Misc
Searching, Seeking And Belonging
We all have this in common, we all are searching for something but we don’t know what it is. We all are seeking something, and we don’t know what that is either. And in the end, we all want to belong to something. Does this sound like you?
SEARCHING
We are never really clear on what it is we are searching for, we give it a name though, we call it happiness. Some of us will go for days, months, years, and even a lifetime searching for this unknown feeling we have. This feeling is like a call to nowhere, we hear a howling wind calling us, so we follow the howling wind only to find ourselves right where we were when we heard it. We go in circles.
Some of us think this search is about our jobs, our homes, our cars, our friends, and even our spouses. The truth is, when you make those changes, you are usually exchanging one set of problems for another. But that’s the way life is right? We have this emptiness inside each one of us, you describe it differently each time, but it’s the same void we keep trying to fill with things that make us feel good. That’s one of the gravities of human behaviour, we like to feel good all the time, so we search for that which gives us that emotion.
We are searching for the wrong thing, we all are spiritual beings, we are searching to fill a spiritual void! There is nothing you and I can buy that will fill that void, I know, I’ve tried. We do the same thing with our businesses, we think we can buy, trick and cheat our way into making huge sums of money just to be called a success. That’s not going to fill the void you feel every waking minute of your life.
SEEKING
Seeking is not much different than searching, except it’s deeply personal. Here you feel your searching has failed you, and now you are seeking because you are hurting at a much deeper level. The void feels even more empty, and bigger, to the point at times, you feel actual depression. This seeking takes on many looks, it shows up when you unexpectedly lose your job, your spouse, a child, and even your home or business, it runs deep.
We continue to live like we can buy our way out of it, you can’t, you have to work your way through it. You truly have to look in the mirror and admit you are out of control, you really don’t have a clue, a clue of the big picture, why you are here, and what your purpose is for living. You do have a purpose, you do have a role to play, you do matter, and your voice needs to be heard. But more importantly, you have to listen, and that’s where we as people get it wrong.
There is a spiritual voice calling to you, talking to you, but you can’t hear it, because you don’t know how to listen for it. You see, each one of us was created and designed for a purpose, a plan was designed for us, but the only way to understand what those are, you have to listen and admit your destiny is not in your hands. We all ask the same question to, what am I supposed to do with my life? I can’t tell you what that is, but this I can tell you, when you do what you were created and designed to do, you make the world a better place. You don’t make the world a better place because you made money from it, you make money because you helped other people. if you help enough people get what they want, you’ll probably be OK.
Your business has the same problem, who decides if your business is successful financially? You? If your product or service truly solves a problem, your customers will decide for you, after all, they are the ones with the money. You can follow a system like a franchise, but in the end, the product or service has to useful, it has to solve a problem, or that system fails. Your business has to help people, not always sell people something.
We all seek to be liked, loved, and important. We tend to seek it from other people, therefore, we need to be validated, given permission, or wait to be picked. That system is why we hurt more often than we don’t. What we seek doesn’t come from people, we just think it does.
BELONGING
Another gravity of human behaviour, we crave to be accepted, to belong. I don’t have to say much here because we all like to be a part of something larger than our selves, to be in a tribe if you will. We want to be where people are, do what they do, and feel useful within that environment. We sometimes think we will find what we are searching and seeking for in these groups or tribes. You might find something, but you won’t fill the void here either, unless you all understand that you are seeking something spiritually, and not physically, something way bigger than you & I.
If you need more evidence that we need to belong to something, just look at the industrial age system, why do we have a Chamber Of Commerce, or hundreds of thousands of non-profit organisations. They all have something in common, they all try to build tribes, pull like-minded people together for a cause. So admit that you are in these groups, but not for them, for you! You need it, those organisations will and can survive without you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t belong to any of these groups, I’m saying, admit the truth as to why you are involved. The truth shall set you free, it always has.
Searching, seeking and belonging feels different for each one of us, but yet it’s the same for all of us. We all want the same things, we just go about it differently. I’m no different than you, I have to admit the truth, the truth about my motives, how I feel, and why I do what I do, even if I don’t make money from it. Money is not the answer, it’s a tool, we all need it, but our purpose, our role, and our happiness does not come from having lots of it. If money is your motivation, you will eventually tell an untruth, you will eventually stop caring about people, you will only end up caring about yourself.
So, amongst all the searching, the seeking, and the belonging, listen to your spiritual voice, it will tell you what to do, and where to go. I challenge you to join me on this journey together, one where we together make the world a better place, we will go on a faith walk to figure out what we were meant to do with our lives. The future of business, no, the future of your business is at stake, are you up for it?
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10 People Who Get My Attention Everyday
10 people who get my attention everyday. Do you know how hard it is to make a list of just 10? There are many who get my attention, but these ten can stop me in my tracks. Now I talk often about attention, it can determine your success in business, who you give your time to. But the deeper question is, why do these individuals or companies get your attention. I find, as I look down my list, it’s because they make me think…not about what they are talking about, but how the topic applies to my business, maybe even my day-to-day life. But mostly, these individuals do a number of things, they affirm me, are extremely interesting, really make me stop and go Hmmmmmm, and the bonus, they seem to be very genuine people. I’ll qualify that with, I have only met 2 from this list face-to-face, my bucket list just got longer : )
These people can disrupt my day very easily, especially when they hail me on Twitter or write a blog post. You may already know these individuals, and maybe you don’t, but I think they are worth your time. These 10 people do have one thing in common, they see the world, and want to make that world a better place, no matter how abstract and disturbing it might be. I learn much from each of them, and I know you will to if you take the time to follow their work. More importantly, they are all much smarter than I, and deserve a tip of the hat for the work they do.
Gerd Leonhard – I tell the story of how I came across Gerd and his work, I thought long and hard, wondering if I was the only one that saw the world of business the way I do, until I found Gerd. He is much smarter than I, much more connected, and he is a machine when it comes to producing content. The thing that gets me, is his desire to share what he believes, he is a like-minded friend I hope to meet one day. – http://mediafuturist.com
Chris Brogan – I have chatted, was on one of his Kitchen Table Talk Online TV Show, promoted some of his posts, and he has done so of mine, but we have never met. I don’t always agree with Chris, but most of the time I do. I’m a fan of his because he is real, he is what he preaches, a human business. – http://chrisbrogan.com
Jim Connolly – This UK marketer is not only a cool character, he is smart. I’ve know Jim for 4 years now, and he gets better each and every blog post, thought provoking, and makes you think about how you are marketing. – http://jimsmarketingblog.com
Rick Rake – Now I’m biased with this person, why? Rick is a huge promoter of my work here where I live, he was the very 1st person to attend my workshops, and he gets it. Rick & his wife Kathleen come from the older generation, but practice a lot of the new ways of doing business online. I have come to love & appreciate both of them, and can’t thank them enough for all that they do for me and the business community we live in. – http://clickmediaworks.typepad.com/click_media_works_blog/
Seth Godin – I have to admit I feel pretty stupid after listening to him, but I’ll get over that : ) Seth keeps things simple in my head, he makes me think about the world as it really is, and he teaches me far more than I can put into action at any given time. I love his keynotes, and can’t get enough of the Linchpin & Poke The Box, because those two books show you how I feel and think, without the smarts. I fly at 50,000 feet most of the time, and then Seth will bring me back down to earth for a street level view. I thank you. – http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Brian Solis – He is much like Seth Godin to me, but different. I’m not even sure how to describe him, he just resonates with me from a business perspective. He is intelligent, and one of the best interviews I’ve ever known in this new digital world, asks some the smartest questions, and shares the answer equally as good. – http://www.briansolis.com/
Glen Hiemstra – I had the privilege of meeting Glen last year, he drove up to Vancouver for the World Futurist Society Conference I was speaking at, he attended my session. Probably wishes he could get that 90 minutes back : ) Glen does some very interesting work as a Futurist, I read his work and bookmark it regularly, he probably doesn’t know that, but he does now. Not only is he a smart man, he is so down to earth and a joy be around. I thank you Glen for being so gracious with me, and for taking the time to come my session. – http://www.futurist.com/
Olivier Blanchard – The Brand Builder – We go back a few years, but only online. Olivier has done something that no one else seems to have figured out yet, he knows how to derive an ROI out Social Media (Networks). He has gone so far as to write a book on the topic, to show you how simple and yet how hard it is to stay committed to the endeavour. Plus, he is damn funny! I cherish every opportunity to chat with Olivier, I learn so much, and I constantly challenge him on the value of a follower, a fan, and or a like. – http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/
Ray Kurzweil – Probably the nuttiest person I pay attention to. I don’t mean that in a sarcastic way, or disrespectful way, he is amazing to listen to. He is very star warzy to me, and yet, scares the crap out of me at the same time. He sees technology embedded in humans, which shows him a world run by machines, but mostly to improve our ability, our way of life, and to create a healthy world. – http://www.kurzweilai.net/
Tom Peters – I have followed Tom’s work for many years, he wrote the famous book called, In Search Of Excellence, just in case you don’t know who he is. His work gets me on trouble all the time, because he talks about doing business better, shares stories and examples of businesses actually doing what he talks about. If you haven’t read any of his books, I challenge you to go out right now and do so. – http://www.tompeters.com/
An honourable mention:
John Morgan – He recently released his first book called, Brand Against The Machine, his work helps you look at how and what your up against in the marketing world. Again, keeping things simple, why? Because simple is hard enough. John has a special way of communicating his message, very direct, and very helpful. – http://johnmichaelmorgan.com/
So there’s my list, it was hard to narrow down, there are many more whom deserve to be on this list, but for the purposes of this post, I’m keeping it down to ten. Many of these people have written books, I highly recommend you read them, and better yet, follow their work here online.
I hope these individuals help you in better ways than they help me, I just wanted to share them with you, and give you some insight to who I pay attention to. After all, attention is the currency we are all trying to acquire.
The Beauty Of Vancouver British Columbia Canada
Sometimes I am in awe of this country, the skyline, the mountains, we are a very blessed people to live here.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
I want to thank any and all who have come to my blog, and most especially to those he keep returning to see what I will share next, I hope you are learning something and continue to keep thinking forward. So this day I wish you and your world a Merry Christmas, and may 2012 be a better year than 2011 may have been, Happy New Year and good fortune to you.
Many Blessings,
Owen Greaves
Is This One Of Your Goals For 2012?
It’s midnight, I’m thinking about the past year, wondering if I made a difference to any business owner in my community, my Twitter followers, my blog readers and….. It’s a fair question, you probably ask yourself the same question many times. In fact, you may spend too much time asking yourself that question. If you truly want to make a difference, Go and make a difference! Go, do that thing you are passionate about, you will touch someone’s life and you probably won’t even know it.
I attend many events in my community, most are surprised when I show up, but I need the interaction with smart people. You can only speak from a stage, from a microphone, a blog, or even a workshop for so long. Eventually, you’ll want to see eyeballs, hear real stories directly from the sources, maybe in their own surroundings. The words Social Media don’t really say enough about what it really means, we tend to forget the “Social” part, but it’s the best part, it’s the awesome sauce.
I have a few social engagements in my calendar for December, maybe we’ll run into each other, and I’ll bet there’s a great story to share. Make sure you step away from the keyboard, better yet, go master the deadlock on your front door and get out and see the people. The people are what makes the Social in Social Media, media is actually cold and unfeeling, why would you want to just do that?
Social Networks are environments, cultures, and places to learn, because that’s where the people are, and no matter how much you avoid it, the Future Of Business means people. You will never have success without them, and what they want from you is simple, they want access to you. They want to know you, even spend time with you, that’s where the real value is, and eventually, the Gold.
When you get around the people, and you are doing what you were meant to do, you are making a difference. So GO! Be a human business, one that connects with others, one that connects businesses, Go and be with the people, help them achieve their goals, and you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams. Make that your goal for 2012, I hope you do because I can’t wait to hear your story when you do.
