But there is no end to the search. Finally we may give up and just sink into the void.

How can we step off of this merry go round that leads to no where?

1st  fully and lovingly accept yourself just as you are.

2nd be grateful for being you and all that is in your life

You will find more peace, less stress, more joy, more energy, greater clarity about your natural capabilities and your high-level purpose and  doing what you most enjoy doing… and much, much more.

So let go of living a second hand life that others have told you to live and live your first hand life where you are being at your best, doing your best and experiencing what is best for you. Only then can you be your best for others. Live fully and enjoy all that  life has to offer

I am planning to start an import business. How should I go about doing this?

Question from overseas student “A” at Laurea University of Applied Science.

Based on my experience, here is what I suggest. There is more. This is a start

1st base yourself in the market you wish to import into:

• because you can get to know your customers and the market

2nd do your market research:

• decide on the industry / business sector / customer group you wish to work with and sell to
• visit your potential customers and find out what they need; what quality; how packaged; when required; what qualities; what price are they currently paying etc  Get as much detail as you can.

3rd go to your the suppliers in the country of export and get them to quote you according to what your potential customers want.

Once you have chosen the business sector  or customer group, have select the product(s) or service and have possible suppliers, let me know. We can then take the next steps.

 

 

 

 

Management by fear is common. Is there anything an individual can do other than leave the company?

Question by Minna Koskelo, Laurea University of Applied Science

Great question.
Here is what you do. Do it, it really works:

1st drop your own fear. Be absolutely fearless.
2nd tell and live your truth
3rd bring your passion into everything you do and transform the dull, boring and ordinary into something special.

In my first job after university my boss explained to me something he was planning to do. As we walked towards his office he asked me what I thought of his idea. To me the idea seemed stupid. I did not answer.
When we came to his door he again asked. “what do you think of my idea?”
“I think it is a stupid idea” I replied.
His secretary buried her head in her hands as he threw open his door pointing for me to go inside.
He was furious. “Prove it he barked.”
I took a felt tip pen and wrote and drew on his board my proof.
When I finished I could see he had accepted my answer.
“Sit down”.
I sat and listened to what he had to say. He then told me, in confidence, about the important moves he was about to make in the company.
From that moment, in my early 20’s. I was became his personal confidant.
All other people in the company were in fear of him. It seemed I was the only person who was not. As a result, I was the one he trusted.
Later, after I left the company, he gave a company I was thinking of working for, an exceptionally positive recommendation about me.

Yes, being fearless is the only way. You are then working with integrity, are naturally powerful and are being true to who you are. If you get fired for being fearless, say to yourself  “this is best thing that could happen”. A fear-full company is a corrupt company and, in the long run,  it is unsustainable.

“Why?

1. creativity and therefore innovation are virtually impossible is fear-full companies

2. the “best”… m9st capable people get out fast. The company is  left with low performers.

3. over-control prevails and people in such companies focus on not making mistakes rather than taking initiative.

4. the most compliant get promoted and the company becomes less and less competitive.

The most effective cure for “fear-full” companies is to replace the CEO or its leaders with those who are not fear-full themselves. Yes, fear-full leaders are those who create fear-full companies.
Operating from fear will bring about what you fear.

You told about “agility” and “reactiveness” for business success. What about “proactiveness”?

Question from Anu K Nousiainen; Laurea University of Applied Science

Great question and you certainly got me thinking.

All three, agility, re-activeness and pro-activeness are needed to take advantage of the opportunities that change brings. If you are too attached to what is, one can be blind to what can be. So an open mind and being non-attached is also essential. The key is to be the agile, reactive and proactive observer.

Rather than getting lost in the doing, as most of us do, take distance. Get the big picture. Ask “what if?” See situations from different view points. Reflect. Meditate = have a blank mind. The result: new insights will arise; break through opportunities will emerge, seemingly “out of the blue”.

When you sense there is an opportunity pro-actively go for it. Get out and connect to the people who you think may have a need for your new service or product. If it is totally original they may not know they have a need. EG like the first telephones. People could not see a need for them. They simply watched people using them as an entertainment. Ask questions. Demonstrate the benefits. Awaken interest. What you are doing is re-acting to a perceived opportunity. Or, we can say, you are pro-actively pursuing the opportunity. Here re-activity and pro-activity result in the same approach being taken.

Pro-activity can mean you have a idea and pursue it irrespective of peoples responses. This can result in frustration.  I prefer to sense first. That is, get a feel for what’s possible. Then react according to the opportunity I sense and pro-actively go for it. Get peoples reactions. Explore expanded or alternative possibilities and DO IT FAST. Make lots of (so called) mistakes fast. You learn “on the run” correcting and improving as you go. And its a lot of fun. You never know the final outcome. Often it is far better than what you could ever expect. So don’t limit yourself to your expectations. Go beyond expectations open for whatever is best.

This is what life is all about. Exploring possibilities and creating more life-satisfying experiences.

Have fun. Be active in living pro-actively and re-actively.

 

                  

 

 

How to convince senior mangement about (life-focused ways of doing business)?

Question by Melanie Wendland; Laurea University of Applied Science

An excellent question!!!

1st.     Be the role model. YOU show how “this” (people-life-focused approach)
          can be profitable for their business.
           Actions are worth a “million words”.
           
2nd.   Go and look at the “best companies”. Learn what they are doing.
           Share this with your “senior management”
           Ask if they want to know. If they say “yes”, share the evidence.
           The “old” ways are ending. The “new” ways are about living.
           That’s is why the “new” ways are sustainable. Because the
            “new” ways support life, life supports the organisations applying them.

And invite me to talk to your senior management.

Once a month I give a talk to “senior managers” of companies who
are not yet using my services.
My talk introduces the “new” people-focused ways for business to grow.
The talk is for 20 minutes with 20 minutes for questions.
It is called the “Living Organisation” and covers:
*    the extraordinary business-outcomes that are possible
*    why staff become highly motivated and customers become long-
      term enthusiasts
*     how companies can be vitally alive, re-generative and sustainable.
Rather than charging a set fee, companies pay according to the
value they have gained.

If they wish, and if I am available, they can engage me to support them                                                   in creating their living organisation.

Which is more important in working networks…trust or vision?

What is more important in working networks…trust or vision?

Both are essential.
Trust is the working platform of a network.
Vision is where the network is going.

Woman tend to want, 1st quality relating and  2nd a clear vision
Men tend to want, 1st a clear vision and  2nd a quality relating.

The KEY is QUALITY RELATING.

How to decide if a business idea is likely to fail or succeed?

Question: by Riku Seppala. Laurea University of Applied Science

You asked me how to decide if “a business idea will be a success or a failure”.

There is no definitive answer to the question as it depends on
the person driving the idea and ever changing external
circumstances.

To help you to decide what business idea is most likely to be
successful for you, I suggest:

* pursue an idea that has already proved to be successful.
Understand what has enabled the idea to succeed and
do the same or better.

* only select an idea that you are deeply interested in and
that fully motivates you.
Then you will have the interest and the drive to make
it work.

Suggestions:

In my experience, if something (a business idea) does not start
to work successfully quite quickly, it is not likely to work in the longer
run. Therefore, drop it. Do not consider this as a failure.
This is wisdom in action.

A business idea, to have a high chance of success, must be one
that creates high, obvious and wanted-value.

Start by piloting your idea as soon as possible. Rapidly develop
your idea by listening to the feedback, modify the idea and
pilot again. Do this again and again. Do this quickly.
If the idea becomes more and more attractive to
“would be customers” then you are on a success track.
You have to very quickly establish if “would be customers”
are willing to buy from you, why they want to buy and
how much will they pay.

You can offer your product or service BEFORE you have “made”
it. Take orders. Then create what people want. Get paid for it
and deliver.

If the idea, as you pilot it, does not rapidly increase in attractiveness to
“would be customers”, STOP.

DO NOT STRUGGLE!!!!
Business has to be fun. If the “fun level” is low or zero. Get out FAST!!!

I hope this is of help.

What are the solutions to the economic down turn in Europe?

Question by Adeyanju Alade; Lauria Univesity of Applied Science   

Answer:

“The life of the individual has meaning only insofar as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful. Life is sacred, that is to say, it is the supreme value, to which all other values are subordinate”                   Albert Einstein

Is the economy a good servant?

Or are we the servants of the economy?

Is the economy “making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful”?

We know:

• 83% of those surveyed in Europe, who are serving the economy (ie workers), do not enjoy their work. Ten years ago it was 82%.
• Most workers in Europe say they would prefer to serve the economy (work) less rather than having more pay

• People are working more and receive increasingly less value.
• In 1911 a Finnish bank manager was able to support 11.5 people on one income.
• In 1961 a New Zealand company manager was able to support 6 people on one income
• In  2011a Finnish manger was able to support 2 people on one income.
• This generation can expect to support only 1 person, themselves.Without sufficient purchasing power to bring up even one child, is Europe facing extinction?

• The depletion of natural resources.
• The accumulation of the world’s wealth in the hands of the very few.

If humanity is the servant of the economy, is the economy a worthy master to be serving? Obviously not.

Business and the economy depend upon people. No people = no business = no economy. All business-value and economic value is created by people. If people do not buy, businesses and economies die.

To understand our collective situation more clearly we have (1) people as the foundation supporting (2) business and (3) the monetary system.  The monetary system is the business of money or the “money business”. The “money business” is owned and controlled by private interests. Like most businesses it is run to increase the value of its owners. The “money business” creates money. This it loans. The only value that money has is the willingness and the ability of borrowers to repay. The “money business” makes its value by charging borrowers interest.

Over recent years the “money business” has leant excessive amounts to countries such as Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. The amounts leant were greatly in excess the borrowers ability to repay and their ability to pay the interest on the loans.  The lower the ability of the lender to repay, the higher the interest rates charged. This in turn further increases the borrowers inability to repay causing further increases in the interest rate charged.

Because the borrowing nations inability to repay, the lenders are now requiring the people of financially stronger Euro zone members to pay them. Either the lending was done with fraudulent intent or was the result of the lenders gross incompetence.

The borrowing nations are required to sell their publicly owned assets such as their public utilities eg communications; transport; water supply; power. Usually these are purchased by interests outside their boarders ie by trans-nationals.

What is the effect of this?

• people in the borrowing nations are required to pay more tax to help meet their countries debt obligations. They have less to spend. As a result, business declines. People are laid off work. Peoples spending power is further lessened.

• people in the borrowing countries pay more for utilities. If owned by trans-nationals, what they pay flows out of their countries. The result is less money within these countries for lending to businesses that could help grow their local economies. Instead there is an increased reliance on imports. This results in more money leaving the borrowing countries thus increasing their reliance on more external loans.

Conclusion:   This is a life-destructive cycle with no positive future. The outcome is impoverishment, loss of freedom with control by “money business” lenders and servitude.

These consequences are not confined to the original borrowing nations.

All the people of the other Euro zone nations, which have taken on the responsibility to pay the “money business” lenders, face:

• higher taxes to pay the borrowers loans and their high, penalty rates of interest. Result: less spending power.    Businesses sell less and some close, laying off staff. The money gained from higher taxes flows out of the borrowing countries to the “money business” lenders.
• lower sales to the original borrowing nations.(eg Greece; Spain) which cannot afford to buy. This results in lower external-trade income for the other Euro zone members.This can mean they reduce their imports or borrow more in order to import

In all cases value moves from the creators of value to the (3) lenders, the “money business” . The quality of life of all, other than the “money business” lenders, grows less.

Is Europe experiencing an “economic down turn” or is it in the process of collapse?

Regrettably, the indications are that the life of Europe is collapsing.

You ask for my “solutions”. My solutions are to reverse the collapse:

• nationalise the “money business” ie the monetary system. The monetary system to be run for the people by the people or their elected representatives. It’s purpose is to serve the interests of people and not its own interest.
• cancel all interest obligations. No loans to carry interest. This will increase spending power; increase business sales; business and job growth.
• all paid-workers to receive an income that is sufficient to support themselves and two other people. This will enable people to meet the costs of raising children and caring for the aged. It will also increase consumer spending, increase business sales, business and job growth.
• foster community self-sufficiency for wealth and know-how to accumulate for the on-going progress of communities

As Albert Einstein encouraged, this gives supreme value to human life upon which economic life depends.

Is the bail out being offered economically challenged countries sustainable?

Question by Adeyanju Alade; Laurea University of Applied Science

Answer:   No  it is not sustainable.

There are no indications, that I am aware of, that show that the borrowers (economically challenged countries)  have the ability to grow their economies and produce the trade surpluses needed to re-pay their debt obligations.

There also appears to be no efforts being made by the borrowers, lenders, the lender nations and other members of the Euro zone to assist the borrowers to develop their ability to produce the needed surpluses.

The focus, until now, has been to bail out the lenders.

 

Is there a future for the Euro zone?

Question by Adeyanju Alade; Laurea University of Applied Science

What is the future of the Euro zone as a network within the context of members which are facing economic problems?

As the situation stands I do not see a future for the Euro zone. My reasons:

i.Money, of itself, has no value. It has no backing. We, the users of money, give it value. The value we give money is equal to the value we can gain from what we can purchase with money. In the case of loans, the borrower’s ability to repay depends on their ability to create value others are willing to pay for.The surplus-difference between their production costs and their sales income is what is available to repay the money they have borrowed.

If money is spent on financing consumption (eg: via wages paid) or on financing speculation (the monetary value of, say, property driven ever higher in price as a consequence of  the over supply of money) then little or no value is created. This is like feeding a hungry man with fish. If the fish consumed was supplied by a country other than the Euro zone member’s country, the hungry man’s money flows to the country that supplied the fish. What is left is a well-fed man needing more fish, and the fish bones.

However, if the money was used to increase the borrowers value-producing capability to make wanted goods or services, the borrower is likely to have the surplus funds to re-pay their borrowings. Instead of lending money to the hungry man to buy fish, he uses what he borrows to buy a boat and nets to catch fish. The result, he feeds himself and hopefully has a surplus to re-pay his borrowings.

It appears the lenders (European banks and others) lent to Euro zone members, who are now unable to repay, without first ensuring the borrowers would have the ability to repay; did not ensure that what was lent would not be used for consumption or speculation; did not ensure it would be used to increase the borrowers value-producing capability       In other words, the money was unwisely lent and used, it seems, for consumption and speculation.

Conclusion: The lenders acted with gross irresponsibility. They are requiring financial sound Euro zone members to pay for their losses. This represents, at best, a total mismanagement of the EU monetary system or an intention by lenders to defraud the financially sound members within the Euro zone and financially weakening them.

ii. The borrowers are being asked to reduce their spending (consumption).ie to eat less fish. There appears to be no efforts being made by the lenders and Euro zone members to help the borrowers to increase their value-producing capability. As mentioned above, the ability to repay depends on the surplus – differences between their production costs and sales income. If this value-producing capability of the borrowers is not being treated as a top priority by the borrowers and their lenders, it is highly unlikely the lenders will be able to repay.

Conclusion: The prime focus is currently on ensuring the lenders get paid and not on increasing the borrowers value-creating ability for them to re-pay. This is financial exploitation vs economic progress.

iii.  About a trillion Euros have, between Dec 2011 and Feb 2012, been created (printed) and supplied to the lenders.If money is created without an equivalent increase in goods and services, there is inflation.This was the case with Spain which imported vast amounts of gold from the South and Middle Americas. Hyper inflation was the result.

Conclusion: Hyper inflation will occur throughout the Euro zone.

The management of the Euro zone monetary system is fatally flawed. It is non-sustainable. At best, the Euro zone is likely to last, as it is, for no more than months. Our business, economic and social systems are based on a this  Euro zone monetary system.

Recommendations: Do not borrow; pay off loans; becomes self-sufficient; develop self-supporting communities; grow your own food; use natural seeds; use sustainable farming methods; invest in the quality of your life.

 

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