Archive for the 'Gratitude' Category

A to Z People I am grateful for…S for Sam Jones (Toastmasters in China)

Published
by
Warwick
on January 23, 2009
in Gratitude
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Sam JonesWho they are

Global Career Advisor at Wharton School. Founder and mentor of Toastmasters in China.

What they do

Sam is a people person and I have learned a lot from him on how to work through and with people to get things done. He has a great ability to build deep bonds with people and this was reflected in a recent Toastmasters meeting - Sam’s last before he returns to Philadelphia to work at the Wharton School as a Global Career Advisor after over 11 years in China. People said some nice things about Sam. Memorable phrases included:

  • Pioneer of pioneers

  • Empathy with people

  • Beyond selfish

  • Supportive

  • Give and take

  • Transformational leader

You can see the picture that is building. Honestly I don’t think that anyone Sam has met in the time he has been in China (and probably before) would have a bad word to say about him. He has an emotional intelligence that is off the charts and I admire his ability to face people problems in such a calm and constructive way.

What turning point was for me after knowing them

I met Sam in a Toastmasters club in Shanghai in 2002. Sam had a vision for growing Toastmasters in China. You can read his vision “The Shanghai expansion”here. Sam is a very giving and socially minded person and he saw Toastmasters as a vehicle to make some positive change in China. He certainly tapped into a need. Today there are over 70 clubs in China with thousands of members. Sam was the first person who saw the possibilities ahead. Up until 2003 there were only three or four clubs throughout China which had been founded in 1999. So four years of no growth. Together with Sam, we decided to set up a club which would be a benchmark club for Shanghai and fuel the growth towards 20 clubs in Shanghai within 5 years. At the time no one thought this was possible, but we reached our goal one year early.

Why grateful

Firstly, for allowing me the chance to grow as a person by serving others. I have become a much more rounded person with better communication and leadership skills through knowing and being guided by Sam. I was the founding Chairman for Toastmasters in China so tend to get more visibility and attract monikers like “the godfather of Toastmasters in China”. I was also recognized by Toastmasters International with a Hall of Fame Presidential citation. While all that is nice, I am still very grateful for the door that Sam opened for me in 2003. Together we made a good team and the time we worked together - especially to get the first one or two clubs off the ground - is a very special memory for me. And I should add that through this I met my wife. What more can I say, “Thanks Sam!”.

A to Z People I am grateful for…L for Lao Tzu

Published
by
Warwick
on January 16, 2009
in Gratitude
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Lao Zi

Who they are

Lao Tzu is traditionally regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching, a book of short poems containing nuggets of golden ancient wisdom.

What they do

Continue to influence modern thinking and philosophy towards life.

What turning point was for me after knowing them

Strengthened my belief in an abundant universe (”the ten thousand things”). Helped me adapt a leadership style appropriate for working in China. Some excellent advice such as ‘govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish’ and (I paraphrase) a great leader is the one whose people say they did all the great deeds of that time.  This advice helped me shape my facilitative approach to leadership which has helped me grow my  business across China.

Why grateful

The lessons of the past are still relevant today. Even a quick read of the Tao Te Ching brings out some lovely wisdom. For example:

The greatest man is like water, water helps all other things to grow and doesn’t compete with them. The ocean becomes the ocean because it can accept any river running to it since its always at downstream (W: meaning it always keeps a low profile, which matches Chinese culture: be humble).

Water is the most flexible things in the planet, but it can overcome the hardest thing, so that’s why something which looks very weak could be very strong. (W: this is a common theme in Chinese thinking. Don’t underestimate something which appears weak or vulnerable).

Water doesn’t have a shape, that’s why it can overcome seamless barriers.  Bruce Lee said: water doesn’t have any shape, but when it goes into the cup, it becomes the shape of the cup, when it goes into a bottle, it becomes the shape of bottle. (W: be flexible, adapt to your environment).

I have the David Hinton translation found here.  Thanks also for Bill Wang for providing the inspiration and text for this article.

A to Z People I am grateful for…E for Eckhart Tolle (discovering my spirituality)

Published
by
Warwick
on January 5, 2009
in Gratitude
. 2 Comments

Eckhart Tolle

Who they are

Spiritual teacher turned “mainstream” superstar after appearing on Oprah and running an online series of seminars with Oprah.

What they do

Author books like The Power of Now and The New Earth - which combine different schools of philosophy and spirituality.  The Power of Now is a heavy read so I recommend you get the audio books (which I did).

What turning point was for me after knowing them

The Power of Now was the first time I really heard a spiritual approach to life that did not carry the doctrines, dogmas and limitations of religious institutions. Tolle seems to take a bit here, a bit there from Christian, Hindu and Islamic beliefs - which makes sense. No one entity has the answers for everything.  I started to become more aware of how my emotions ignited themselves - what Tolle calls “the pain body”.  It was enlightening to hear about how the mind through thoughts tend to crowd out the “real” me. Having always believed that “you think, therefore you are”, this was an eye-opener.  Through Tolle’s suggested meditations I was able to be still and listen to the self-talk that swirles around as thoughts and emotions. This step of reaching awareness was a like a door opening to a new path of progress.

Why grateful

Let me realise I needed to be working in my own business. By creating some space for meditation - usually in a small park near my office. I was able to get close to nature and stop the flow of thoughts. From this new insights and idea arouse.  As mentioned in Creative Visualisation by Shakti Gawain, these insights pop up at unusally times and you need to be aware to catch and - most importantly - take action on them.  To learn more about every-day meditation I recommed Vietnamese buddish monk Thich Nhat Hanh who has many books on how to create a “pause” in your day while doing everyday activities like washing your hands and walking down the street.

A to Z People I am grateful for…W for Wallace D Wattles

Published
by
Warwick
on January 5, 2008
in Contribution, Gratitude and Wealth
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Who they are

Author of “The Science of Growing Rich” written in 1910 preceding the more well-known “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

What they do

Continue to influence modern thinking on wealth creation. The Secret was based on The Science of Growing Rich. The Law of Attraction is one pillar necessary to build wealth.

What turning point was for me after knowing them

I first read this book about six months before I left the corporate world (and I am re-reading it now). It gave me an insight into how to approach the world. Abundance is a key word I learned from this book.  Instead of seeing the world as a trade off of limited resources, focus on growth and becoming better on a day to day basis.  This helped me switch from a glass ceiling limitation of working in a large company to a wider perspective of not only how I can create more wealth but also how can I contribute more to society. I set up my company TEAMSWORK to be a social entreprise. That means we contribute 10% of our income to worthy causes. We have supported Love Without Boundaries, schools in the Philippines, and The Library Project so that while we are creating wealth at the same time we are contributing to our community.

Why grateful

The abundance mindset allowed me to make the (difficult) step to understand that the more we give away to worthy causes, the more we attract.  Despite giving away (well investing in society) the first 10% of our income, our business has grown substantially year-on-year. The profits we receive are enlightened through this process. It’s a powerful formula and this book was an important part of my awakening.

You can download The Science of Growing Rich for free here.