The past few weeks have been an exploration of the Visioning Process and how it can be used to serve the continual prospering of your business.  This week we look at how to keep the creative fires burning when you think you have hit a visioning plateau. The primary thing to remember is that what may appear to be a plateau is really an opportunity check in and see where you may be putting the brakes on the process.

Often when I present this idea to organization their immediate reaction is to tell me about how often they are Visioning and how they just keep getting the same thing. Time after time, no matter who is participating in the process these groups think they have stalled when in reality they are that sweet spot of finding “That Which Never Goes Away.”

The Visioning process is all about repetition, and a lot of it.  The nature of the process is that people can, and sometimes do, attempt to influence the outcome. Being humans we have a tendency to want things to go according to our often pre-conceived plan. Visioning has a built in system for preventing this from happening when you use the system as designed.  Now many will ask how a process that is a form of communicating with GOD could possibly be susceptible to human manipulation. That is a great question and the answer is simple. We allow people to record their own visions and tell us what they experienced. We have no way of knowing what they truly experienced and we must therefore trust that they are telling us the truth as they see it. This brings forth another aspect of sharing our vision. As humans we want things to make sense, we have an inner desire to make meaning from our experiences. We will use metaphors, similes, and figures of speech to explain what we think our vision means regarding the Visioning Project. Now this is not to say that people will set out to influence the results, it is just the way the game is played.

This is why the Visioning process must include the Compiling and Sifting portions of the program. Once your team has amassed several sets of Visioning notes they are compiled in such a way as to assure that which notes came from which people is impossible to distinguish. Once this step is complete the team comes together and sifts through this larger document looking for themes, or those aspects of the vision that keep repeating themselves. Those words, phrases, images, songs and so much more “That Which Never Goes Away” are the golden nuggets. These are what we are truly searching for. This is the Universal Truth shining through the human interpretations of the vision. Consider for a moment what you would do if 100 people walked up to you in a day and suggested you do something, or not do something you had been planning.  If one or two people made the suggestion you might not listen, or you might consider it a coincidence and pay little attention to the subject. However, at what point would you begin to think there might be something to the message you just keep hearing. The messages “That Which Never Go Away” are GOD’s words striving to be heard.

The people that feel stuck because they never get anything new are being called to take action on the “What Never Goes Away” aspects of their vision. If you’re feeling stuck, stalled or downright frustrated with the Vision Process because it doesn’t seem to be leading anywhere, or not providing a clear enough message for you to follow I have good news. The answer is to start taking some action. Once you do, I promise new images, words, and alike will begin flowing into the vision once again. In 2006 as I was stuck in the land of “That Which Never Goes Away”, I had been putting off taking action in regards to entering ministerial school. The excuses I was using aren’t important now, what is important is what happened once I said Yes. The day I finally listened to the vision that kept saying go to school and made a couple of phone calls to begin the application process, the vision for my life began to expand again. I believe the Universe wanted to know I was listening. Once I acknowledged, with even the smallest action step, I was once again able to experience a larger more expanded vision of my future.

If you have begun using the Visioning Process in your business and have reached the “That Which Never Goes Away” plateau I highly suggest you get started on something- anything- that is in alignment with those aspects of the vision “That Which Never Goes Away”. I promise that you can revitalize the vision for your organization or your life immediately by moving in the direction of the vision itself. Once you take the first step you will be amazed at how quickly the Universe begins to conspire for your good.

Until Next Time,

Peace and Blessings

Robert Brzezinski

P.S. If you feel good about your vision, are stuck in the land of “That Which Never Goes Away” or would like to learn how to use the Visioning process in your business check out our upcoming 5 week Tele-Seminar Series: The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship beginning in late February.

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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

Photo Credits:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfgangstaudt/2195373631/

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Ever try to go on a family vacation with a teenager or two who were “forced” to come along and

not buying the idea that “this will be a great adventure you don’t want to miss?”  How well did that work for you?

You’ll get the same results in your organization if you don’t engage and enroll others in your vision.  It’s not enough to hand them the annual organizational goals and say, “Let me know how you plan to achieve your accountability tasks.” They have to understand the direction you’re heading and the values you’ll be basing your decisions on.

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the importance of vision and values and how to know if your vision is strong and the right one for you.  Today, we’ll discuss the next important questions:

• Do those around you share your passion and vision?
• Are your organization’s values relevant to your employees?
• How do those values and vision translate to your customers?

“Great leaders cannot delegate two things:  believing in the vision and inspiring others to share the vision.”  Business Evolves, Leadership Endures authors continue, “Most great leaders share three traits, drive and commitment, vision and the ability to communicate.”

Once you’re clear about your own Vision Statement and Values Statement, it’s crucial to align your Passion and Values with those around you, whether it’s your life partner or your business partners, and employees.  How can you ask those around you to support your vision if you don’t know how it aligns with theirs?

You don’t have to have the same vision and values, but they need to compliment and support each other.  For example, your vision may be to build a company that you can sell and retire.  Your employee’s value may be college education for her children.  Both values can be supported by a profitable, well- managed business venture.

An alignment and inclusion of the vision and values of the organization with those of the staff lead to empowerment, buy in, and initiative. Vision is essential to define explicitly an organization’s long-term ambitions.  Meanwhile, planning connects the vision to the company’s core purpose, goals, strategies, and tactics.  As a result, everyone should know where the business is headed, what needs to be accomplished, and how things will be done.

When I work with organizational teams to draft a joint Passion and Values statement, I hear such comments as “Wow, it’s good to know that we’re all on the same page”, “This will really eliminate the chaos”, and “I really feel like I’m an important part of my organization.”

Although we are just beginning to see evidence of this in Colorado, futurists are saying we are nearing a time of shortage of trained, skilled workers.  In their book Impending Crisis, Too Many Jobs, Too Few People, authors Roger Herman, Thomas Olivo and Joyce Gioia tell us that the top two strategies for attracting and retaining good employees are: Creating and instilling core values for the organization and taking advantage of vision and planning.

If now is the time for you to enroll those around you in supporting you and your dreams, I suggest:

1.    Identify who should be included in a joint visioning/values session.  Who will be key in supporting your vision and who will be directly impacted by it?  It might be your entire organization, your management team, your board of directors, your life partner, or if you’re a sole proprietor, your family.

2.    Invite them to meet with you for an uninterrupted 1-2 hour session and ask some key, open ended questions such as: What is the highest vision for our company?  What purpose do we serve?  What are some of the values that are most important to us?

3.    Now, ask them, “How do your dreams and values fit into what we’re doing as an organization?”  “What gives your work here meaning and purpose?”

4.    Ask everyone to share their answers and record them on a flip chart.

5.    Look for themes, similarities, and ideas to move forward.

6.    Draft a joint Visions and Values statement.

Join us next week as we take a deeper look at staying true to your vision.

Blessings and Peace,

Marla

P.S. If you feel good about your vision and would like to start manifesting that vision check out our upcoming 5 week Tele-Seminar Series: The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship beginning in early February.

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Marla Riegel is the founder 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

Photo Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmmchoco/62800377/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Yes the New Year is now well underway. I am sure you have been inundated with questions about your resolutions, your goals and your plans for the coming 12 months. Just last week we asked you if you were ready to hold the vision of your future. We provided resources for you to explore how to hold your vision. Our hope is simply that you will be inspired to accept a different perspective of how to jump start the next great evolutionary leap of your business. At The Inspired Business Center we speak quite a bit about creating a vision for your business by using the Visioning process.  Recently we have been asked quite a lot what comes after you catch the vision and hold the vision.

What Now?

Today we are going to share a few tactics for moving forward once you have gotten to that point of knowing it is time to “DO” something, anything in order to move forward with your desires, hopes and dreams for your business. Today we look at when to take action and how to know what action to take. Today we give you something to “DO” when your brain is screaming, “NOW WHAT!!!!”

The very nature of the Visioning Process is that we are catching a glimpse of a higher calling, a higher perspective for our business than we ever could have come up with by ourselves. As we come to engage ourselves with the emerging vision we will experience some insights that do not seem to align with what we already know about our business or are simply so far out in left field that we question the validity of the information. This is not uncommon; in fact it is to be expected. There will always be anomalies within the process. Because of this we have to have a system for determining what information is valuable and which information is the background chatter, the white noise that does not serve the evolution or manifestation of the highest vision for your business.

How then do we know what to hold onto and what to let go of? The answer is actually much simpler than you might suspect.  Look for those words, phrases, feelings, images, feelings, sounds and or impressions that NEVER go away. When you look at the outcome of numerous Visioning Sessions there will be things that consistently, without fail, show themselves.

The things that never go away are the things to pay attention to. An example I often use is what occurred during my visioning prior to enrolling in the Masters of Consciousness Studies program at the Holmes Institute. Regardless of what I was Visioning about I would receive “Go to school” in one form or another. This simple phrase would show up in the most wondrous places, and ways. However the phrase would not go away. I could not sit in the silence, pray, meditate or practice Visioning without hearing, seeing or feeling that phrase. It honestly became a little frustrating. Once I eventually submitted my application for the degree program things shifted. That phrase stopped coming through my spiritual practices.

Once I made the commitment to attend school Spirit began showing me different aspects of the highest vision for my life and career. As I prepare to graduate with a Masters in Consciousness Studies I have other impressions that will not go away. This is how I know I should pay attention to those aspects of my Vision. What then are the ideas, insights and impressions that continually pop up for you? What things simply “NEVER GO AWAY”? These are the things I would consider the basis of the next step in DOING something to manifest your vision.

Now that you have a few things that you can call the base of your action steps and feel like it truly is time to move you will have to ask yourself what action would best serve bringing your vision into manifestation. Once again we look to he collected wisdom of the entire Visioning process.

Decisions Decisions

I do want to add a reminder here about the continual nature of the Visioning Process. Visioning for your business never ends. Even once you move to taking action on one aspect or another the process can continue to inform your strategies. As you continually use the process you will begin to amass a collection of notes, insights and other forms of recording the vision itself.

Once you have completed a few different sessions compile the impression for each question individually. I like to copy and paste the impression from each person’s vision into one master document. This master document becomes an incredibly valuable tool when you begin to take action and make decisions about what action to take. The master document becomes a road map, which can guide you from nothing to something.

Now when you are at the point of deciding what to do, when to do it, and what resources to use in order to accomplish your chosen action steps simply hold up the Master Document and ask if the decision you are about to make will move your organization towards the fulfillment of that vision. If so go right ahead and get started. However if the decision does not serve to fulfill the vision I suggest you reconsider your decision.

You now have a way of determining if it is time to take action and how to determine if the action you have chosen will actually lead to the manifestation of your vision. As you move forward in the direction of your dreams for your life and your business, the Visioning process will always serve you in becoming clear on what it is you are to accomplish, when to begin taking action and how to know the decision you make will serve to manifest your vision.

Next week we will take a look at another important aspect of manifesting your vision. How do you enroll your friends, family and others that are here on this planet to serve your vision? You can look forward to strategies that will get more people on board with your vision and get them engaged in the manifestation of the vision.

Until next week,

Peace and Blessings.

P.S. If you feel good about your vision and would like to start manifesting that vision check out our upcoming 5 week Tele-Seminar Series: The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship beginning in early February.

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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

Photo Credits:

This Way That Way Sign:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lori_greig/5331407245/sizes/m/in/faves-53047939@N06/

Railroad Tracks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominik99/1403329318/sizes/m/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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December 21^st is the day of the winter solstice the shortest day of sunshine for the Northern Hemisphere.  It’s natural then, for each of us to turn within and shine our inner light more brightly.  A time for stillness and reflection.  Eckhart Tolle, author of The New Earth says “To be still is to be conscious without thought.  You are never more essentially, more deeply yourself than when you are still.”

In that personal stillness we can think back on the year.  It’s been a time of significant change for most of us, a time of what I call values-based choices.

In some instances they’ve been tough decisions based on lower revenues…having to let go of employees who have contributed their time and talents to us, or  being “let go” by some of our customers who were also feeling the crunch.

What have you learned from all this?  What did you discover about what’s truly important to you?  What do you know you want to do differently moving forward?

What did you release that actually lightened your mental or physical load and freed your soul?

In many cases the tough choices have created gaps that need to be filled back in. Maybe there are positions or functions you learned you could live without and other posts that are critical to rehire so you to meet the customer orders that are beginning to increase.

What relationships with family, friends, business associates, or volunteer causes did you put on hold because you were “too busy” that now need to be re-established and re-connected?

What commitments to yourself and others did you sweep under the rug till you had more time?  Is that still something you need or want to fulfill or can some of those items be handled by someone else or not done at all?  Decide and Act.  If you plan to honor a commitment first quarter, get it in your calendar.   If you can’t get it done, let the other party know you can’t do it, and, if possible, help them find another resource.  One way or the other, get those commitments off your mental list of “oughts” and “shoulds” and free up your energy and focus.

Joel Goldsmith wrote “Within us is a deep well of contentment, a vast, all-embracing silence into which we relax and through which all good appears to us.”

The important thing is to be complete and clear as you move into the Holiday Celebrations with family and friends so you can be fully mentally and emotionally “present”.   It’s the greatest gift you can give them!

Blessings and Peace,   Marla

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Marla Riegel is the founder 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

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vega_33/2601240910/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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It’s the time of year when business periodicals are publishing lists of the Best Companies to Work For, CEO of the year, and Fastest Growing companies.   Ever wonder what gets them on that list?

Tom Zender’s new book, God Goes to Work , New Thought Paths to Prosperity and Profits has answers!  This powerful work is a message hope for a new way of doing business..the rise of the quantum organization.  Tom shows us how to simplify and maximize the quality of our individual lives and the organizations we work for.

He identifies spirituality as an asset that has been missing in many companies, but that’s changing through the emergence of a global economy and a a new age of cooperation, collaboration, flexibility and focus on the values of individual contribution.

According to Tom, it all begins with each of us and how we recognize, strengthen and utilize our Spiritual Assets: such things as creativity, a positive attitude, openness, imagination, faith and compassion.  He adds, “People are now a business’s most important asset and their spiritual center is the most valuable thing your people can offer you.”

In order to maximize those assets, organizations need to cultivate a spiritual environment that breaks down limitations , maximizes the potential of each person and releases the creative energy that will lead to innovation. He adds, “The Spiritual Environment is the most natural state that great business, economic expansion and the most effective people in the world can operate within.”

The environment is nurtured and encouraged by those Tom calls Quantum Executives “Who have a passion for improving their business and who see that the way of doing this is to be open about how they want the totality of each employee’s life to be better – not just their performance at work.”

This all leads to a revolutionary way of doing business…through Spiritual Transactions.  Tom describes a Spiritual Transaction as a framework that “Allows the true nature of the relationship between spirituality and business to shine into a new economy at every level, individual, group, organization, corporate, national and global.”

As we start a new year and turn our thoughts to how we can make a difference in our world, God Goes to Work is a wonderful handbook to higher levels of performance and prosperity!

To learn more visit  http://www.tomzender.com

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Marla Riegel is the founder 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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Today is Colorado Gives Day, a first of it’s kind online fundraiser to benefit over 500 of the state’s charities. The cooperation, coordination and strong intention behind this event reflect a spiritual purpose for doing good in the world that transcends individual and business needs and wants.

Tom Zender in his new book God Goes to Work calls this a Spiritual Transaction.  He  defines it, in part, as an interchange between each of us and all those things beyond ourselves.  He adds, “A Spiritual Transaction maximizes the potential of every business deal and is the foundation of the kind of company that can compete in the new economy.  These transactions foster a positive atmosphere that allows it’s members to work harder, faster and with increased innovation.”

In this groundbreaking book, Zender also discusses the role of corporations as good citizens and makes the case that there is a common ground forged between organizations that look not only at the internal environment, but also at the communities in which they operate. He contends that corporate citizenship is good for both the bottom line and for the soul of the organization.

Another report released today in The Herman Trend Alert says 30 percent of executives want their philanthropy to make a local impact. According to the study conducted by Weber Shandwick, the primary reason they invest in charitable and socially responsible activities is to impact what they view as critical issues in their communities. A second reason is to see their organization’s values in action.  Other factors included building customer loyalty  and customer/employee retention.

So, in this season of giving, remember the role of your company in making a difference outside the boardroom.  Zender says that Spiritual Transactions “start with the realization that you can become a bigger part of the world and that the world can never get bigger without you.”

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Marla Riegel is the founder 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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During our recent 8 week series on “The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship” We were contacted by Rev. Margaret Shepherd of the Visionbuilders Institute. Her ideas and insights around the topic of Vision are so compelling we asked, and she graciously agreed to write an exclusive guest post for us. This week we are pleased to share with you her blog post on how Vision can support and serve your business or organization. We believe you will find this article not only informative, but inspirational as well. As always you are welcome to share your comments and questions below.

Pillar #2 – VISION

Rev. Margaret Shepherd

Vision is the base of the Second Pillar of Spiritual Entrepreneurship, as Robert shared in an earlier post. The topic of vision is an exciting one for me, since my daily work is teaching organizations and individuals how to succeed by building a vision.

Increasing your business success means increasing your personal power – and the right vision does that like nothing else. Think of the most powerful, successful people you know. Wouldn’t you consider them visionaries? Let’s explore how you can claim your own visionary success.

Let’s start with the “Visionbuilders” definition of vision, and what it means:

“A VISION is a spiritually inspired imagined ideal experience you want more than you fear change”.

• Spiritually inspired: when a vision is discovered through inner stillness – instead of brainstorming or logic or as an avoidance of an unwanted state – the discovered vision is the real deal.
• Imagined: a vision is creative, something that hasn’t existed before, living in imagination before taking form. Human evolution exists because of visions.
• Ideal: a vision is a stretch beyond what seems logically possible, an over-the-top dream.
• Experience: a vision isn’t a goal or an intention but an experience you want to live in.
• You want more than you fear change: ah, there’s the big challenge.  We are naturally hardwired for success, yet we are also naturally hardwired to fear threats.  It’s easy to get confused and feel the same fear response to an imagined threat of failure, change or intimacy as we would to a sabre tooth tiger at the door of our cave!

Now that you know what a vision is and that it is your ticket to success, where and how do you find one? Just as Robert notes, it’s a “silent, inner” process. There is a part of you – as an individual or team – that knows the right vision for right now. Revealing that vision is simple if you follow one rule – STILLNESS.  I don’t mean just quiet or inactive, I mean a still mind, still enough that it opens to profound wisdom, clarity and guidance otherwise unavailable. You’ll know when you’re there because of a deep feeling of peace, well-being and safety.

I’ve successfully led some really left-brain, hard-nosed, non-contemplative people in the VISION DISCOVERY process.  They soon become so good at it and get such excellent results you would think it was magic. But it’s not. It’s the most natural thing in the world to focus inward, connect with your highest self and listen to its wisdom.

How does vision empower your business? It is nothing less than your brand, your guiding direction, your criteria for decisions, your inspiration and your strength.  It is your economy of resources and your peace of mind. It is your team-builder and your best corporate culture. The deeper your devotion to your vision, the greater it’s benefits.

In the “Visionbuilders” work, we encourage not only an overall corporate vision, but a vision for any important aspect of your business. A vision of ideal clients or customers, for example, or a vision for the financial management of the organization, or a vision for your role in your industry.

Let me share a personal example with you. My husband and I own apartments, a business that grew from vision.  Our overall vision is “Our tenants experience their highest ideal of home, and anyone in any way involved with our properties thrives and prospers.” We see this vision in our mind’s eye, and it is our criterion for all decisions about the apartments.  Supporting visions have evolved and been made real over time – a renovation project, a change in management companies, and annual profit margins. We have consistently succeeded with our vision – regardless of the larger economy, demographics or any outside circumstances.  Don’t miss this important point: If you do your part, vision finds its own fulfillment.

Sounds easy right?  Well, yeah, until you get stuck and don’t know why.  Here’s what I’ve learned from my personal visionbuilding successes and failures and those of my clients. No matter how inspiring your business vision, if your corporate mindset, actions and structure don’t support it, it will stay suspended in the ethers – a phantom taunting you with unfulfilled promises.

It’s easy to see that you have to move your feet to make your vision real, but harder to know the right dance steps. Can you guess where to turn for further insights and guidance?  STILLNESS!  The vision itself, and the clarity, guidance and insights you need are the domain of the intuitive mind. That’s where the dance steps are.  But then it’s time to get out there on the dance floor and move your feet. Because I’ve learned that successful visionbuilding means inner directed action, I teach a set of stillness-based skills and action skills. When you support your vision with strategy, standards, systems, and structure guess what’s automatic? Visionary success.

As every Spiritual Entrepreneur knows, when one of us wins, we all win. I’m so excited for your visionary success – for your business to be serving, blessing and thriving in a bigger way. Shine on!

© margaret shepherd 2010

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During the past 6 weeks we have explored the 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship and as we approach the conclusion of this series we are being given an opportunity to Reach New Heights.

I can not begin to count the number of times I have been assaulted with the “fact” that more millionaires were made during the Great Depression than in any other time during American History. While all this may be true I think it does each of the spiritual entrepreneurs an extreme disservice. The articles and get rich programs that remind us this “fact” imply that f we simply have liquid capital than there is simply no reason for us not to be a millionaire. As the world wide economy has begun to re-invent itself there have been a wealth of opportunities, however a pile of cash and or a great idea are not enough to propel anyone to the all elusive “Overnight Success” status. Last week we looked at the “Power of a Strong BASE” and this week we look at how the pinnacle of each pillar can provide the platform from which we can “Reach New Heights”.

We must then begin with Character. Earlier in this series I asked if you would rather blaze your own trail or be known as someone that followed the crowd. As we stand today on top of this pillar and look across to the top of the other three pillars; Adaptability, Skills and Focus I believe you will see how we have created the platform that rests on top of all 4 Pillars. Are you ready to blaze a trail into the unknown, into the field of unlimited possibilities, or stay within the confines of what you already know?

Once you commit to the journey of blazing a new trail you will find that Adaptability has its benefits. I truly believe one of the contributing factors to the success of all those depression era millionaires was the ability to adapt to “What Is”. Rather than wallow in the dis-belief of their abilities, character and skills they stayed focused on their ability to adapt their situation into something that would make life work for them, No Matter What.

These pioneers also made use of the Skills they already possessed, or set out to gain new skills that would position them perfectly for the raising tide of innovations and new ideas. During my studies of these men I was often struck by the visionary nature they all exhibited. These men were able to blaze trails where many only saw quicksand. They often were called to develop new ways of Being or Doing what was required in order to move in the direction of their dreams.

Finally our Focus must be on our dreams and our ability to accomplish those dreams. A friend recently reminded me of the dynamic trajectory of an archer’s arrow in flight. The archer never questions the arrow’s ability to fly and the arrow simply flies to where the archer focused his attention. The focus we are being called to bring is an unwavering faith in ourselves and our chosen business. As spiritual entrepreneurs I would also suggest we are being called to focus our efforts on co-creating a world that works for everyone, in whichever ways we can.

Standing on top of the platform supported by the 4 Pillars provides an unrestricted view of the heavens. From up here it is easy to see the unbounded Character, the malleable Adaptability, the forever expanding Skill set and the unwavering Focus necessary to express ourselves as spiritually minded business owners,managers and organizational leaders. Spiritual leadership is about more than understanding these principles; it is about modeling these behaviors in every moment and with every policy, procedure and personal interaction.

At the Inspired Business Center we strive to support Spiritual Entrepreneurs as they move in the direction of their dreams and support a new vision of business and organizational leadership. We understand that each and every organization is a living breathing unique emanation. As such we provide unique solutions for each organization we work with. We invite you to learn more about what we do and who we are by joining us on the third part of a three part Tele-Seminar: The Courage to Hold the Vision. You can learn more about this FREE CALL HERE. We also invite you to experience a no-obligation consultation and learn how you can implement the 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship in your business or organization. Simply CONTACT US for details.

Be sure to join us next week as we conclude this 8 week series and provide some glimpses of what we will be sharing as this year comes to a close and we move into 2011. Make sure you check in with us next week as we put the roof on our organizational structure and explore the next steps in utilizing our Beliefs, Character, Vision, Adaptability, Passion, Skills, Faith and Focus in the creation of an amazingly prosperous business.

Until next week,

Peace and Prosperity

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Robert Brzezinski is a 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

Photo Credit:

Moutain:http://www.flickr.com/photos/shicks/845155014/

Buddha:http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3493267443/

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The BASE OF Strength

How often have you heard someone refer to a politician appealing to their base? As spiritual entrepreneurs I believe we have to do more than just appeal to our base, rather we are called to build, strengthen and utilize our base as we expand our business. However there is a difference between the everyday base of people and our base values. Our base is not a group of people that like us or believe as we do. The base I am referring to is a collection of principles upon which we can stand. This week we are exploring that base and how it can support our business regardless of how large it may grow.

During the past month we have explored the 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship. The next three weeks we shall look at how to engage our employees, partners, vendors, suppliers and most importantly ourselves in utilizing these principles of a spiritual business.

As we have seen each Pillar has a base and an apex. Today we look at how the four base principles create a strong foundation for our businesses. Belief, Vision, Passion and Faith become the corner stones of any spiritually based business. They also happen to support each other and interact in a way that truly creates more strength than if any one or two principles were used separately. If you look at these corner stones as a lattice where each is connected to the others you will see how they create a foundation that can weather any storm.

The Light within the Storm

Any business that brings spiritual principles to play can benefit by sharing its Beliefs, Vision, Passion and Faith with all its stakeholders. As discussed during the previous articles each of these principles can be expressed as public statements or simply as an overarching culture that is modeled by the behavior of the company’s leaders. Once these principles become enmeshed within the company culture every aspect of the business is uplifted and empowered to reach new heights of accountability, creativity and productivity.

Most importantly when these principles become the base of your operations there is nothing that can shake your resolve, aspirations or accomplishments. These become the guiding principles that lead your business to new ways of being and thus new ways of prospering. Long ago I was taught by one of my favorite spiritual teachers that if you can put one thing in order in your life, then by the nature of the universe, everything else must line up behind that one thing. This process is called entrainment and often defined as to draw along with or after oneself. When you are modeling authentic leadership based on Beliefs, Vision, Passion and Faith every aspect of your business, including personnel, will align itself with these spiritual principles. The nature of the universe is working on our behalf through this process of entrainment.

When every segment of your business operates as an aspect of your rock solid foundation your success is assured. This is not to say that you will not face any challenges, rather that none of these challenges can endanger your business in any way. The higher truth is that nothing and no-one could ever be against you. Using The 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship supports you in building a business that will stand strong in the face of seeming adversity, economic renewal, and paradigm shifting realities.

At The Inspired Business center we serve spiritual entrepreneurs and businesses through a variety of resources, processes and programs that facilitate the development of your business. Next week we will look at the pinnacle principles of the 4 Pillars and the week following conclude this series. Then on the 18^th of November we will conclude our Tele-Seminar series with a powerful seminar entitled “The Courage to Hold the Vision.” You can learn more and register for this tele-seminar HERE. Once you register you will also have access o the first two installments in this tele-seminar series; The 5 Ways to Prosper in the New Economy and Dare to Thrive (No Matter What).

Then in December Rev. Marla will be writing a three part series on an amazing new book by Tom Zender that explores a powerful perspective on blending business and spirituality. We also have some exciting ideas on how to serve you and your business in the New Year, however we would love to hear what you feel would best serve you. Please contact us or leave your comments on the blog. Tell us what would best serve you in 2011.

Until next week,

Peace and Prosperity

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Brzezinski is a 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

Photo Credits:

Building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gogri/5085495479/sizes/m/

Storm/Temple: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daverugby83/4649447588/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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Today we explore the fourth and final pillar of our series. The pillar of Faith and Focus completes the four corners of our structure and is in my opinion the most import pillar for the spiritual entrepreneur. What is faith and how do we use it? It has been said that Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Running on Faith or Focused on Something Unseen?

Thus, Faith is in some ways walking from the visible to the invisible. In business we have faith that our products or services will sell. We have faith that someone will not open a shop much like ours on the opposite corner. We have faith that people will spend their money. We have a visible product and we walk into the invisible world of sales and marketing.

Faith takes on many different forms within our company. Our employees must have faith their job will exist tomorrow. Our vendors have faith we will pay our bills on time. Our customers have faith we will continue to provide them with the goods and services they desire. Most importantly we, as owner, executives, and managers must have faith in the economy, local and/or federal governments and the quality of our products. Each of these aspects requires a slightly different form or style of faith.

Ultimately having Faith means we are willing to look beyond the worldly, materialistic view of our life, our business our world, and see something different. We are being called to see the world as we wish it to be rather than what we believe it to be in this moment. How often have you heard someone say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” That statement is the exact opposite of Faith. Faith is knowing that, “When I believe it I will see it.” In today’s economy we are being asked to believe in the recovery in order to see or experience that recovery. If we wait until we see the recovery to believe it is happening we will continue to wallow our way through what appears to be a recession.

This brings us to the aspect of Focus. Our Focus must be on that which we desire to experience as the truth of our life, business, company, or organization. Another wonderful saying is, “What we think about is what we bring about.” If your focus is on how terrible the recession is you will get to experience a terrible recession.

Let’s look at an old business paradigm of the target market. Often as business owners we are told to focus on our target market. While this was once a wonderful concept I believe it represents an old paradigm of business thinking. As Spiritual Entrepreneurs we are being called to support the expansion of a new paradigm. This new paradigm is one in which all transactions are treated as a spiritual experience, regardless of the players definition of spirituality. Take a look at the target market concept from the consumers’ perspective. Would you rather be someone’s target or their ideal customer? No one wants to walk around with a target on their back; however we do want to be someone’s ideal customer. I believe that if I am your ideal customer you will treat me as a valued asset. Would you rather gets used up and thrown away or be an ideal form of support and growth for a company?

Taking a spiritual approach to business serves to reframe every aspect of our perspective, perception and thus experiences. The pillar of Faith and Focus help to complete that reframing of our minds that open our business to an entirely new avenue of attracting customers, fans, supporters, and financiers. At the Inspired Business Center we are teaching business owners, executives and managers how to bring spirituality in to play in their companies and organizations through Faith and Focus.

Hopefully you now have an understanding of the 4 Pillars and how they can serve as the corners stones of a spiritually based business. During the next three weeks we will explore the practical applications and share how these concepts work in conjunction to support your company or organization.

Until then we invite you to become engaged with these concepts by revisiting each the previous blog posts and refreshing your understanding of the 4 Pillars of Spiritual Entrepreneurship. We also ask that you invite your friends to join us in this conversation. Lastly we suggest you submit any questions you may have as comments to this blog post. We will respond to your questions and comments throughout the week in preparation for the next stage in this series. As we move into exploring how to use these concepts our intent is to open a robust conversation with our readers. We would love your participation in this conversation.

Peace and Prosperity

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Brzezinski is a 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

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomaspurves/4950090586/in/faves-53047939@N06/

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