Need I say More?

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

JFK has been quoted as stating some amazing insights and yet this one always pulls at my heart. How many people do you know that pay lip service to the practice of gratitude? They may say thank you to a waiter or someone that holds a door open. They may state how grateful they are for the sunshine or a raise in the stock market. They may even tell you how grateful they are for the job you have completed, or the way you have made them look good. The real question remains are they living a grateful life and do their actions prove their gratitude?

If you were arrested and charged with being a grateful person would there be enough evidence to convict you? If we began prosecuting all the ungrateful people in this world there would not be enough prison beds to accommodate them all. If you were to study the habits of truly grateful people what would you find? Well one study conducted at UC Davis suggests that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, you could expect to experience less depression and stress, you would be more likely to help others, you would exercised more regularly and make more progress toward your personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved.
Who wouldn’t want more of these aspects in their life or in their workplace? Can you imagine how different your daily experience would be when everyone in the office is practicing gratitude? Imagine the shift in energy and the amount of quality work that can be accomplished if the majority of your co-works or staff were more likely to help each other. When everyone is making more progress towards their goals your company will flourish in ways you may not event be anticipating. When your team is working with higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy you can rest assured that the work is getting done and the company is prospering. Is this not the type of team we all dream to have on our side?
How then can you as a leader foster the practice of gratitude in the workplace, or as an entrepreneur remember to add gratitude to your daily rituals? I just gave you the first step. Make gratitude a ritual. If your organization is small enough try having a morning gratitude e-mail chain. Ask everyone to contribute something and reply to all. As the leader you can start the message and encourage everyone to add in as the chain makes its way around the office. Such a practice is much healthier than the morning joke circle that we all know circulate most days. I have been witness to many teams that begin their meetings with a round robin of gratitude before they sink into the work at hand. In larger organizations, consider making gratitude part of your internal communications or employee newsletters. As a leader you can easily include a thought of gratitude in the company wide communications. Simply add a sentence or two and let the every employee know how grateful you are for their loyalty, their dedication, and their enthusiasm.
As you practice gratitude in every aspect of your life and business you become the model, the example of gratitude and thus your employees, team mates, collaborators and friends must pick up on the energy you are sharing. This is a Universal Law and you ought to be grateful for the opportunity to practice gratitude everyday. The invitation is before you to do as JFK implored us all those years ago. Will you simply utter the words of gratitude or live as an example of gratitude?
In closing allow me to say Thank You for your time an attention to this article and Thank You for your support of The Inspired Business Center.

Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems.

You are welcome to more fully explore Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability meet by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

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by: Rev. Marla Riegel

Sustainability is defined as the capacity to endure. Entrepreneurs, executives and their employees have endured a lot in the past 18 months. What has sustained you during the cut backs, downturns and layoffs? What will keep you going during the long recovery process ahead?

Certainly it’s something internal, a higher vision of meaning and purpose derived from making a difference through your organization’s products and services. Take time now to review and re-awaken the company vision and values statements. What do you really stand for? It’s common to worry about how you are treating your customers, but how well are you treating yourself? Are you being honest about how much you or any one person can accomplish? Have you focused your priorities on what really matters when it’s all said and done? What is really driving you and when will you run out of gas?

Victor Frankl, Holocaust Survivor, wrote: ”Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

The reason many resilient bosses and employees are still standing, I believe, is their drive to make a difference, to find meaning and good in a situation. But I sense a danger. Many companies have cut back too far and have put the burden on the loyal staff that remains. I recently saw a company posting that read “It’s important to balance safety concerns with operational needs… employees cannot work more than 24 consecutive hours, 70 hours in 7 consecutive days or more than 11 consecutive days. “ Doesn’t that paint a picture of what’s going on in many organizations today?

It’s not just your employees who are pushing beyond limit, but also you business owners and managers who have had to reduce the staff that supported you.

The question is how do you get back to a sustainable balance? It’s one thing to conserve resources; it’s another to allow your human resources to implode!

A recent LOHAS blog post on consumer behaviors and economic sustainability explained that new dimensions of ROI are now include emotional and social values as well as investment, functionality and cost.

Another report by Rundtland emphasized that sustainability is a three legged stool of people, planet and profit. My concern is with the leg of the stool called “people”. The stool will not stand if the “people” leg is broken.

As a business owner, professional or employee, you can begin to look at your current work practices as “sustainable” or “unsustainable”. Wikopedia was right on and I quote: “For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of being”

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Step back for perspective. Where have you cut too far in staff, in capital improvements, in vendor support? What is it truly costing? (As you begin to ramp up sales, there needs to be a balance of people to deliver and produce the product.)

2. What would it take to return to meaning and purpose in your organization?

3. How can you begin to reclaim personal balance?

Alan Cohen wrote, “We get in trouble not for what we don’t know, but for what we know and don’t pay attention to.”

Register Now for our upcoming Tele-seminar Five Ways to Prosper in the New Economy, Tuesday, July 28 @ 2 p.m. Mountain. The Session is Free, but you must register. To learn more and sign up click here: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com/5-ways

Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/4521300451/

On June 22nd Rev. Marla was the Guest on Ken Ludwig’s internet radio show “What We’re Thinking About” This twice weekly show brings together leading metaphysical teachers, authors, ministers, visionaries and luminaries to share their unique style and perspectives on spirituality and life.

Rev. Marla was invited to share her perspectives of bridging business and spirituality. The recording below is a shortened version of the show. You can learn more about Ken Ludwig at his WEBSITE, or listen to the entire interview at the “What We’re Thinking About” archive page. Please stroll through the archives and listen to some of the past shows as well. There are truly some amazing conversations stored there.

As always The Inspired Business center strives to provide you with the most current information, perspectives and opportunities to express your unique form of Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability.

Feel free to share your comments below. If you have a topic you would like Rev. Marla to cover please let us know.

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In my last post I wrote about the Process of Abundance. Today we are going to explore the mindset of an abundant business. We must then begin by talking about scarcity and lack for a minute. Simply put scarcity and lack are not real. They do not exist in an Abundant Universe. If we look to nature for our inspiration we quickly realize there is no scarcity of sand, or grass, or birds, or plants or anything on the planet. Sure there are some locations where there is the appearance of scarcity however whatever aspect we desire is available in absolute abundance on the planet.

Water is the great example. While there are deserts and other areas that we could label as lacking water, human ingenuity can always overcome the appearance of lack. I once visited Death Valley in California. During my childhood I was taught that Death Valley was the most barren place on the planet. There was no water and simply acre upon acre of nothing. On my first visit I was surprised to learn there is actually a small town in the center of Death Valley. Do you know what there primary form of revenue is for this small town? You might think it is water; however water is simply the tool they use to keep the golf course green. Yes there is a lush green golf course 214 feet below sea level and I watched as they watered the grass one morning. While there is an appearance of lack for miles around in this one location there is abundance. So imagine the folks back in 1931, when the course was built, and what would be there today if they had a consciousness of lack and scarcity rather than one of abundance.

We must train ourselves, our employees and our clients to realize there is always an abundance of everything we desire when we hold to the belief that this is an Abundant Universe and that lack and scarcity are not real but simply a man made belief. We can change our beliefs quite easily if we so choose. Here is where we find the fun aspects of developing an Abundant Business Mindset. The primary way of changing our thoughts and thus our experience is simply to affirm the truth rather than the appearances of lack and scarcity. The Universe is abundant always, and in all ways. Finding ways to remind our employees and stakeholders is not always easy however there are an vast array of tools, ideas and resources available to empower a culture of abundant thinking and living. Rather than hanging the posters that motivate, why not print posters that affirm your industry as thriving. Turn the normal staff meetings into an abundance rally. I know the possibilities are endless and once you enroll your staff in building and sharing in a consciousness of abundance they will find a wealth of ways to express abundance.

As we look again at the process of abundance simply remember it all begins with our consciousness, and then we have the opportunity to change our beliefs and perspective. Once you begin changing your perspective you will begin seeing an abundance of ways your consciousness is manifesting as your business. It really is simply. When you believe it you will see it. When you have faith in your beliefs that this is an Abundant Universe and there is nothing that can stop you from experiencing an abundant life, organization and business you will begin to see the manifestation of The Abundant Business Mindset.

Learn more about the Inspired Business Center by reading our archives or send a blank e-mail to the following link and subscribe to our monthly Inspired Business Newsletter As always we want to thank you for reading and invite you to share this with your friends.

“I want a more abundant life.” “I want to experience abundance in all aspects of my life.” “I want more abundance.” As a spiritual coach I hear people using these wanting statements everyday. The thing that must be understood is that abundance is not some “thing” we must get in order to be happy, prosperous and well. Abundance is actually a mind set. It is a perspective by which we define the experiences and events of our lives. Our business is much the same. If the culture of your business is one of wanting more of anything, clients, customers, or income streams we are subtly buying into a perspective that abundance is something to get. Today is the day to stop getting and start receiving and the key to receiving is giving.

I also hear the same perspective of wanting from business owners on a daily basis. It amazes me how many business owners will answer the obligatory question; “How is business?” with an ample litany of negative or self limiting beliefs. These types of “Real World” remarks do nothing to activate the Process of Abundance. The Process of Abundance is actually quite simple and as I describe the steps necessary to live an abundant life and operate an abundant business I invite you to look at how you either already are or can implement these ideas. I promise that if you choose to see all the ways these ideas couldn’t work for you or are too woo-woo for your business they simply will not work for you.

Let us then take a look at a simple process of experiencing Abundance in your business. The first step is empowering the collective consciousness of your workforce to experience abundance as the current reality of their life and the business. Many teachers will tell you that all human experience begins with our consciousness. Quantum Physics has been teaching us this for quite some time and slowly business owners have started to realize that uplifting and empowering the collective consciousness of their organization propels their employees and themselves to a place where anything that can be imagined can be made manifest. This is true of our abundance as well. Providing our employees with a way to develop their personal abundance consciousness will spill over into every aspect of the organizations culture and soon everyone will be using prosperous or abundant language. How then do we develop this abundance consciousness? There is an old saying that says you have to “Fake it until you make it.” However most of us including your customers, clients and employees will know when you’re faking it. We have to help people understand that even if they do no see the abundance it is real and present in our lives. There is no faking abundance, either your in the flow or you have adopted the perception of scarcity and lack.

We’ll talk about scarcity and lack in a later post. Right now I would like you to simply reflect on what your business will look like when everyone in the organization is expressing an abundant consciousness. You can take a moment away and close your eyes if you like and simply allow your imagination to inform your awareness. Ok so obviously we can not fake the manifestation of your vision, we can however “Faith it, until we make it.” Yes, simply expressing your faith that your business is successful and on track to become that magnificent vision will help others see that you’re not buying into lack but rather affirming the process of abundance operating as the life of your business.

I invite you to follow this discussion as I will soon share how to create and energize ”The Abundant Business Mindset” in the near future. Today I invite you to click the following link, which will send a blank e-mail, and subscribe to The Inspired Business Newsletter or visit our archives and read some of our past article.

Today’s market place puts great value on the word vision.  Many would not consider your organization a real business if you don’t have a vision statement and most likely a mission statement as well.  I agree that having an idea of an organizations mission and vision is important and I feel the process of crafting those statements is even more important.  Here I will take a detour away from the predominate thoughts on crafting these types of identifying statements.  I have spent hours locked in stuffy conference rooms hammering out the ideal words that can describe exactly what a company doe3s, its products or services values and the values of the owners, managers, employees and anyone in any way associated with the company.  All this work is done in the mind and can only create an ego-based humanistic idea of what will sell the the consumers that consider doing business with the company.  I am suggesting we look at a different way of discerning what these statements want to be.

The way I suggest creating such statements and guiding the evolution of your business is to use the Visioning Process.  The Visioning Process was birthed about thirty years ago and utilizes a blending of prayer and meditation to tap into the highest ideal for a group, organization, or individual’s life.  The process itself is very relaxing and non competitive.  You can create a Visioning group of as many people as you like and follow a simple process to listen to the highest calling of your group.  Visioning allows you to sit in the silence and as Spirit a number of specific questions that will reveal what is being called forth in your business.  the process however is rather counter-intuitive to the normal way of conducting business.  The process itself is a lot like cooking rice.  If you try to rush the process everything gets sticky.  If however you are patient enough to allow the simmer to run its course you get a delicious taste of Spirit.  The process requires us to have patience and let the process run its course.  Throughout the experience of Visioning each participant will receive different impression for each question and after several Visioning each participant will receive different impression for each question and after several Visioning sessions you can compare notes and look for common denominators or themes.  These themes then can be used to inform your decision making process.  All this eventually leads to an understanding of what “want to be done”.

The process can be used to tap into the Diving Guidance concerning any idea, project, product, or service.  The key is to stay with the process and not rush forward to take cation too soon.  How then can this help create the all important mission and vision statements?  Eventually there will be answers to the Visioning questions that simply never go away.  These gems of insight can be the starting point from which you can craft your guiding statemens, common values, and such.  The process itself is not a quick one day event.  It will take time and I assure you the time invested will pay off in a larger way than any brainstorming or discernment process ever could.

The Visioning Process never truly ends.  Once utilized your employees, managers, and leaders will see that continual Visioning leads to continual insights as to the evolution and success of your business.  Facilitation, coaching and support for your exploration of the Visioning Process is available through the Inspired Business Center as is training for your leaders so they may facilitate the process themselves.  If you would like to learn more simply follow this link: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com/future-inspired-business

Being in business over the past several months has required leaps of faith, acts of courage and expressions of gratitude!

The answers have not necessarily been found in the Harvard Business Journal, but more often in the hearts and convictions of the business leaders.

One thing’s for sure, getting back to business as usual will be very unusual. We’ve seen significant shifts in consumer expectations, business models and the marketplace.

How do you turn the concept of “FEAR” into simply Forgetting Everything is All Right? When you’re mired down in fear, it’s easy to keep doing the same old business practices over and over because they used to work; only now you’re not getting the same result. Creativity and new solutions come from right thinking.

As Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

How will you know when it’s time to re-invest, rehire and re-invent?

The time is NOW! But, in order to do it successfully, you have to look at the attitude and thoughts you are projecting into the Universe. If you’re part of the pervading mantra that things are awful and will never improve, then guess what….That’s the result you’re going to produce.

You can throw money and people at the problem, but, if you and your organization are not investing for the positive future, creating new opportunities for yourself and your employees and thinking outside the box with new products and services, you will not attract the prosperity you desire.

Suggested Action Steps:

· As we look to the future, what are our true priorities?

· What’s our new game plan?

· How will we know it’s time to rehire and for what positions?

The time is now to take that leap of faith into the new economy. Examine your thinking, release the fear, and be one of those companies who makes a fortune in the coming months and years!

The Inspired Business Center can help propel your organization to profitability.

Call us at 303-456-0388 or visit our website at www.theinspiredbusiness.com

Preparing for the Recovery

As a result of the sharp economic downturn just experienced, most businesses operate on a bare bone basis.  As soon as economic activity turns around it will e necessary for most to hire right away because capacity is now so greatly reduced.

Before doing so, take the time to review your Cash Flow forecast and your Strategy position.

1. Cash Flow: When a business grows again, it absorbs cash; particularly when inventory, receivables have to be rebuilt after a bare bone period.  Building working investment is inevitable, but it quickly becomes an issue when financing is difficult particularly now when banks continue to sit on the side lines.

2. Strategy: Although this is a word that is not part of the every day vocabulary of most small and mid-sized businesses, strategy should be reviewed at this time.  Why? Because all businesses are exposed to change that occurs faster than ever before, and the crisis may hide those changes so to speak:

a. In a very disruptive crisis business structure always adjust.  The assumption is that when business    picks up again, the game will look the same, but permanent disruptions wil have occurred.  Be prepared.  Make sure you explore:

1. How your clients have changed during the crisis?  Have their own markets shifted?
2. How have your competitors fared?
3. Are there new competitors that are from outside of the traditional landscape?  When business is slow, companies often expand into contiguous markets; some new players may have shown up on your turf.
4. Are some of the players offering a different value proposition?  Disruptive innovation often appears in crisis times.
5. Has there been a shift in what your clients buy?  how they buy it?

b.  Have you reviewed how you do things?  Could you increase the value to your clients and/or increase productivity by changing your processes? Have you streamlined operations so you can now add business in the most effective manner?

c.  When you begin hiring again, will the next person you hire be doing the same job as the one you let go?  Or do you need different skills?

The end of a recession is a good time to review your business environment.  When things are still slow, prepare a plan on how best to manage cash flow to respond to the opportunities and build a profitable platform.

Working Investment and Payroll will quickly absorb all cash if you do not focus on productivity, through process improvements and efficiency investments.

By Alain Bolea

July 7, 2009

Alain Bolea is a member of The Inspired Business Center team; to view is profile please follow this link: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com/team.html

This month, we received our new president, and from him the people of this country will have great expectations. Our country is in dire need of a strong leader who will lead this country in a new economic direction and out of the recession that we have been slumbering in now for a year. Barack Obama will need to be a strong leader with the resolve, confidence and leadership to guide this country out of its current troubles.

We as business leaders and owners need to have the same resolve, confidence and leadership that will lead our own into not just survival this year, but one of strength and prosperity. To reach our goals and objectives, we must act boldly with a well-designed plan to get everyone within our companies working together and going in the same direction. We must have faith in one another and never give up, work our tails off and change the direction of our companies, just like Barack Obama will need to do. It’s time for our new leader, and us as leaders, to act with the confidence and  boldness needed to change the direction of our country and our companies.

Michael Doyle is President of Brand Iron Marketing

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.“ Albert Einstein

In these challenging economic times, it’s easy to sink into negative, fear based worries and doubts.  But that kind of thinking got our nation into this mess.  So, it’s up to you to shift from fear to gratitude, from greed to service, from doubts to optimism.

It starts with noticing when you are buying into the comments of those around you, beginning to agree that things are terrible, we’re in the Great Depression all over again, blah, blah, blah.   When you are aware of how you are buying into the bad energy, STOP!  Take a few deep breaths and elevating your attitude to a higher level than the thoughts that created the problem.  Remember FEAR is an acronym for Forgetting Everything is All Right!

Happy Holidays!  Marla