Articles that provide a new or alternative perspective on a belief or cultural meme.
Is it “green” to have the greenest lawn on the block? In today’s more socially conscious society we are increasingly faced with duplicity in our work and personal lives. Are you being true to your own heart?
What do you think? The pendulum has swung. Some, like Michael Specter, may say too far away from science toward the intuitive approach. It is understandable, because our intuition has been silenced for so long. I, like Michael, look forward to the future and think we are in the most exciting time in history. But not only because of the incredible advancements of science, but because I see for the first time in history an opportunity to integrate knowledge, science and technology with intuition, consciousness and spiritual evolution. The Dalai Lama embodies this new direction, embracing all that science and technology have to offer with a deep, inner spiritual practice. Best selling author, Daniel H. Pink, emphasizes the need for a "Whole New Mind" to approach the future, a mind that integrates the best of the left more analytical elements with the right side intuitive brain. I believe that when we stop debating one approach over the other, and embrace a way forward that integrates both, we will see real advancements on this planet. One of the [...]
Often people ask me, does social media really work? It takes so much time, does it pay off? Is anyone really listening? There are times when the "mind viruses" even get to me and I question myself, wondering whether I can accomplish all I have set out to do. Last night, I went to see Deepak Chopra speak in Montreal. He was outstanding and incredibly inspirational, as anyone knows who has seen him live. This morning I was reminded of his "Seven Laws of Success". In particular, I was thinking of his sixth law, the Law of Detachment: Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. Do not force solutions-allow solutions to spontaneously emerge. Uncertainty is essential on your path to freedom. As I try to detach from any particular outcome of my work, with the highest intention and hope that I can help others, I continue to post blog articles and communicate them through social media. This morning, I posted on Twitter an article on Smart Follow-ship that a good friend, Corry [...]
Nathan Wolfe's Jungle Search What will you say when your children and grand-children ask you how we let our closest living relatives, some of the most valuable and endangered species on this planet, become extinct because we were not able to deal with the issues of poverty around the world? In regions of profound instability throughout the world, where we have intense poverty and growing populations without sustainable resources, there is serious food insecurity. The consumption of bush meat, which is linked to the cross-species transfer of the vast majority of deadly pathogens like HIV, is one of the central crisis occurring in our population and on our planet right now. The responsibility for solving this issue can not rest on the poorest and most vulnerable. There is no easy solutions, but if we neglect this problem, we do so at our own peril.
What would happen if we started to think of ourselves less as "land owners" and more as "land stewards"? This is something that indigenous people understood and which allowed them to respect and protect the environment that sustained them. What would happen if we started to shift our thinking in this direction?
What is Cloud Computing? In plain terms, Cloud Computing refers to working with a variety of software applications that are available online (for free or limited fee) to fit your specific need. In the case of a socially conscious enterprise or not-for-profit organization, this means using a combination of online software (SaaS or Software as a Service) designed to help communicate with stakeholders inexpensively. This allows social entrepreneurs to leverage the latest communication techniques that currently exists without having to rely on IT knowledge or investing in expensive software. By using free or low cost web-based software to build web sites, blogs, emails, etc., social entrepreneurs have access to their own virtual workbench to design, build, deploy and measure their own communications and campaigns. New social media, personalization technologies coupled with marketing automation, all available online, provide the power tools to cost-effectively create, manage and deploy communications that can adapt to new information, interactions and data. Especially in light of the recession, forward thinking organizations are seeing the large cost savings that can be realized from the cloud [...]
Western cultures have ignored the wisdom and voice of indigenous people for a very long time. We are just starting to wake up to it now, thankfully. We still have a long way to go toward mutual respect and understanding. One of things we do need is a better ways to communicate. I recently had the privilege of listening to Mohawk council representative, Stuart Myiow, speak. I was at a day-long retreat about environmental protection. We listened to him speak and sing. He had us riveted for hours. The wisdom and insight that this man shared with us was profound. I felt like I was listening to a sage. Yet, he admittedly has no formal education and doesn't hold a "money economy" job. I have attached a one-page imperative that the Five Nation Iroquois Confederacy has developed. It summarizes some of the knowledge that Stuart imparted on us that day. But, I have to warn you, the language is harsh and the tone of voice will be foreign to most. While it touches on the main point of his discussion with [...]
Much has been written about the unprecedented global economic crisis, including the causes - greed, selfishness, financial and loan schemes, rampant consumerism. As I hear talk of the recession easing, I am a bit concerned that we will come out of it too quickly to make real change. Our current economic model is not sustainable. Many of us are waking up to this fact. We have a chance to create a new economy based not only on the profit bottom line, but also on the social and environmental bottom lines - referred to as the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit.
We are observing evidence of the shift as we awaken to the power of follower-ship. This means that responsibility for everything about our lives lies within. We can no longer look outwards to blame anything on anyone, ever again. Follower-ship and leadership are merging. This makes follower-ship powerful because we want to be worthy of the ideals that our leaders communicate so charismatically.
Daniel H. Pink has created a body of inspiring and thought-provoking work in his book A Whole New Mind. This is a book that Oprah gave to 4500 graduating students from Stanford last year, because it offers a whole new perspective on the skills and apptitudes that will be required for the next generation of leaders. In his book, he argues that a “Whole New Mind” is required to thrive in the future, one that is more holistic, balancing both the attributes of left and right brain thinking. […]
