Archive for July, 2010

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Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs And Commerce

Friday, July 16th, 2010

I am pretty sure that you are familiar with the Mr. Maslow and his ‘hierarchy of needs’ pyramid. In case you are not, I’ll try to summarize it for you. It is pyramid made of 5 levels of different needs and the lower level must always be met before we can effectively become concerned about the needs on the higher level. The 5 levels are as follows (starting at the lower one):

  • Physiological (air, food, water, sleep, etc)
  • Safety (security for the ‘self’, stable employment, etc)
  • Love/Belonging (friendship, family, intimacy, etc)
  • Esteem (self-esteem, confidence, achievement, etc)
  • Self-actualization (morality, creativity, problem-solving, etc)

Trying to tackle ‘self-actualization’ needs when your ‘basic safety’ needs are not met, will not be effective according to Maslow’s theory. And it makes sense.

Now to switch gears a little bit, in my conversations with different people who have their own businesses, and from what I gathered from interviews with some very successful individuals, I have noticed that their business approach falls into somewhat of the similar hierarchy. And it seems to be related to how well the business (or the entrepreneur) is doing. [ This post is going to be quite long if I cover the rest of what I want to mention, so I’ll leave that for next week. ]

Until Monday,

V

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Posted in Psychology, Success | 1 Comment »

Understanding The 11 Dimensions

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

There is this really neat video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_GQqUg6Ts

that explains the 11 dimensions. It took me quite a few viewings to somewhat understand what the heck they are talking about, but to this day I don’t quite get it. In either case the video is quite interesting!

For those of you wondering why I am talking about the 11 dimensions while the video title is about understanding the 10th dimension, it’s because dimensions start at 0, being a point. So 11 dimensions go from 0 to 10.

Enjoy the brain cramp!

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Energy, Neo-Spirituality, Universe | 1 Comment »

Hard Work Required? Maybe.

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

At the end of the day, the results are what matters. Whether you took the road less travelled, the longest way possible, or found a quick shortcut, as long as you get someplace that you wanted, great!

You’ve heard the good old “You have to work hard.” A part of me agrees, while another one disagrees. It comes down to how you define ‘hard work’. To the part that disagrees, ‘hard work’ means dull, tedious, boring activities that I don’t want to do. Usually there is a different, more creative, more interesting way to get the same results. But to think that I can just sit back and chill while results magically happen is nonsense.

To come up with the different, more creative, more interesting way to get the same result, I would have to think, evaluate, try, analyze, re-think, re-evaluate, re-try, and re-analyze different approaches and dedicate a lot of time and energy to the entire process. So if I classify that as ‘hard work’, then this is the part that totally agrees.

The conclusion that I can make for myself, regardless of whether we consider something ‘hard work’, ‘smart work’, or not, is that regardless of the path you choose, it will require a considerable dedication of your time and energy. It can be dull or enjoyable, it can be done through physical labour or sitting in front of a computer, but in either case it will take a total and complete commitment to the results.

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Success, Taking Action | 1 Comment »

Natural Gifts

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Last night I met up with a few friends and, as usual, we got to talking about some interesting, thought-provoking topics. At one point we talked about ‘natural gifts’ and ‘talents’. It was back to the nature vs nurture argument – are our genes or our environment responsible for who we are, what we are good at, what we do, what we like, etc. This particular conversation was focused on the business side of things.

The main question was whether it was possible to teach entrepreneurship to someone or whether it was just something you either had a knack for or you didn’t. One person said that many very successful business people talk about entrepreneurship essentially as an instinct that can be somewhat refined but that cannot be taught. You either have it or you don’t. On the other side of the table was an argument that entrepreneurship is a skill, and like all other skills, it can be taught and perfected with enough practice.

I wonder, where do you fall in? What do you think?

My own belief is that entrepreneurship exemplified by people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, and the likes cannot be taught. These people are superstars of the business world and must have a natural aptitude for it, much like Michael Jordan was ‘born to play basketball’. However, while there is only one Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, there are plenty of players in the supporting roles – players who also made it to the NBA. Business is very similar in my opinion. To play in the ranks of Gates, Jobs, and Buffett, you need to be born a certain way, but to run a generally successful company, you do not. You just need to get really good at something and turn it into cash flow.

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Psychology, Success | 1 Comment »

Spiritual Mind Treatment (07.12.2010)

Monday, July 12th, 2010

I know that everything in this world is made form the same fundamental stuff, that I call Energy, and that on that same fundamental level, we are all one and the same. My consciousness allows me to have and look at my individualized expression of life. With my thoughts and with my feelings I sculpt my own experiences for better or worse, always according to my thoughts. I choose to sculpt my life for the better. I look for and experience love, health, abundance, joy, prosperity, gratitude, and happiness on the daily basis. I am grateful for my life and for having the opportunity to ponder its mysteries. I let go and allow my life to unfold with purpose. And so it is.

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Spiritual Mind Treatment | 1 Comment »

Loving What You Do

Friday, July 9th, 2010

What a difference it makes when you are excited and motivated by what you do. It is a rather obvious statement in and of itself, but the implications are pretty serious. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on both ends of the ‘excitement’ spectrum. There were times when the things I was doing felt like a total grind and there were other times when I couldn’t wait to get working on something. The difference in the quality of experience, and in how I perceived life at those different times, is tremendous.

It would be amazing if every day work was that challenging, that exciting, and that motivating. If you have achieved that state, that is incredible. Chances are that regardless of what you do, there will be days that feel like a drag. However, iif most of the days are the opposite, then you have probably achieved something that most people only dream of.

I do believe that every person has had the two types of days, even if the days of great excitement were not due to work (though if it was work-related, that should be easier to explore and analyse). Looking into what factors made the day so great should provide you with some valuable insight into what you may want more out of your work. Then, hopefully, as you integrate more of those factors into your daily job requirements, you’ll have more of the times when your vocation becomes your vacation.

Until Monday,

V

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Posted in Energy, Psychology, Success, Taking Action | 1 Comment »

Brain Exercise Is Good For You

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Mankato, Minnesota has been of a great interest to a number of researchers studying the human brain. It seems like the nuns there figured out a way to prolong and to increase their quality of life as they age. Most nuns surpass the average life span considerably by living into their 90s and even 100s. It very impressive given that the average life span is 78 years in the US. Not only do they live longer, but they also have a lot fewer instances of brain-related illnesses, like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Dementia. Their secret? Brain exercise.

The nuns believe that ‘an empty mind is a devil’s workshop’, so they do what they can to avoid it. They continue working, learning, debating with each other, and playing mind-challenging games. That sort of activity tends to keep their brains, and consequently their minds, in a good working order. There is another interesting distinction to be made. Within the community, the nuns who work in more brain-stimulating environments, as a teacher for example, tend to do better than those who do janitorial services that are much less challenging for the mind.

Take it for what it’s worth, but to me this is another indication that we are supposed to be growing and expanding throughout our lives, and that when we are not growing, we start dying a lot faster.

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Success, Taking Action | 1 Comment »

Paul The Octopus

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

If you have been following the World Cup, you may have heard about Paul the Octopus living in the Oberhausen Sea Life centre in Germany, who predicts the outcomes of the German soccer matches. To get a match prediction, two mini tanks are set up with the octopus treats inside, marked with the flags of Germany and their respective opponent. When Paul the Octopus goes for the treats, the country represented on the mini tank is the predicted winner. So far he is been able to predict the outcomes of all five German matches in this World Cup. In the Euro 2008, Paul the Octopus was 80% accurate. So what is going on here?

As per usual, there are two possible explanations. First is that Paul the Octopus can actually predict the outcomes of soccer matches. If everything in the Universe is Energy, and everything is connected, and the concept of time is actually an illusion, then quite possibly Paul the Octopus may have ‘a gift’. On the other side there are skeptics who explain that statistically predicting outcomes of games with such accuracy it is not that improbable – and there is no need to involve anything ‘supernatural’. Picking 5 out 5 correct matches by chance is 3%. So if there were 100 animals picking outcomes of games, 3 of them would get all 5 right. The challenge is, we don’t hear about all the times that the match outcome was not consistent with the foresight.

Whatever the case may be, there is another prediction and another test for it later today. Paul the Octopus picked Spain to defeat Germany. I am cheering for Germany, so I hope that the damn octopus is wrong. If he is right however, I’ll be inviting people over for a Polpi in Umido.

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Energy, Neo-Spirituality, Universe | 6 Comments »

We Are Not Hardwired

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

While there is a lot of research being done on our fascinating brains, there are still many unanswered questions. When there are such questions, scientists come up with theories as to how things work in order to test them. For some time it was thought that once our brain circuitry is developed, it is there to stay. Interestingly there is more and more evidence that contradicts that claim and shows that we are in fact not hardwired and that our circuitry can change over time.

This is very encouraging actually. First, it has great optimistic implications for people who suffer some sort of injury or disease that affects the brain. If the brain circuitry can change and regenerate under favourable conditions, our brains can be restored, fully or otherwise, and regain lost functionality. But research also shows that we can change our circuitry by conscious effort and practice. With enough will, even the most ingrained habits and personality traits can be changed. It won’t happen overnight, but research shows that it is definitely doable. So keep working on that ‘self’…

Until next time,

V

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Posted in Psychology, Success | 1 Comment »

Spiritual Mind Treatment (07.05.2010)

Monday, July 5th, 2010

I know that there is only one thing happening – the eternal flow of Energy into form, through form, and out of form. Energy is the fundamental Substance of Life that everything is made from – it is me and it is everything around me. Energy responds predictably according to Law – a Law is impersonal, has no volition, and cannot judge, accept, or reject – it simply responds predictably and precisely according to a given input in the form of thoughts and feelings. Here and now I open myself up to the expansion and growth of consciousness. I feel the purpose of life flowing through me, knowing that every action I take is in support of my own purpose. I feel a humbling sense of gratitude for my life, for the opportunities that I have, and for the people who I am blessed with to know. With gratitude and appreciation I move out of the way, and I let my purpose drive me and express itself in my life in multitude of ways. I let go and I let it be. And so it is.

Until next time,

V

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