Ecoabu-Blog

The Ecoabu-Blog provides subscribers to our RSS feed with late-breaking news -- from business, science, & psychology -- about making money doing work you love and living a richer, fuller life. Click on the orange button to the left of this message to receive our updates.

Sep 3, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

September 2, 2008

Key Ingredients to Your Success

What are the two most indispensible ingredients to your success in the world of commerce? I'll offer two: goal setting & goal achievement, and living in right, life-giving relationship with yourself, other people and the world.

Whether we're talking about written goal setting, purposing, intending, visualizing, desiring, wanting, affirming or focusing -- it's all the same stuff: focusing on what you desire and moving in that direction. Certainly a good deal of thought can and should be invested in choosing a goal. Nonetheless -- while the mechanics of activity may vary among these disciplines -- the central task, whether it is done by writing or imagining, is focusing on what you desire and moving in that direction.

Driven to distraction or despair about a relationship, health, financial, or career issue? Do a little research, so you can make an intelligent choice. Then write down what you want, work backward in steps from where you want to be to where you are, and then begin with the first step.

Along the way -- keep a picture in your mind about what it is that you desire, feel yourself experiencing the object of your desire, regularly affirm in your thoughts that the state that you desire is present in your life.

The other key ingredient is right living. Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh has a word for right living: the word is "interbeing". Interbeing is essentially the mindful practice of "ethical and conscientious living."

Nhat Hanh teaches 14 guidelines for mindful living. One in particular is highlighted here for your consideration: reverence for life. Reverence for life is essentially a commitment to non-violence and compassion.

What follows is a practical application of this aspect of mindful living. In their book Beyond Reason, Harvard Law School professors Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro (who are respectively the director and associate director of the Harvard Negotiation Project) talk at length about the science of emotion -- the substance of human relationship. The headings alone in this great little book offer profound insights for all forms of human interaction.

o Emotions are powerful, always present, and hard to handle. o Emotions can be obstacles. o Emotions can be assets. o Stop having emotions? You can't. o Ignore emotions? It won't work. o Deal directly with emotions? A complicated task. o How do you deal effectively with emotions (in yourself and others)? Focus on core concerns.

More to follow next week. See you then.

Aug 27, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

August 26, 2008

Inspiration

In A Life at Work, Thomas Moore says this about inspiration -- the stories, music, accomplishments, examples of others' lives that fuel our imaginations and energy:

"The word inspire," he says, "means 'to breathe into' and brings us back to the idea that to be alive . . . means to breathe in and out. An inspiring example gets you breathing again and ready to approach your own life work with renewed vitality."

Here are words of inspiration -- that are more than just truisms -- from a new book, Feel It Real! by Denise Coates.

From Gandhi: If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning.

From Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose, there are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.

And Meister Eckhart: If the only prayer you ever say in life is 'thank you' . . . that is enough.

It has been said that we human beings live in our imaginations. Our reality is and becomes what we imagine it to be. Albert Einstein once said, Imagination is everything. It is the preview of coming attractions. We have the ability to imagine great beauty -- and the ability to imagine great horrors.

Wishing you beautiful, life-enriching imagings that enrich you and others.

Aug 19, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

August 18, 2008

Tips to Financial Freedom and a Life the Makes a Difference

In a chapter, Your Own Road Map to Financial Freedom, in his most recent book, Bert Whitehead repeats a mantra oft-stated in the financial literacy arena: "At the heart of any financial plan are your your goals."

"First . . . determine what your values are . . . uncover what really matters to you -- what it is that truly defines success for you."

"Once you've clarified your values," he recommends, "you can more easily determine your financial goals."

"My experience tells me," he continues, "that you can enjoy financial freedom beyond what you think you can, in less time than you believe it will take. We have created for ourselves a daunting financial environment, but it seems to me that the worst part is that simple things are made to seem complex and things requiring only a ittle time and attention are made to seem overwhelming."

Whitehead believes that much of the confusion about what it takes to achieve financial success, is produced by the financial media -- which he believes with some justiication, has an inherent conflict of interest that originates in its relationships with its advertisers.

So, somewhat paradoxically, here is a tip from the (alternative) financial press Co-op America's Guide to Socially Responsible Investing: "Save more of your money. A lot more. And direct your savings to socially and environmentally responsible investments . . .

The more money each of us channels toward investments in life-affirming necessities -- such as affordable housing, renewable energy, education, community, health care, environmental restoration, and products built to last -- the more our futures will include these values. Likewise, the more investment money we channel away from destructive enterprises -- the healthier and more equitable our world will be."

See you next week!

Aug 13, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

August 13, 2008

The Real Superstars Focus on Sound Basics

How is the fruit on your financial tree? Sparse? Abundant, but full of pests? Abundant, and rich?

This issue of the Ecoabu Blog marks a new beginning. Away from entertaining, usually informative but occasionally insubstantial -- to entertaining, more authoritative, and efficacious (efficacious meaning the material has a decent probably of making a real difference in your life).

Today's blog begins a multi-part series that focuses on the real, nuts & bolts of personal money making. In our profile this week is Bert Whitehead, MBA, JD -- author of the 2007 book, Why Smart People Do Stupid Things with Money. Sound at all familiar?

Whitehead, as the flyleaf on the book says, has been named "one of the 'Best 60 Financial Advisors in America' by Worth magazine every year since 1994." That's a 14 year track record, independently validated. Worth listening to? Probably.

Here is a dose of encouragement: ". . . you don't need to accept financial dysfunction in your life (e.g., everything from excessive debt to financial paranoia) . . ."

"The good news here is that you almost certainly have much more control over your financial fitness (happiness) than you realize -- in much the same way that people who commit to living a healthy lifestyle can suddenly discover that they enjoy better health than they imagined possible. These are the two simple keys: (1) knowing the actions that enable you to be functional financially, and (2) sticking to them regardless of outside media blather."

There is much more practical advice in the 200 pages that follow. Check out a copy, or tune in next week.

Aug 7, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

August 6, 2008

There is Good Information Here

Your success -- financial and otherwise -- does not lie in the treasure out there in the world. It lies within you.

"A calling," says Thomas Moore, "is the sense that you are on this earth for a reason, that you have a destiny, no matter how great or small." . . . "A calling is a sensation or intuition that life wants something from you. It can give meaning to the smallest acts and helps create a strong identity. If you have a reason for being, you don't feel entirely aimless You know who you are and what to do."

He continues: "The concrete visible world speaks to us, if we would only listen. You don't have to do exactly what the signs indicate, but it would help to consider them in evaluating the status of your work life." . . . "You also have to attend to your interior life to a degree that you can also sense your calling from internal indications. It may be a strong interest, a feeling of magnetism, pleasure, or joy around a particular kind of work. . ."

"Here is my starting point," he counsels, "in looking for a life work: Step out of the frenzied pursuit of the right job, look around at the whole of your life, and connect with the source of your vitality. If you begin with who you are and with the current of life you feel inside you, you will be grounded as you search and experiment."

Moore's book A Life at Work is a treasure. It will uplift, reassure, and inspire you. Treat yourself and get some wisdom that will make a difference in your life.

Jul 29, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

July 28, 2008

Discover You

This week's blog begins a two week, two-part summary of Thomas Moore's wonderful new book, A Life at Work . . .which, as Rabbi Lawrence Kushner observes, guides readers through life's greatest quandry: Why have I been created?

"The frustration of not having life in gear and not doing the right job," writes Moore, transmutes into judgment and rage and, finally agression. The feeling of going nowhere is serious business."

"But even in the darkest situations," he says, "the human spirit flutters, sings and sometime soars. Something in us keeps us focused on a brighter day and a better situation. Those feelings and thoughts of ultimate liberation and success are very important . . . Loyalty to your dreams sometimes appears naive to others, but story after story of successful people indicates that faith in their abilities sustained them and eventually led them to a place of fulfillment."

Stay tuned. Better yet -- as Rabbi Kushner invites: Give this book to yourself.

Jul 22, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

July 21, 2008

Be Encouraged

In last week's July 18 issue of The Christian Science Monitor (not exactly a fluff publication) the creative energy behind moneymagpie.com led off an interesting article with this headline: Read This and Start Making Cash. Jasmine Birtles' advice turns out to both full of possibilities -- and practical.

"Who says," she begins, "(that) we have to have a poorer life? Who says that suddenly the tap gets turned off and we all have to sit in darkened rooms eating crusts?" (Sounds like a Brit.)

"We all have more resources," she encourages, "than we realize or use." . . . "We can all create our own microeconomy, irrespective of what is going on in the country, using the (resources, talents, and interests) we didn't know we had."

Birtles goes on in the space of seven paragraphs -- to identify 18 relatively simple, easy-to-overlook, workable ways of making extra (and in some instances a lot of) cash.

"And," she counsels, "don't be put off by the extra time and effort you may need to put in, to make more of what you've got (and desire). Necessity is not only the mother of invention, but an expanded life."

"This is not a time of straitened circumstances. This is a time of awakening, changing and improving. It's a time to find out what we have already and make the most of it."

. . . Where the needs of the world intersect with your interests and talents. Good luck, and God bless.

Jul 15, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

July 14, 2008

Top Performers Work on Body and Mind

In Self-Healing Strategies (2002), Andrew Weil, M.D., provides strategies to help people stay well and live longer. (A useful thing for people who want to make money, stay around long enough to enjoy the fruits of their work, and make a difference in the world!)

Weil points out a somewhat little known fact from recent medical research: many chronic illnesses that beset people as they hit their 40's -- arthritis, coronary artery disease, some cancers, Alzheimer's disease -- may be the result of inflammatory processes in the body.

It's now known that dietary choices play a significant role in influencing inflammatory responses. Diets high in saturated animal fat (dairy and meat fat), simple sugars (candies, desserts, honey, refined grains like bleached wheat and white rice), and Omega 6 fatty acids (present in refined vegetable oils like corn, soy, safflower) -- tend to promote chronic inflammation in the body that damages cell tissue.

(One of the latest theories about heart disease -- is that inflammation is the primary culprit that damages arteries, and elevated cholesterol and plaque deposits are part of the body's immune response to repair arteries damaged by the ravages of inflammation.)

Alternatively, diets high in low fat proteins, complex carbohydrates (e.g., whole grain flours, cereals, brown rice)and Omega 3 fatty acids (e.g., found in canola oil, walnuts, flax seeds, wild salt water fish like salmon and sardines, and purified fish oil from species like salmon and sardines) tend to reduce inflammation.

If you are interested in simple strategies to stay in top health, think clearly, perform at your best, and get the most enjoyment out of your life -- check out Weil, and consider implementing some of these dietary choices in your life.

Wishing you well.

Jul 9, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

July 8, 2008

Calling All Entrepreneurs!

In the current July, 2008 issue of Inc.magazine - just before an interesting, insightful story about a $215 million, 4000 employee company called Legal Seafoods -- is an innocuous looking ad for IncBizNet.com. If you'll turn to that page in your copy, or click-on that website -- you'll find information about this free website designed exclusively for private companies "to promote their businesses and connect with other businesses (over 5000) in the network." If you're looking for opportunities to develop link relationships with other organizations and expand your visibility on the Web, here's a source of like-minded business-builders to consider.

Now . . . back to Legal Seafoods. It's not just that the company started as a humble one-store fish market in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1950 -- and has since grown to a multimillion dollar, 35,000 square foot (at least) fish processing facility with 34 restaurants stretching from Boston to Boca Raton -- it's how third generation owner Roger Berkowitz stays on top of challenges that are constantly pummelling his business: global climate effects on fish harvests, seafood catch limits, supplier sourcing, product quality control, new recipe development, customer retention, employee relations, you name it.

Berkowitz offers these tips about staying sharp and energized (they could have come right out of The Biology of Success). "The first thing I do in the morning is retreat to my den and meditate. I meditate twice a day for 20 minutes, closing my eyes, clearing my mind, and repeating my mantra . . . Sometimes, I'm wrestling with an issue before meditation, and afterward the answer is suddenly clear."

"Four days a week, I try to hit the gym before starting work, or at least put in some miles on my office treadmill. I'm the public face of a company that touts healthful eating, so I have to be healthy: Exercise is not a luxury."

Good advice for any success-minded business person, for sustaining the mind and body that grows your business -- regardless of your business.

Jul 2, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

July 1, 2008

Are We Focusing on the Right Issue?

In the Biology of Belief cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton offers startling insights about how to produce extraordinary results in our lives. He starts by explaining how proteins and DNA in individual living cells interact to produce cellular-level growth and protective behaviors. Then, he moves from that micro-level -- to explain how human beings (basically aggregations of millions of living cells) produce growth and protective behaviors. The distinction is a key one: growth behaviors reflect creativity and expansion; protective behaviors reflect withdrawal and shrinkage.

Here is the critical take-away point that he makes about people -- based on his years of experience researching life at the cellular level. Genes contain the code the defines the attributes and dispositions of human beings. But our genes, by themselves, do not have the ability to click on and off. Our destinys are not driven solely by our genes. Genes are expressed/activated by signals (e.g., chemical, physical, electrical) in our environment. More exactly, genes are activated by perception -- by the way that our minds (at the instinctual level, at the subconcious learned level, at the conscious level), perceive (or give meaning) to signals from the environment that we intercept.

Even more precisely, our behavior (at all levels: physical, emotional, work-related) is a product of the way our genes express themselves -- which, in turn, is a product of the way we perceive signals in our environment -- which, in turn, is a product (to a significant degree) of subconcious, learned beliefs that we picked up as children when we tended to indiscriminantly download everythng that we experienced and learned.

What's the antidote to perceptions and beliefs, the conditioning that limits the lives we want to live? Here are a few tools to reverse negative conditioning: mindfulness meditation, clinical hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, mind/body techniques like Psyche-K, Silva Mind Control, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

We can use tools like positive self-talk and affirmations to influence the conscious mind. But that's the tip of the iceberg. It's the subconscious mind and conditioning (programming) at the subconscious level that drives much of our behavior.

Change your life? Change your perceptions and beliefs. Change your perceptions and beliefs? Identify, challenge, and change your subconscious programming.

Jun 25, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

June 24, 2008

Do You Know Where You're Going, and How to Get There?

In the current issue of Portfolio, business and economics writer John Cassidy reports on new research about happiness . . . and what money can and can't buy. The data seem to be contradictory, and that's probably the point. On the one hand, there are data that suggest that " 'economic growth (for countries, and individuals)is a very powerful force for raising well-being.' " But, then Cassidy -- drawing on other research -- notes that "as countries and people grow richer, each extra dollar of income buys less and and less additional happiness." It appears that . . . "as people become richer, they (acclimating to the hedonic treadmill) quickly become accustomed to bigger houses, more powerful cars, and better-made clothes, but their possessions don't make them much happier."

Why on a blog and website focused on money and success, do I mention this? Money is one, but not the only ingredient in a happy, successful life.

"In poor countries, where billions are struggling to eke out an existance, economic growth is the only route out of poverty and degradation. In rich countries, though, it may be time to supplement (economic growth) with other measures of progress."

Some things to think about as you chart your life's path.

See you next week.

Jun 17, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

June 17, 2008

Why Not Create Something of Purpose and Value That Lasts?

In the July, 2008 issue of Fortune magazine's Fortune 500 - America's Largest Corporations, business researcher and management consultant Jim Collins talks about the Secrets of Enduring Greatness. Buried in 2 1/2 pages of interesting American business history -- is this absolutely key insight: "It doesn't matter what lens we look through -- the lens of those (companies) that go from good to great, the lens of zero to great in exciting new industries, or the lens of those that prevail in adversity and last 100 years -- one lesson stands out: Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, whether you make it onto the Fortune 500, and whether you stay there, depends more on what you do to yourself (to your company, or literally to yourself if you are a one person start-up), than on what the world does to you."

Collins then offers an insight about how to stay whole: "When you've built an institution (call it an enterprise) with values and a purpose beyond just making money -- when you've built a culture that makes a distinctive contribution while delivering exceptional results . . . why would you give up on the idea that you can create something that not only lasts but deserves to last?"

Where does one go to find a business idea like that, and the energy to manifest it? The place to go is the junction between the needs of the world and your life's passion. It's in your heart. And you will find it if you look mindfully -- and if you live mindfully.

See you next week.

Jun 10, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

June 9, 2008

What Fires-up Your Imagination and Highest Self?

You wouldn't think that something like AARP Magazine would have much of interest for the discriminating reader under 50. But there are nuggets of gold to be found everywhere. In fact, the "World's Largest Circulation Magazine," as it calls itself, has run very interesting biographical pieces in recent months on actors Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen among others. In the July, 2008 issue -- there's a terrific feature about acclaimed science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 45 and 69 novels, plays, and other works. Not slowed much by 88 years of living and a stroke nine years ago -- Bradbury offers this advice about work and vocational calling. "'You're never too old to be in love,' he says, 'with what you do.' Indeed, at 88, love is the one-word answer this inexhaustive writer offers when asked what drives him to create."

"What does he love? 'Everything.' Bradbury was just three when Lon Chaney pictures (movies) and dinosaurs fired his imagination. Later, libraries taught him to love words. 'I never went to college,' he says. 'I went to the library.' Now he speaks at libraries to help them raise funds."

What fires your imagination -- and could easily keep you in love with what you're doing, to age 88?

See you next week.

Jun 3, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

June 2, 2008

What's Your Destiny?

In the June-July, 2008 issue of Success magaine, John David Mann and Erin Casey offer their thoughts about Why You Should Start a Business Today -- And Recession Proof Your Income. They write, "Many of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time began with no advanced degrees and hardly any start-up capital. But make no mistake about it: What you save in cash capital you will make up for in sweat equity and passion. The major investment in most self-owned businesses is investment of one's self in time, focus and persistence. . . . You have to love what you do, (Donald) Trump says in a recent interview."

"Is it worth it?" ask Mann and Casey. "The number (of people) who answer Yes! is greater than 25 million--and growing fast. Mark LeBlanc president of Small Business Success puts it this way: 'Being an entrepreneur is not only about financial freedom, but having the freedom to call my own shots, make some mistakes, have to deal with those mistakes, learn through them, grow through them . . . and having the freedom to enjoy success.'"

See you next week!

May 27, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

May 26, 2008

Marry Your Passion with the Needs of the World

A successful business . . . requires an inspired idea -- that connects your passion, to needs in the world. Consider these two examples we came across this week.

On the light side, and capturing first prize in inspired improbability -- BaconSalt. BaconSalt, started two years ago by two entreprenurial buddies who happen to love the flavor of bacon, is (what else!) a bacon flavored seasoning that comes in three varieties, something of a media phenomenon now sold in hundreds of grocery stories in the U.S. and across the globe -- and is quickly propelling its founders to mega start-up success.

On a more serious note, consider also -- LifeStraw. LifeStraw, profiled in the June, 2008 issue of Conde Nast Portfolio, is a $4 water purifier in the shape of a drinking tube created by Danish inventor Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. It "removes almost all the disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites in untreated water . . . can be used almost anywhere to suck up surface water and transform it into (safe) drinking water" . . . and is helping to eradicate "one of the most persistent, pervasive health disasters (life threatinging diarrhea) in the developing world."

Whether you're a fun-loving entrepreneur, or a humanitarin entrepreneur -- you are literally one creative idea away from infusing joy in peoples' lives and creating financial abundance in your life.

May 20, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

May 19, 2008

Wealth-Making: Is Mostly About How You Manage Your Mind

Brent Kessel is the founder of Abacus Wealth Partners, a wealth management firm with $800 million in client assets. In his new book It's Not About the Money (HarperCollins, 2008), Kessel offers this arresting insight about financial success:

"In my twelve years of running one of the nation's top financial planning and money management companies, I've worked with people who have hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as people who are a hundred thousand in debt. . . While there is no denying that in many ways it is easier to be rich than poor, I have found that without exception it makes little difference what people's outer life circumunstances are -- everyone struggles with some aspect of their relationship to money."

". . . Don't get me wrong," he says. I am by no means saying you can't be both wealthy and happy. But whether you have a seven figure trust fund or a pile of unpaid bills on your kitchen table, the path to freeom requires that you focus more on your inner life than on your outer financial circumstances."

He closes with these words of encouragement: "Freedom and happiness are your birthright, and no matter what your life situation, nothing outside of your own mind can stop you from experiencing them."

Intrigued? The answer is on page 151. Seriously.

May 13, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

May 12, 2008

The Secret -- Is Here . . . Part of It Anyway

So, where can you go -- if you have limited time to scour current business and news sources -- to get a regular dose of validated insight (not just hype) from business, science, and psychology that may propel you forward to the success you desire? Well -- here, for one.

In my last couple of blogs on subjects as apparently disparate as seeds of compassion and breakthrough companies, I've been writing about the significance of relationship in all aspects of our lives.

In his latest book, Social Intelligence - The Revolutionary New Science of Human Relationships, Daniel Goleman reports on a mass of research that has emerged from the relatively new field of social neuroscience in the last 10-15 years. Boiled down to its essence, what Goleman is saying is nothing less than this: the way that we manage our emotional broadcasting has everything to do with the way we affect other people and the way that they in turn affect us.

Here is one of the most striking insights he shares: "...joyous moments, says University of Southern California neuroscientist Antonio Damasio (a pioneer in linking findings in brain science to human experience), signify 'optimal physiological coordination and smooth running of the operations of life.'" In other words -- states of joy lead to cognitive efficiency, lead to outstanding performance.

Whether you're trying to produce outstanding performance of your own, or desiring it among people you live and work with -- remember this: if you focus your attention on creating a joyous state, you promote conditions for more creativity and optimal cognitive functioning -- and, ultimately better performance.

That's advice that you can bank. See you next week.

May 6, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

May 5, 2008

How to Produce Your Breakthrough

Last week, Keith McFarland was in Seattle promoting his new book, The Breakthrough Company. McFarland is a former associate dean of the business school at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, a former CEO of two technology companies including $100 million Collectech, founder and principal of McFarland Strategy Partners based in Snowbird, Utah, and a regular online columnist for Business Week magazine. His new book profiles nine top performing companies (drawn from Inc. magazine's database of 7000 fastest growing companies) that have successfully broken through the entrepreneurial stage of development. He identified three "surprises," three characteristics that are common among the nine breakthrough companies . . . and, probably for that matter, anybody seeking to make a breakthrough in their work life:

(1) "It's not what you make, it's what you make of it." It's what you make of your circumstances that count.

(2) "It's not how you are wired, it's how you wire your organization." Your success is not about you, it's about the vision you project for making a difference in the world.

(3) "It's not just about getting the right people; it's about getting the people right." Or, as Bob Kierlin, CEO at Fastenal says, Build a place where ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

One of McFarland's truest, most liberating insights comes at the end of the introduction to the book: "Breakthrough performance, whether cooking, painting, and/or growing a business, is hard." Producing real success requires hard work, and often the only way to sustain the hard work necessary for breakthrough success, is to do work you love and use your biology to energize your work.

See you next week.

Apr 29, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

April 28, 2008

It's All in Our Mind

Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to attend part of the Seeds of Compassion event held in Seattle, Washington. The event -- developed around a 5-day visit to the Seattle-area by the Dalai Lama -- involved panel discussions, workshops, and presentations focused on teaching parents and caregivers about how to develop social and emotional intelligence in young childen. One of the key premises underlying the event is that human beings can improve the quality of their lives (our families, our health, our work performance and results, our relationship with our natural world) by improving the quality of attention that we focus on cultivating the language(s) of our hearts (compassion, caring, nurturing).

Here is one indication of the thought being given to this in some corners of the business world. One of the principal organizers of the event, was Dan Kranzler. Kranzler has a 28+ year history in nurturing high tech ventures from start-up to multi-million dollar success. Presently - he is executive chairman of Hands-on Mobile; president of Kirlin Ventures, a group of early stage venture funds; and Managing Partner of eFund LLC, which invests in and advises Internet-based high-tech start-up companies . . . and donates its profits to charitable causes and social change ventures. Much of Kranzler's philanthropy is channeled through the Kirlin Foundation; Kirlin was a primary sponsor for Seeds of Compassion.

What's going on here? Here is an experienced, savy, highly successful tech sector businessperson -- who knows that all positive change, starts in our minds . . . with mindfulness (often but not always culivated by contemplative practices), that focuses and sustains attention on emotions, thoughts, and beliefs which support the well-being of other people and other living things.

Mindfulness that focuses on genuine regard for others, is the path to richer, fuller living.

Here is another example of this principle at work. At the Seeds of Compassion, my son and I had the unexpected opportunity to sit next to Will Poole, compliments of his wife Janet who had provided us tickets to the event.

Will is a vice president of the Unlimited Potential Group at Microsoft Corp., where he co-leads "the company’s efforts to create new business models and technologies to help close the digital divide and help bring social and economic opportunity to the estimated 5 billion people . . . in underserved communities (around the world)."

Here's another businessperson -- passionately interested in connecting his talents and strengths, to the needs of the world.

Success in our personal lives, and in the issues that affect our globe, starts in our minds. See you next week.

Apr 21, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

April 21, 2008

Free Offer

Quite by accident on Friday night, my spouse and I tuned into the Oprah Winfrey show on the television. Marcus Buckingham, formerly a senior vice president of the Gallup (consulting) Organization and now best selling author and independent consultant, was the featured guest. Buckingham has written and consulted extensively about the importance of people focusing on their strengths in their work lives. On the Oprah Show, he interacted with approximately 20 professional women -- a cardiologist, a pharmaceutical sales representative, a chief financial officer of a nonprofit organization, a marketing manager, a teacher, et al -- all of whom were feeling some lack of fulfillment in the day-to-day demands of their jobs. All, emphasis on all, were dissatisfied with key aspects of their jobs. Depite moving into these jobs to pursue their goals -- all of these career professionals were finding that the jobs involved work that sapped their energy and interest, instead of energizing them.

There is a hopeful ending to the story however. Many of these women have been able to alter their work situations significantly for the better -- in virtually all cases by re-shaping their work lives, to make optimum use of their personal strenghs -- as a result of a three hour workshop with Buckingham, and some additional follow-up work. You too can access Buckingham's workshop by going to www.oprah.com/workshop.

There aren't many instances where you can spend time with a top flight career consultant in a three hour video conference for free, without some kind of business or marketing invitation in the background. But you can do just that with Buckingham, compliments of Oprah. Check it out. It will open your eyes, inspire you, and may change your life for the better!

Next week: new research findings about how to improve your commerce in the world. See you then.

Apr 14, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

April 14, 2008

You Have A Calling

In the prologue to Life of the Beloved spiritual writer Henri Nouwen begins . . . "Suddenly it hit me that Fred was close to surrendering his dreams. He looked to me like a prisoner locked behind the bars of a society forcing him to work at something in which he didn't believe. Looking at him, I experienced a deep sympathy . . . Beneath the sarcasm and cynicism I sensed a beautiful heart, a heart that wanted to give, to create, to live a fruitful life . . . 'What do you really want?' I asked. 'I want to write a novel, but I'll never be able to do it.'"

What do you want to do, but don't think you'll ever be able to do? How do you come to peace with the innumerable wants in your life, focus on what's most important to you, bring it into being in a way that blesses your life and the lives of others?

That's the real, persistent question. What's your answer?

Apr 7, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

April 7, 2008,

Profitable Opportunities Abound! -- for Socially and Environmentally Conscious Business People Who Step Out with Purpose and Passion

We spoke last week about 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus -- and a concept (social business entrepreneurism) that he's giving voice to in recent articles and in his 2007 book, Creating a World Without Poverty. Social business entrepreneurism is essentially using for-profit business (tempered with awarenss about the interconnectedness of all things) to address pressing social and environmental issues -- like grossly widening income gaps between rich and poor people, and global warming.

If you think about it, there are many, many examples of social business entrepreneurs in successful businesses all around us. Many started small, but with passion and purpose built significant businesses that are making a positive difference in the world and are creating wealth for their owners. Consider: Stonyfield Farm -- a $300 million dollar organic yogurt manufacturer that got its start in the early 1980's; Newman's Organics -- a speciality foods manufacturer; Interface Carpets, a $1 billion modular carpet manufacturer; Timberland Shoes; Clif Bar; Honest Tea; and a relatively recent arrival on the scene, TerraCycle which produces organic fertizer from organic trash.

There is so much opportunity. In fact, I'd urge you to run, not walk, to get --Gary Hirshberg's new book, Stirring It Up. Hirshberg, the long-time "CE-Yo" at Stonyfield Farm, speaks knowledgably about how unsustainable businesses in the farming and manufacturing sectors seriously degraded the planet's environment in the 20th century. But throughout the book, and particularly in the last chapter, he speaks with vision about opportunities for for-profit businesses to produce new, market-driven solutions to long-standing social and environmental problems.

Here are a couple of additional brain teasers:

(1) In the current April/May, 2008 issue of Scientific American MIND, in an article on the Social Psychology of Success, it's noted that "people tend to perform relatively poorly in situations where . . . their sense of what they are (and want to be) as individuals appears to be incompatible with what they are seen to be as group members," (in other words, with how their social group views them). The authors go on to say, "understand the power that the expectations of others has over what we do . . . who we think are determines both how we perform and what we are able to become."

(2) And, in the April 1, 2008 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Syracuse University economist and researcher Arthur Brooks presents evidence from his research that "when people give away more, they get richer." He cites other research which shows that "people who give money away are happier and less stressed than those who don't, and being happy may make people more successful."

A lot of success comes back to what we think and what we believe -- the subject of this blog next week. See you then.

Mar 31, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

March 31, 2008,

Imagine the Possibilities of -- A Better Business Model

This weekend, we've added hyper-links to all of our web-pages so readers can easily and quickly access resources that we've identified on our site. We also added a brief page about Ecoabu's mission and values. In a phrase, Ecoabu's purpose is to inspire and empower social business entrepreneurs -- people who want to build successful businesses and make a positive difference in the world. This idea has been evolving for us, but it was crystalized this weekend, by a vision offered by microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus.

In the January/February 2008 issue of Ode - To People, To Passion, To Possibilities, the magazine printed an article by economist Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank and the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. In the article, "A Better Business Model," the economist turned pioneering social business entrepreneur observes this:

"Many of the problems in the world remain unresolved because we interpret capitalism too narrowly. In this narrow interpretation, we create a one-dimensional human being to play the role of entrepreneur. We insulate him(or her) from other facets of life, such as the religious, emotional, and political dimensions . . ."

" . . . Suppose some people want to achieve social objectives by creating or supporting sustainable business enterprises -- not because they are interested in maximizing profit (editor's note: or just maximizing profit), but because they are committed to making a difference in the world."

Imagine the impact of more small business-people around the globe -- working to improve standards of living for their families, and (through the socially and environmentally conscious products and services they offer) . . . make a positive difference in the world.

If you're interested in this too, we're here for you. See you next week.

Mar 31, 2008, Give Volunteer Service

Give volunteer service, create a legacy, making money

Mar 31, 2008, Give to Philanthropy

Give to philanthropy, create a legacy, making money

Mar 31, 2008, Give to Charity

Give to charity, create a legacy, making money

Mar 30, 2008, Mind The Store

Mind the store, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Innovate

Innovate, create valued services, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Sell Solutions

Sell solutions, create valued services, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Find a Niche

Find a niche, create valued services, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Keep Love in

Keep love in intimacy and marriage, build mental energy, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Practice Compassionate Communication

Practice compassionate communication, build mental energy, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Create Good Looks

Create good looks, create mental energy, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Understand Relationship

Understand relationship, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Learn Emotional Intelligence

Learn emotional intelligence, build relationship, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Create Good Vibrations

Create good vibrations, create mental energy, make money

Mar 30, 2008, Rest and Restore

Rest, create mental energy, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Guard Prime Time

Guard prime time, create mental energy, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Play Hard

Play hard, create mental energy, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Supplement

Supplement, create mental energy, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Eat Well

Eat well, create mental energy, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Cultivate Good Character

Cultivate good character, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Connect to your Source

connect to your source, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Practice Mindfulness

practice mindfulness, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Learn Optimism

Learn optimism, produce conscious thought, make money

Mar 29, 2008, Discover Your Talents

To discover your talents, is key to creating work you love, and making money

Mar 27, 2008, Create Good Space

Create good space, create mental energy, make money

Mar 27, 2008, Create Good Light

Create good light, create mental energy, make money

Mar 27, 2008, Create Good Air

Create good air, create mental energy, make money

Mar 24, 2008, Ecoabu-Blog

March 24, 2008,

Path to Perpetual Income

In Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot, Richard Restak, M.D. -- a neuroscientist at the George Washington University Medical Center --writes in the final chapter of his book that we should "concentrate on and act in harmony with (our) natural abilities." He backs up his advice, based on his study of neuropsychology, with this advice from famed business management expert Peter Drucker: " 'For years (says Drucker), I have urged managers to concentrate their efforts in areas in which they are strong and to waste as little effort as possible trying to improve the areas in which they don't have much confidence (talent or skill).'"

This means that people looking for additional income and wealth in their lives, are more likely to be much better off materially and emotionally when they capitalize on their strengths in the marketplace . . . when they find the intersection, as Richard Nelson Bolles says, between the work they most love to do and needs in the world that most need to be addressed.

How to do that in the era of knowledge work, quickly changing economic conditions in a globalized/digitized world, and a business environment presently teetering on if not in recession in the U.S. and Europe?

A few years ago, John Cummuta authored an audio program for the Nightingale-Conant Corporation sub-titled How to Transform Your Spare Time into a Cash Machine. He identified several credible income producing vehicles that thinking people can use to market their strengths and passions to the world. These businesses, where you can employ your interests and strengths, include:

o Perpetual income through on-line auctions;
o Perpetual income through information product marketing; and
o Perpetual income through online affiliate marketing.

There is something that you know a lot about, that you are talented at -- that will enhance other peoples' lives -- that you can take into the marketplace via your desktop or laptop computer.

The only thing stopping you is probably a little how-to knowledge, maybe a little capital, you focusing on what you really want, and rock-solid belief that you can do it.

We're here to assure you, that you can do it -- that you can live the life you want. You can live a rich life of abundance; you can live a fulfilling life of significance.

Pay attention. Tune your body and mind. See you next week.