DW's Blog
Evolutionary
by DW Green — June 15, 2016
I liked playing connect the dots game when I was a kid. Miraculously a cool picture would show up by simply connecting the dots! So this is my version of connecting the dots, and perhaps, in the end, a mental picture will show up for you.
I was thinking about supermarket formats that are struggling, brands that are struggling, companies that are struggling and individuals who are struggling. There are a plethora of reasons why we struggle or fail. Some are external circumstances beyond our control and others are internally inflicted. Since a company is a collection or community of individuals, then looking at how individual’s evolve and succeed is a dot to connect. As a side note, I believe successful companies are comprised of a community of individual’s with shared values. Another dot to connect?
This idea or notion of evolving is central to overcoming a flailing, faltering, struggling format, brand, company or individual. Align yourself with the flow of evolution, or personal growth. Evolution is a choice. Choosing to grow automatically means you are facing into the unknown.
Without evolution there would be no path, only aimless wandering. Evolution is a cosmic force. It’s the reason that drifting clouds of stardust led to life on Earth. It’s the source of all creativity and intelligence. Every good idea you’ve ever had, every moment of insight or aha! proves that evolution is invisibly at work guiding life from behind the scenes.
I strongly believe that the universe supports everyone’s evolution, but at the same time you can guide your own growth. Desire is key. We all desire more and better things for ourselves. If those more and better things are good for your growth, then you are guiding your own evolution. If what you desire is likely to help others, the odds are higher it will be attained. Serving others is key.
What makes a desire evolutionary?
Personal: It doesn’t repeat the past but feels fresh and new…
Business: How is your business different? Why should consumers choose your store over the competition?
Personal: It helps more people than you…
Business: How do your employees, vendors, consumers and the greater community benefit from your offerings?
Personal: It brings a glow of contentment…
Business: How do you enrich the lives of your stakeholders?
Personal: It fulfills a deep wish…
Business: How is your company making a difference in the world?
Personal: You don’t regret it…
Business: Do you invest now for the future?
Personal: You aren’t fighting with yourself or outside forces…
Business: Is your business true to its purpose?
Personal: Fulfilling it will serve others as well as yourself…
Business: Is your work environment and shopping experience inspiriting?
Personal: It opens a greater field of action…
Business: Is your business innovative?
Personal: It expands your awareness and fulfillment grows…
Business: Is your business growing and evolving?
Bare with me…. According to the authors of Super Brain, “desire is an untrustworthy guide if all you think about is what feels good at the moment and what feels bad. You need a larger frame of reference. Indian culture makes a distinction between Dharma and Adharma. Dharma includes whatever naturally upholds life: happiness, truth, duty, virtue, wonder, worship, reverence, appreciation, nonviolence, love, self-respect. For the individual, the flow of evolution supports all these qualities, but you must choose them first.” And by extension, the collective community of a business can support these qualities too.
“On the other hand, there are bad choices, Adharma, that do not support life naturally: anger, violence, fear, control, dogmatism, harsh skepticism, unvirtuous acts, self-indulgence, the conditioning of habit, prejudice, addiction, intolerance, and unconsciousness in general.” By the same extension, these bad choices will affect the collective community of a business.
Ask yourself how to increase the dharmic choices and decrease the adharmic ones. Step by step, follow up your conviction to evolve. And as you and your people evolve so will your business…
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Gee, this interesting.