Tuesday 29 May 2007

The world's pre-eminent problem and one solution

Fundamentalists are killing us, literally. In my view fundamentalists are people who believe their way is the only way. Today these folk of religious, political, business, and other persuasions are ruining our world. None of us has a mortgage on truth. And none of us has a right to use violence against anybody for any reason let alone because we believe something different or are following a different path.

In the new world being created we will honour everyone's path to meaning, whatever it is, and we will be tolerant of another person's way and co-exist regardless of our differences, indeed we will celebrate our differences.

We live in three worlds; the world in here, the world out there, and the world we share. In here our views are just that, out there are other people’s views. In the world we share are the views we agree on. In any successful relationship the world we share is the critical one.

Human conflict is fundamentally the result of failure to agree on the goal or failure to agree on the strategies to achieve the goal.

I guarantee that today all of our troubles, personal, local and universal, are fundamentally based in our perceived need to hang onto the world in here, our issues with the world out there, and, our failure to focus more on the world we share.

What makes life really worthwhile is when we can share our views (without ridiculing one another or being violent with one another) and come together with a shared view, which may mean we let go of things we previously held dear.

I trust that today and every day you will resolve to build more of the world we share and be less precious about the world in here or the world out there.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Sunday 27 May 2007

Three of a kind

Taking personal responsibility, having an attitude of gratitude, and pursuing a purpose beyond profit are 3 characteristics I observe in people who are making a real difference to our world. Check out ted.com for what some of the most remarkable people on our planet are saying.

Be Remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 22 May 2007

Personal responsibility

I was staggered when I went to buy some chewing gum at Canberra airport the other day. The shops there are not allowed to sell it. Apparently some people do bad things with gum so no one else is allowed to buy any! This is one of many examples where the majority suffer because a minority don’t do the right thing.

It is also an example of us allowing politicians to make silly laws rather than doing what needs to be done to hold people to account for their actions. I believe it is time all over the world to stop allowing a minority of people, including the politicians we elect, to spoil it for the rest of us. And we can accomplish this without violence of any kind, just excellent communication skills, courage to have our say, and a willingness to put in the sometimes hard yards of working with our representatives until they get it right or vote them out until we can vote the right people in.

Saturday 12 May 2007

Have an attitude of gratitude

30 years ago I was given 90 days to live. My doctor's advice surprised me to say the least. He said "The secret to getting well is to have an attitude of gratitude."
I have since learned, and I am still learning, a great truth, when we are grateful for what we've got, we can have more of what we want. Are you grateful for every aspect of your life? To be so is the first step to creating the new world that is waiting to be born. We can only begin with ourselves. We must compete with ourselves and cooperate with others. For 12 ways to maintain an attitude of gratitude click here

Be remarkable
Ian

Purpose beyond profit

Economic profit is not a reason for being in business rather a result of being good at business. To be remarkably successful in modern business we must know our purpose beyond profit. My purpose is to inspire business leaders to achieve a five-fold bottom line so that the world is a better place. I get paid and make profits only if my mentoring, speaking, consulting, and writing, delivers the value my clients demand, desire, and feel they deserve.

Be remarkable
Ian