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 Jeff Klein, Chief Activation Officer, FLOW. Jeff is charged with developing the
infrastructure for FLOW, with an emphasis on messaging, FLOW community
development, and strategic relationships. He conceived of and
is producing Working for Good, facilitating a collaboration between
FLOW, Peace Cereal, Zaadz, and the Global Nomads Group
“Liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” is a powerful intention with
profound consequences. Liberation is no small undertaking, on
any level, towards any end. The entrepreneurial spirit is a powerful
force, requiring awareness, skill, and courage to channel towards
an intended outcome. And realizing good intentions through focused
activation of the entrepreneurial spirit is a profound endeavor,
with many challenges along the way. Making the world a better
place to live and a home for human flourishing, begins with your
intention, comes to life through entrepreneurial spirit, and manifests
through your actions.
In our pursuit of liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good,
we must overcome many levels of limitations undermining our
ability to realize our highest potential whether:
- Self-imposed – fear, doubt, laziness, etc.;
- Put on us by others - undermining our confidence, creating
confusion, manipulating our perception and understanding,
distracting our
attention and energy; or,
- Imposed by systems, structures, culture, and institutions.
This is not a journey for the faint of heart, but it is one
we all have the potential and opportunity to begin, and
we can access
internal and external resources to sustain the journey.
The Working for Good program and the Working for Good curriculum
(produced by FLOW) represent the collaboration of individuals
and organizations who share a powerful intention to support
human flourishing and an essential belief in our ability
to create good
in the world – love, peace, prosperity, happiness. And we
believe that this requires that each of us take responsibility
for our
own journey, with inspiration and support from others, even
as we inspire and support others. At some point, we must
embrace the potential within us, take the risks, cultivate
the courage,
skills, and discipline required to stay the course.
So, this short piece is an offering to the process of liberating
the entrepreneurial spirit for good. The contents of the
piece include:
- Definitions: What does “liberating the entrepreneurial
spirit for good” mean?
- Conditions: What are the conditions that foster the liberation
of the entrepreneurial spirit for good?
- Challenges: What are the obstacles and barriers to liberating
the entrepreneurial spirit?
- Skills, Tools & Attributes: What does it take to liberate and sustain the entrepreneurial spirit
for good?
- Inspiration…
Definitions: What does “Liberating the entrepreneurial spirit
for good” mean?
“We need to recall the angel aspects of the word, recognizing
words as independent carriers of soul between people.
We need to recall that we do not just make words up or
learn
them
in school, or ever have them fully under control. Words,
like angels,
are
powers, which have invisible power over us. They are personal
presences which have whole mythologies: genders, genealogies
(etymologies concerning origins and creations), histories,
and vogues; and
their own guarding, blaspheming, creating, and annihilating
effects.”
James Hillman
And so, we approach words and their meaning with great
respect and acknowledge the vital forces they represent.
Such is
certainly the case with the individual and combination
of words embodied
by “liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good.”
We begin with the subject of the phrase, Spirit, and
its modifier, Entrepreneurial; continue with the verb,
Liberate
(Liberating),
then “for Good,” and finish by putting them all together.
Spirit: Vital principle or animating force for human
beings. Origination: Latin spiritus, breath; spirare,
to breathe.
Entrepreneurial: Undertaking an endeavor, assuming risk,
innovating, creating wealth by combining things in new
ways. Origination:
French entreprendre, to undertake.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: An energy or animating force
that activates the human potential to create, innovate,
explore,
endeavor,
passionately pursue vision in spite of challenges, obstacles,
and risks.
Liberate: To set free, release, unleash. Origination:
Latin liberare, liberat, free. For Good: Two meanings,
1. Positive,
desirable,
beneficial, constructive. 2. Permanently, forever, once
and for all.
Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good: Once
and for all, unleashing the human potential to create
positive
outcomes
through
courageous innovation, exploration, and endeavor.
Conditions: What are the conditions that foster the
liberation of the human spirit for good?
Michael Strong outlined these conditions superbly in
Lesson 2 of the Working for Good curriculum. To summarize:
- Freedom
- Skills, Tools, & Attributes (outlined below)
- Access to resources, especially high quality information,
and inner resources of imagination, creativity,
initiative…
Challenges
“By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom. By defending
our faults, we betray an unsound mind.”
The Sutra of Hui Neng
Challenges to the process of liberating the entrepreneurial
spirit for good originate internally and externally.
Both can weigh heavily.
Without addressing the internal obstacles to
liberation, the opportunities for overcoming the external
obstacles are substantially
diminished.
Here is a partial list of the inner challenges
we face in liberating the entrepreneurial spirit
for
good.
Sit with each of them and explore how they affect
your ability to fully realize who you are and
what you are
capable of
accomplishing. Check in with them from time
to time. They are like cockroaches,
as they will run rampant through the room that
is your mind, if you keep the room dark. But
as soon
as you
shine the
light on
them, they will scurry for cover. You may not
eradicate them by shining the light of your
attention on them,
but they will
not
be running around your room when you do. Keep
the light on. Keep the cockroaches out. Here
goes…
- Fear
- Doubt
- Delusion
- Complacency
- Ignorance
- Overindulgence
- Addiction to Distraction
- Arrogance
- Disinterest
- Unwillingness to Learn
- Weak Moral and Ethical Core
- Weak Skills
- Lack of Confidence
- Diffidence
- Lack of Discipline
- Lack of Imagination
- Anger towards yourself and others
- Avoidance
- Shame
- Blame towards yourself and others
And here are some of the external challenges,
which
also require attention to overcome. Some of them
require
collaboration to effectively
address, even societal transformation. While the
inner
challenges require
a flashlight to illuminate, these require a huge spotlight
to illuminate,
rigorous analysis, extensive dialog and process, and
collaborative effort to address.
As Michael Strong reflected
in Lessons 1 and 2 of
the Working for Good curriculum,
human
beings
have
historically
risen
to the
occasion, and continue to
address and overcome
seemingly insurmountable
challenges.
So we encourage you to face these head
on too:
- External Control (including
regulations, monopolies,
unfair competition, cheating,
collusion)
- Cultural Norms
- Social Pressures
- Lies told by others
- Bad Information
- Limited Access to Resources
- Degraded Resources
Skills, Tools & Attributes
“That which we persist in
doing becomes
easier for us
to do. Not that the
nature of the thing itself
has changed but our
power to
do it has increased.”
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
The
way to
overcome obstacles
to liberating
the entrepreneurial
spirit for
good –
for your self
and
in
support
of others
– is
principally
based
on
personal
responsibility
and
practice.
It
is and
has
always
been,
“a
small
group
of highly
motivated
individuals
who
have
changed
the
world”
to paraphrase
Margaret
Mead.
And
these
“thoughtful,
committed
citizens”
build
on
their
personal,
internal
resources
to
do
their
transformational
work
in the
world.
Following
are some
core skills
and attributes
we can
cultivate to
support us
to liberate
the entrepreneurial
spirit
and
to have
a
positive
impact
in and
on the
world.
While
the
cockroaches
(challenges)
run
from
light,
the
seeds
embodying
these
skills
and
attributes
sprout
and
flourish
under
the
warmth
and
radiance
of
the
light.
Focus
your
attention
on them.
Find
the
seeds
within
yourself.
And
encourage
them
to grow.
- Passion, Patience, & Persistence
- Vision, Wisdom, & Discernment
- Compassion, Courage, & Collaboration
- Faith, Creativity, & Discipline
- Introspection, Reflection, & Inner Work
- Authentic Power, Self-restraint
And
among the
tools and
practices that
support us
to embody
and employ
these skills
and
attributes
are:
- Conflict mitigation, mediation,
and
resolution
- Thoughtful use
of speech
- Planning
- Establishing measurable goals
- Effectively tracking the
environment and
our
progress
- Employing feedback mechanisms
- Organizing our activities
- Keeping track
of our
commitments
and
ensuring that
we
live
up
to them
Developing
consistent personal
practice is
essential to
cultivating
the
entrepreneurial
spirit
for good
within your self.
As
we brush
our
teeth,
wash
our
hands,
keep
our
kitchen
sink
clean,
eat
well,
drink
plenty
of water,
etc.,
certain
personal
practices
can
provide
a strong
core
of support
for
our
pursuit
of entrepreneurial
liberation
for
good.
Personal
practice supports
us to
develop many
of the
skills and
attributes listed
above. Finding practices
that best
support you
is
a matter
of personal choice,
guided
by intuition, “teachers,”
trial
and
error.
To a
considerable extent,
what
specific practices
or paths
you choose
doesn't
really
matter. As Carlos
Castaneda recounts
the
counsel of
his teacher,
Don
Juan,
what
matters is that
“it has
heart.”
Over
the past
25 years
I have
developed an
array of
practices that
support me to
maintain
my
health
and
well-being,
work
with
passion
and
energy,
and
maintain
my commitments
and
intentions.
The
best
thing
about
committed
practice
is
it continues
to stretch
you,
and
reveal
new
opportunities
for
inquiry
and
growth.
Following
are
some
of
the
practices
I consistently
employ
and
enjoy.
- A
daily Yoga and
meditation practice,
including daily
recitation
of
core moral
and ethical commitments
of non-harming, not
stealing,
not
engaging
in harmful
sexual behavior,
not speaking
in harmful
or unproductive ways,
no
use of
intoxicants, and
setting an intention
to support
the well-being
of all
whom I encounter;
- A
frequent running practice;
- Ongoing
training and practice
in mindfulness,
skillful communication
aimed
at
cultivating and
sustaining peace in
relationship;
- Walking
in nature and
gardening;
- Consistently
employing
a
personal
organization/time
management
system (for over
18
years);
- Regularly
identifying and
learning
from mentors,
and from anyone
I
meet; and
- Actively
use the dictionary
and thesaurus
to honor
the power of words
and to use them
skillfully.
- See Footnotes below for details and links.
Practices
such as
these can
help to
develop a
strong nervous
system that
can withstand and
weather
the
endless
stream
of stress
we face
in entrepreneurial
adventure.
They
help
to
build
a resilient
immune
system
that
can
ward
off
illness
and
enable
us to
persevere
with
health
and
vitality.
They
provide
deeply
rooted
moral
and
ethical
fiber,
which
sustain
steady
and
consistent
behavior.
And
they
support
us to
keep
our
word
to ourselves
and
to others,
which
is among
the
most
essential
skills
for
wellbeing
and
success.
When
challenges and
crises arise,
we have
the strength,
stability, and
flexibility to
adapt, maintain focus
and
intention,
sustain
energy
and
persist.
And
when
joy
arises,
we
can
embrace
it in
a sustained
and
grounded
way,
rather
than
burning
out
with
excitement.
Inspiration
One
of our
core intentions
with Working
for Good
and the
Working for
Good curriculum
is to
inspire
entrepreneurial
initiative
in service
to
society.
The
participants
in
this
program
were
essentially
self-selected,
by
virtue
of
their
authentic,
ongoing
pursuit
of liberating
the
entrepreneurial
spirit
for
good.
As
reflected by
Kartar Singh's
piece entitled
“Business as
Service” in
Lesson 3
of the
Working
for Good curriculum
and
by their sponsorship
of Working
for Good,
Golden Temple
and
Peace Cereal embody
a core commitment
to serving humanity
through
business,
and
through their
non-profit activities,
including
teaching
Yoga and
meditation. Thanks
to
Kartar, my business
Cause
Alliance Marketing
came to
life through
the
Celebrate
Peace program,
and I
reintroduced Kundalini
Yoga
into my life.
“Liberating
the
entrepreneurial
spirit
for
good”
is
FLOW’s
raison
d’etre
and
deeply
embodied
in
everything
FLOW
does.
FLOW
CEO and
Chief Visionary
Officer Michael
Strong paints
a
compelling
picture
of the power
and potential
of the entrepreneurial
spirit
in “The
Opportunity:
The
Creative Powers
of a Free
Civilization” in
Lesson
2. You can
find
a
deep well
of Michael's
writing and
other resources
at www.flowidealism.org.
FLOW
co-founder
John Mackey
has created
a one of
the most
important model
in
the world
of entrepreneurial
excellence and
conscious
business through
Whole Foods,
which he reflects
in his
piece on “The
Role of the
Corporation” in
Lesson
3 of
the
Working for
Good curriculum.
At the FLOW
web site
you can
download
a
transcript
of
a
powerful
speech
John
gave
at
the
2004
FreedomFest,
entitled
“Winning
the
Battle for Freedom
and Prosperity.”
As
Donna Callejon
from GlobalGiving
represented in
her piece,
the applications
of the
entrepreneurial spirit
are diverse
and
not
exclusively
focused
on business.
The
GlobalGiving
web
site
is filled
with
hundreds
of
inspirational
projects
lead
by courageous
social
entrepreneurs
(www.globalgiving.com).
Marilyn
King’s personal
story, of
arising from
seven months
in bed
after an
automobile accident
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