Archive for category spirituality and business
You and the Universe
Posted by Volker in change management, personal, spirituality and business on November 8, 2011
Rhonda Byrne in the Secret Newsletter the other day wrote the following:
Your job is you and only you. When you are working in harmony with the law, no-one can come between you and the Universe. However if you think another person can get in the way of what you want, then you have done a flip to the negative. Focus on creating what you want.
You are the centre of divine operation in your life, and your partner is the Universe. No one can get in the way of your creation.
I liked that quote for several reasons. The Law of Attraction means whatever you do in life comes back, a bit like Karma. It is also about you attracting the same things until you break a pattern.
That makes me reflect on the problems I had with the car, all the illnesses (colds) I had at the same time, annoying customer service from both the car people and my online shopping provider. I get wound up by it and I seem to go from one case to another until I break the cycle and MY attitude.
Instead of focusing your energy on what you don’t want, you need to identify the positive things, things you really want. In your job, in your personal life, everywhere.
So be positive and try to focus on the things you want in life, not the ones you don’t want. Because you are the centre of your diving operation: you are in charge of your thoughts and your life.
Give it a go. Be positive.
Buddhism – Inner Dimensions & Spiritual Revolution
Posted by Volker in Buddhism, personal, spirituality and business on August 5, 2011
As this month I will not arouse myself with alcohol, I hope to be able to write a few more posts, particularly about Buddhism. Let us look at the following quote from the Dalai Lama:
Our problems, both those we experience externally such as wars, crime and violence and those we experience internally as emotional and psychological suffering will not be solved until we address this underlying neglect of our inner dimension. That is why the great movements of the last hundred years and more–democracy, liberalism, socialism, and Communism–have all failed to deliver the universal benefits they were supposed to provide, despite many wonderful ideas. A revolution is called for, certainly, but not a political, an economic, or a technical revolution. We have had enough experience of these during the past century to know that a purely external approach will not suffice. What I propose is a spiritual revolution.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
I highlighted in bold a few points:
a) address the underlying neglect of our inner dimension
b) failed to deliver (referring to the outer dimension)
c) spiritual revolution
Only a spiritual revolution will be able to address whatever is bugging you inside. b) and c) state the obvious. If it is politics or if it is personal circumstances, an outer dimension will not make you happy inside. This could be a job, a marriage, possessions or plain money. Nothing will be able to be put upon us that makes us happy and find inner peace but the spiritual revolution.
Of course you can think of the “spiritual revolution” in many terms. But what is the Dalai Lama wanting to say?
Let’s look at a), the underlying neglect of our inner dimension. As long as we, unconsciously or consciously, fight an inner dimension, then we will not be able to be happy. Why is that?
We need to be able to have inner peace. Only with inner peace we are able to develop our spirituality. By overcoming obstacles that we have inside us, and those can be anything from challenges in our job, our relationship or in daily communications, we will not get the inner peace.
Those of you that are working in personal development will know what I am talking about. How often have you had clients that fight the same situation over and over again. With their 3rd employer the same problem as with the 1st, the 4th wife having the same problem as the previous three. No, the problem is inside you! Stop neglecting your inner dimension and focus on the problem inside you. Only by overcoming your inner problem you are able to move on.
Buddhism theories go as far as suggesting that we live in samsara until we overcome all those issues, all personal problems that hold us back, in order to gain enlightenment. And, in order to do so, don’t rely on the outer dimensions but the spiritual revolution.
Buddha bless.
With Love and Kindness,
Volker
Buddhism – being busy
Posted by Volker in Buddhism, cb consulting, change management, performance, personal, spirituality and business on July 20, 2011
I get a daily newsletter with Buddhist quotes. Hence I like to collect the most inspiring ones and put them in my blog. Similar to what I did with Balamadana back in the days.
Most quotes have been in my draft folder for a few months, if not years. So here we go with one:
How very happily we live, free from busyness among those who are busy. Among busy people, free from busyness we dwell.
- Dhammapada, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Now I recently couldn’t travel due to the sickness of my children. However, as I had holidays booked, I just ended up with two and a half days without any plans whatsoever but helping my wife and spending time (!) with my kids.
Time. Free time is almost unheard of. We all work a lot, normally 9 to 5.30, often to 6.30 and most often much longer. We are people that enjoy working (and I speak about people like myself), and we should probably or most certainly take a day off. Or compensate for over time. Not because we don’t value time at work or because it might be our right to do so. No, we should take time off because we need to.
We need to relax, unwind and take time for ourselves. Children really help you to de-stress and relax when they are in good form. Of course they can be awful, ill or very annoying at times, but the majority of the time you spend with them, it takes you back to “point zero“. You relax. You see the world with their eyes, more relaxed, more simplistic. It is great to unwind.
You become more productive if you are sitting down and unwind. Taking a break at work helps you to increase your productivity. Employers start realising that.
So as a self conscious Buddhist, someone who is at ease with him/herself, you should be able to have a calm and relaxed mind. A mind like water, being focused and concentrated whilst you ignore the busyness going on around you. You are the rock. You are the one that stays relaxed, not being bothered by what the environment tries to put upon you.
It takes a lot of practise but it is possible. You decide! You are in charge of your destiny and the way you live your life. Take charge.
Work Life Balance…
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, spirituality and business, time management on February 11, 2011
Nigel Walsh spoke on TED about Work Life Balance.
What I take from this video:
- I am not 40 yet.
- I want to spend more life with my family.
- I don’t know if my career matches a work-life balance.
- I don’t want to leave it until it is too late.
- Work Life is about the balance of emotions, spiritual and personal relationships and work.
- I work on further concepts and buy his book.
Enjoy.
Resources for Life – Life map
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, coaching, personal, spirituality and business on February 26, 2009
As a coach for personal development I am very interested in all sorts of theories. In the recent issue of the Saturday Financial Times I found an article about the perfect small home and this guy in Iowa who lives in a very small trailer.
However, looking through the website I found a life map which got my attention. It plans out what your focus in life is an why and how….. – really it is a “wheel of life”.
The “normal wheel of life”, used by most coaches looks like that:
It examines certain areas of your life and analyses where you are happy with, e.g. in this example from Dave where the family part of the wheel is almost 100% in terms of achievement and happiness, whilst the money part still needs development. Anyhow, the wheel of life focuses on: career, money, health, partner, family, friends, learning and environment. You can add or remove categories, e.g. if you study “studying” or if you do a lot of sports it could be “basketball” for instance additional to health.
Now, the other wheel I found at the Resources for life, has very similar categories: Lifeways, Health, Career, Finance, Relationship, Activism and Effectiveness. I like that split.
The reason for that is the way it starts with Lifeways and the determination about your belief system. Like me being a Buddhist. It then takes you on to health and career as well as finance like the “normal coaching wheel”. However, it then splits more into relationship in general, taking into consideration the relationship in general, e.g. family and partnership.
I find the category of “activism” very interesting: Something you would die for, something you are passionate about. Exactly, how many people just live and don’t know what they really like? What they want? What makes them tick? Wow, how can we go ahead and become passionate about something. What gets you up in the morning and gets you going? What is your biggest achievement today. How can you change things today to make a better tomorrow? That is great stuff!
Effective Living is the last category. Reminds me of Buddhism in terms of letting go of material value. How can you achieve more with less?
I am sure you come across more different life maps and wheels. And, giving our lives, each wheel will be different and every map and category means something different for everyone. However, it is good to take some time, sit down and draw your own map. And, think about the passion and your life style. Anything you can improve? It is not all about finance and career. Or, can you integrate your activism and effective living into the career and finance category? Get what they call a holistic living system.
Whilst the above example of a holistic life is about Gregory’s life and approach to a “small, simple, sustainable” life I would like to take the idea a bit further.
The holistic life approach and your areas of life that map out your life should really aim at your personal life. It should identify areas that are important to you, and most likely family/relationship, career and finance would be. However, holistic mans that you need to integrate all parts in the “full circle”. It is your life where each part is dependable from the other. Means you need to have a holistic view of your life.
Ask us today for some life coaching and goal setting.
cb consulting London
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, change management, coaching, creativity, customer service, family, NLP, philosophy, spirituality and business on February 24, 2009
I have been asked over the last few days, what cb consulting really is? What am I doing as a marketing and management consultant?
It is both a playing field for SEO and web design but also my first own company. I founded it not short of 2 years ago to start selling some of my services, e.g. performance coaching, life coaching, career coaching, trainings and seminars, to some friends and corporates.
However, at that time and even now, I am still working full time to earn my living that way. And, I do not really want to change that or give up the security of my day job.
cb consulting really is a good way of showing off my skills and offering them to the greater world. I have excelled in helping people achieving their dreams, dream jobs and personal goals.
Also, I am about to start my first online marketing consulting project – keep your fingers crossed. Combining the right tools to reach the objectives.
Coaching is not always the easiest thing to do. You don’t really want to tell people what to do but be there for guidance and helping them to identify their own goals. Only if the goal has been clarified you can lay out the path for them with the client playing the mayor part. There is no use of a coach outlining any steps to a client if the client does not know where they are going.
Sometimes clients get set-backs. Getting them back on their feet, visualising their goals and get them to re-focus is a great challenge. Only who has been down and got himself up again understand how to it is to be on the floor, not knowing what to do and where to go.
Particularly in the recession career coaching becomes very important. So tune in and let me know how I can help you today?
Refocusing?
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, personal, spirituality and business on January 27, 2009
I am very quiet at the moment, not really my way normally. Haven’t used twitter for a day and getting bored of Facebook too.
No, am not depressive, just the opposite. I tried explaining that a few months ago about going from one island to another. But my Buddhist friend who I write a blog with about Buddhism and Management said I should focus on settling down on one island and then explore that one. “You cannot be on the move all the time”. And, of course I am not. I am more than happy where I am but I have some thoughts about a new angle of personal development.
You remember about the Prince and the Magician? Exactly, the refocus, the idea of seeing things from a different angle. Not believing everything you see.
What is happening? To be honest – nothing has happened, I am still me and still happy where I am. But, I was thinking about more inner personal development, more about how to integrate Buddhism into my daily life and work. And, I am in the process of putting together a new theoretical approach to it. From Thursday I am planning to visit a new course that will last 6 weeks to see if new techniques will help to ease mind, body and spirit. Am very excited.
You can download my Island Theory on my personal development site of cb consulting. Have a peek if you see the truth in it and if it makes sense to you. Feel free to comment. Any feedback helps development!
My current ideas are around that theory. Based on a another theory that every 6 months you have a peak performance, or a non-peak performance respectively, I believe sitting on the island we can count on developing ourselves from within. Developing ourselves through refocus. Choosing a different way to work, a different path at night, a different way to spend time with your family or approaching your cats differently. You ever noticed the difference a difference can make?
By refocusing on what you are doing and how you are doing it, you will get out stronger, better and more focused. And, you will learn to appreciate moments new.
I believe it was a few weeks back that I read about someone who said: Volker, I noticed today on my way to work that there is a flower. And that flower smelled so nice. I just never smelled anything like that.
Although the flower has been there all along, it is the refocus and the way you appreciate your surroundings.
Off to another day. Very philosophical, I suppose.
Love and Kindness,
Volker
new website live
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, change management, customer service, motivation, NLP, performance, SEM, spirituality and business, time management on December 29, 2008
Hello All,
My slightly revamped cb consulting website is live. What do you think?
Volker
Facing the Giants…
Posted by Volker in Buddhism, change management, gtd, leadership, motivation, NLP, personal, spirituality and business on November 9, 2008
I finally watched the whole movie of facing the giants as described in my earlier post. It is a very motivational movie. However, I was surprised that is based around god and the love of god to make it a success.
With having lived in the US for a year a few years ago, I know how important Christianity is in the US and that it helps people to motivate. However, it does not matter which faith you are as long as you believe in something, and someone – yourself.
I am not a great believer in contemporary church but find my spiritual guidance through Buddhism. Latter helps me to stay focus, help others and be motivated in personal life as well as in corporate life.
What wonders me sometimes is that there seems to be this “YES WE CAN” attitude in the USA, the American Dream that just this week was supported by the first ethnic minority president to be in the world. A country that has this approach will always be more confident and be more successful.
In Germany where I grew up and I believe it is similar in most European countries, this attitude is not on the schedule for high school kids. It is more about “this is an American thing” and that is that.
Why are we not taking the positive attitude, the “can do approach” from our big brother and use it to make us more successful, more motivated and more focused in life and work. Without thinking that this is only done “elsewhere”.
I believe we need to incorporate the basic and underlying approach of this attitude in our daily lifes to motivate ourselves and to get where we want to be. No surprise that things like GTD, NLP, Turning Passion into profits are all coming from one country.
In my opinion most of those ideas are based around the basic attitude of reaching out for the stars and making things happen. And to have this vision of reaching things, not to show fear and stay focus. That is not rocket science, is it?
Compassion
Posted by Volker in cb consulting, personal, spirituality and business on September 24, 2008
Compassion – or carpe diem?
I am not sure what to write but Dan Millman who I am going to see tonight in London, posted this video on his blog. I though it is worthwhile sharing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyGEEamz7ZM]
You find several entries on my blog about Dan Millman and the Peaceful Warrior.
I let you know how the seminar went.
Volker
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