The universal language of love at Christmas

universal language of love

'Love is the answer and you know that for sure. Love is a flower and you've got to let it grow.' - John Lennon

As this is my final blog of the year and the festive season is upon us - I began to reflect on the @800 likes I had on my last blog for Huffington Post about how 'your thoughts create your life' and that everything in the quantum universe is connected including us. This message has obviously struck a chord with many readers. So I began to realise if we could all unite and consciously create the world we want by bringing love to others through words and service, we can amplify that light inside us all to truly shine as we are all connected to that universal energy called love. We can then bring change for the better. I am not religious but we are all spiritual and I do believe that Christmas has a great way of bringing people you love together the world over and isn't that just the best way to end the year? Christmas to me is more about what's in your heart. Life is a gift and what better way to remind yourself to celebrate, rejoice and be happy than at Christmas?!

I'm an Aquarian and the new Aquarian Age is nearly upon us and I believe that we are coming into a new era of change in our values, community, unity and integrity; where people are already beginning to question old out moded beliefs and ways of thinking and are looking for deeper meaning in their lives (please read my blog Jan. 30th 2013 - 'Meaning' is the new money'). As Melinda Gates said 'Make time for quiet self-reflection. There are distractions everywhere and you need to connect with nature and quiet truths to live a meaningful, balanced life.' There are messages everywhere and synchronicities - you just have to be open and aware of them and you can only access them by creating space for a new way of thinking. What you focus on expands - so train your thoughts - it takes time and practice but it's well worth it!

So my wish for you this Christmas is that you can begin to train your mind consciously focusing on what you want. Let me know how you get on - I'd be fascinated to hear. If we all do this together we can make the world a better place for us all to live. We need to bring back values. Where war is not the answer. We need to build and take care of our communities by investing in the infrastructure for people to thrive. We don't want children going to bed hungry. Taking care of each other; taking care of the enviroment and our communities with the right mindset. Our minds are so powerful but we're not taught how to think - if we can do this on a global level we can make the world a better place!

Wishing you a great Christmas full of joy and love and I leave you with a few inspiring quotes that have helped me - I hope you find them helpful too.

'All is mind' - Buddha

'The great quantum discovery is that Mind, not Matter, is the key prayer. When you master your mind, you master your life.' - Dianne Collins

'Relationships are mirrors. Conflict is a good thing. We attract what we need to heal.' - Louise Hay

'This mind is the matrix of all matter' - Max Planck

'Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields painfully to change.' - Robert F. Kennedy

'What happens when a man stands up and says enough is enough?' - Martin Luther King Jr. 

'War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate' - Marvyn Gaye

'All we are saying is give Peace a chance' - John Lennon

'The world is changed by your example. Not by your opinion.' - Paul Coelho

'Our thoughts create our reality and yet our thinking remains entrenched in a bygone era' - Dianne Collins

Here's to consciously creating change for the better and a great 2015!

Spirituality in Business

Jane Fuller

'At the root of our secular age is the fatal error that has led us to regard organized religion and the spiritual truth that man embodies as one and the same thing. This has caused millions to deny the reality of the latter because they have rejected the former. The impulse to know ourselves - which, after all, is a key component of spiritual seeking - is as deeply imprinted within us as our instincts for survival, sex and power.' - Arianna Huffington

Apologies for not being in contact sooner however, I've been researching the above title "Spirituality in Business" and I am slightly overwhelmed with the amount of material I have garnered. I have travelled to New York and spoken with Chairmen and CEO's; taken workshops with Hay House and The School of Life and in the process met Ryan Holiday (whose book 'The Obstacle is the Way" I can highly recommend) and the wonderful Arianna Huffington who needs no introduction. Her book Thrive is a best seller about the Third Metric on redefining success and creating a happier life. She believes we need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world by showing the profound and transformative effects of meditation, mindfulness, unplugging and giving - everything I've been talking about in earlier blogs. Arianna shows the way to a revolution in our culture, our thinking, our workplaces and our lives. She understands it takes time to be human. I believe your mindset can limit your success in business - so not only is a spiritual practice smart but it's essential too. Can this please be taught in schools from a young age - it starts with education.

Before I started writing my first blog nearly 2 years ago - I talked to a number of business people whose view I respected, about wanting to bring spirituality into business. I was told by most of them that the corporates wouldn't like it and it was best I didn't mention the word 'spiritual'. Well never being one to shy away I explained 'that's exactly why they need to listen". We were still in the depths of the recent deepest darkest financial crisis and I believe that one of the major factors in the failing global economy was a lack of values in the corporate and banking world. They'd lost their way - money, greed and power had taken over. That doesn't make them bad people just bad behaviours. I think the movie 'The Wolf of Wall Street' - a true story about corruption in Wall Street in the 1990's before the recent financial crisis - best exemplifies this madness! Money and power was the only way to go and in the process don't think too much about ethics and values because no-one else is and of course there isn't the time. Greed was still good.

I think many people felt disillusioned with that culture and mindset and began to look for a deeper connection within themselves and their lives. I believe it was during those dark days that people generally began questioning and searching for a new way of living and working with a yearning for some degree of spiritual connection. And it's not just a certain demographic but the top tier of the corporate world who are dipping a toe into the spiritual waters - which means if they are then they'll want their businesses to reflect these values too. Erin Knowles who is a lifestyle curator for UHNW individuals says "The true elite are seeking enlightenment to fill the third metric of their lives.  My clients are starting to look within - they have partied hard, shopped hard and now they're exploring their inner health and spirituality. Because there's no point in having lots of money if you're not happy." I could feel the tide change with friends in business a few years ago and it's not just here in London but it's taking place on a global scale in New York at Goldman Sachs and HSBC to individual billionaires and people in their 20's and 30's upwards. They are looking for more meaning in their lives and business.

This does not mean we cannot enjoy consumerism - when you buy a new dress, you're buying into a beautiful piece of energy. This means I can enjoy that experience as much as a 'reiki' session with Dr. Susie Anthony - which I can highly recommend - but how many dresses and Chanel bags does a girl need? Psychological research shows that a core element to leading a happy life is to spend part of your time thinking about ideas or purposes that are bigger than you are. It's about perspective........

Not all industries are this evolved though - when I was running my own film production company the mantra in my industry at the time was 'we're 24/7 here' and everyone was expected to be available 24/7. This evidently has not changed at all since I left the industry and I believe it is deeply unhealthy. I wanted out over a decade ago and redefined my life and my view on success. Life isn't about power and money - although it helps - it's about so much more. I refer to my blog of January 2013 - 'Meaning is the new money'. After decades of pursuing riches, wealth seems less alluring and meaning has become the new money.......... People are realising that something is missing - to coin that wonderful song title phrase by Peggy Lee "Is that all there is?" echos in my ears........

Modern spirituality is centred on the deepest values and meanings by which people live. I am not religious but I'm spiritual and I want to acknowledge the importance of this in my life and it appears that many other people and their businesses do too. In fact you can be even more successful with this way of thinking and working so the economies can only flourish! Just imagine the spirit of your brand.........

Namaste

PS They used to say that politics and spirituality don't mix but Marianne Williamson - another fabulous spiritual leader - is running for Congress in District 33 of California. If I could vote for her I would but another acknowledgement that the world is changing and spirituality is being recognised as an important and political factor in peoples lives

PPS Can I recommend The School of Life website for The Philosopher's Mail  Another site that embraces spirituality and an antidote to The Daily Mail..........

PPS Arianna has personally asked me to be a voice on the Huffington Post - I'm chuffed and honoured

Have a great week!

'This life is too short for our souls'  -  Goethe

'Meaning' is the new money

I believe we are in a period of massive change and generally people are looking for deeper meaning in their lives. With the global financial crisis and lack of trust in governments and corporations many people are hungry for something different and may have lost the connection to their deeper selves. After decades of pursuing riches, wealth seems less alluring and meaning has become the new money. Whilst I was researching this I came across a book by Dan Pink called 'A Whole New Mind' about how the 21st century is all about the Conceptual Age and the future of global business will belong to the right brain thinkers. The era of 'left brain' predominance of the logical, linear, computer based Information Age that it engendered are giving way to a new world of 'right brain' qualities that predominate which are inventiveness, empathy and meaning. The future belongs to those with a right brain mindset - creators, empathizers, pattern recognizers and 'meaning makers'. These people -  artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers will all reap the rewards of this new age. We need to maintain our left brain directed skills but now master six essential right brain directed skills. The six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend are Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Pink reckons that these six senses will increasingly guide our lives and shape our world.

The four historical major ages:

1.  Agricultural Age (farmers) 18th century - left brain domination

2.  Industrial Age (factory workers) 19th century - left brain domination

3.  Information Age (knowledge workers) 20th century - left brain domination

4.  Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers) 21st century - right brain skills now required

According to the latest research, IQ accounts for between 4 and 10 per cent of career success. However, IQ tests are based upon excessive left brain directed thinking. The qualities that are more important and tougher to quantify are imagination, joyfulness and social dexterity - right brain qualities. Pink says the most valued degree in business is now the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The MFA is the new MBA.

Research also found that the most effective leaders were funny (ha ha, not peculiar) and these leaders had their charges laughing three times more often than their managerial counterparts. Interestingly in my 20's before I started my own business I only had 3 great bosses all called Ian and all hilarious and well loved - so I can testify to this!

I think this book is more relevant now than when it was first written just before the financial crisis. I'm even more delighted that the future belongs to skills that I embrace where creativity is key, but I do think if you can integrate the right brain and left brain qualities equally you'll go far!

Happy Conceptual Age!

'Leadership is about empathy.  It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.'   -  Oprah Winfrey