Jarda's thoughts about life, people and the world...

Answering Obama's call?

2009-02-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Over this weekend I was part of a discussion about Barack Obama and his role in the world, I believe the questions was Can he change the world? It was an interesting discussion which lead me to 2 insights.

First, I was exploring a question of what context did it enable for Obama to succeed in what he has done? His message of hope and change needed such context to be heard, understood abd to become so effective. And as the response was so overwhelming, it proves for me that the world is in fact in a state where we realize very clearly that something big needs to shift and it is hungry for new questions to be posed and new answers to be found.

The second insight was around a question : what does it mean for ME in MY context that Barack Obama is now a US president? How do I answer his call for acknowledging what’s so and moving decisivelly towards future possibilities for all of us? How do I answer the call for co-creation, colaboration across boundaries set by old paradigms, how do I bring this to my context, my community, my life?

I work in a consulting and leadership development industry and often I see separate entities competing for the same piece of work with beautiful intentions yet at the same time making the final impact on individual, collective and system level much smaller because only one group of incredibly talented people has a chance to do what they intend. And I am thinking, is there a way how we can collectivelly committ to the highest purpose of ourselves and our actions and from this place then choose who will be the people making the transformation happen? Are we able to collaborate and grow together rather than make ourselves smaller? Are we able to find a common purpose that will make all the quarels look small and insignificant? Is there a way where we can all do justice to what we sense is possible?

This is just consulting industry. There are many others that would benefit from leaving asside the endless battles and being able to satisfy individual needs while at the same time being in harmony with the entire system. Imagine this would be possible for entire industries, across sectors, across nations.

I do feel a global movement emerging there needs to be a way how we all collectively transcend the boundaries of divisions and engage in the co-creation of the new future which is not dependent on where we are and what access to resources we have. This works on all levels from individuals all the way to national states.

I believe this journey will start with individuals, because it is in everyday little moments where the crucial game is played. Do I include and co-create or do I block and destroy. One moment, simple choice. In many shapes or forms, across geographical and cultural boundaries, yet the same choice. First or second. If we are able to find a way how to shift the second to the first all around the world, all the above things will become possible as all the systems we have created as humanity are just a sum of individual choices that created them.

About Barack Obama's inauguration speech

2009-01-22T04:18:00.000-08:00

During yesterday's speech I felt beautiful to be alive. Listening to the words and the well crafted speech, thinking about what's possible and feeling the shift happening around, it was amazing. The speech felt complete, like there was nothing missing, no words forgotten, no sentence incomplete, it just felt like everything was said the way it should have been, not a word more, not a word less. The speech covered widely all the major challenges and opportunities that are in front of us, hanging as an invitation to be explored, invitation for change. I found amazing the determination and calmness with which Obama named all of them, in a simple acknowledgement, wihout hate, nervousness on how to address them, withou despair, he was just listing these as if just describing what needs to happen and what is in front of us. As if he was speaking from the future where these are already overcome, non-existing, that's the only explanation I could have for the calmness in his being considering the seeming magnitude of the challenges he (and we) are facing.

The speech was maybe speaking about challenges for America and at the same time it felt like a historical moment for humanity. It was showing a way to address these challenges for all of us and for all what it's worth. Acknowledging that we have things to solve, mindsets to change, behaviours to shift. And all done in a way, like the campaing itself, by harnessing the power of collective co-creation with a strong and determined purpose.

I really felt this was showing humanity where to go and the recipe for the transformation to happen. I love the world we live in and I see beauty everywhere I go. At the same time, I feel saddness and pain in the world around me. There is so much left unexplored, many possibilities undiscovered, many places to go to and solutions to invent that we don't even see from the standpoints of our paradigms and mindsets. We might not have the answers now, none of us individually that is for sure. But through the co-creation and accessing the collective intelligence of all of us I have no doubt whatsover that we will reach these solutions and will co-create the world we can all love and be proud of, world that will be sustainable and aligned with our highest possibility as humanity...

I totally agree that it is a privilige and an honor to be alive today and thank you Barack Obama for the impulse and inspiration that will legitimize that this is the way to go for all of us. I am so happy to be part of this and curious where the wave will take me. And us. And the world... The door is open now...

Pangea day reflection

2008-05-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an amazing experience today was. I will never forget how it is to dance with the whole world to the shared rhythm all as individuals yet all together.

Few common themes emerged for me from today...

· We are all the same

· We are all one together, interconnected, not separate from each other

· There is so much beauty already out there that we refuse to see

Events and ideas like this inspire. And... Pangea day is not along. Same themes, events, ideas, actions and outcomes are emerging all around us. There is so much beauty happening already. But then there is also the world we see on evening news every day...

I believe we have just crossed the threshold. We don’t need to strive for it, chase it, seek it, we already have it. There is enough ideas, actions, understanding, love and passion already present out there and in us to turn this world into what we all feel it is, as individuals and as humanity. We feel it in our best moments, whatever they are, in moments of compassion, loving, dreaming, inspiring, action, relatedness, in moments where we marry who we are as individuals with who we are as a collective. We all know how the only possible world of tomorrow looks and feels...

I believe we need

· To connect all the separated beauty out there and contain it within ourselves

· See the world in its full beauty and cease to be afraid that it is there

· Choose to act in unison with what we see

· Do this all as a collective not as individuals

· Enjoy together the ride of possibility

Thank you for Pangea day and all the inspiration :)

Would love to hear your thoughts and stay connected to make this all happen...

4 step guide to transforming the world :)

2008-04-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

1. Choose one thing that you would like to transform (transforming the world is a big task, take it one at a time... :)

2. Communicate it clearly and powerfully to everyone around you

Let go of all the fears
Share the reality that troubles you
Share the future possibility of the world after the trouble dissapears

3. Let go of it happening

4. Flow and see what happens :)

Do it for yourself, for others, for your communities, countries, for the world... And let me know how it goes :)

About opinions and facts

2007-11-25T05:58:00.000-08:00

Recently I have finished a great book, State of Fear by Michal Crichton. It is a great mixture of scientific facts and fiction that builds on the idea of environmentalists groups that use any opportunity to strenghten their agenda about global warming, that is as much biased as the one of the industrial groups. It speaks about the nowadays often debated problem from yet a different angle, the one that seems to be against the conventional, standard or fashionable.

I don't want to debate here the reality on non-reality of the global warming phenomena, for that I feel largely under-informed. In any case I feel that refardless of its existence, there is nothing wrong in increasing our level of responsibility towards more sustainable use of available resources, towards nature, perhaps also towards other people or ourselves, one that is feasible in our different realities in the different parts of the world each of us lives in.

But reading the book was quite striking to me as it reminded me that there is rarely only one side to consider about any issue in the world, many times there is hidden agenda behind what we receive as information or what we consider to be the reality. And human beings tend so much towards having a strong opinion on everything, without necessary knowing the facts and moreover they are very good in arguing their point and engaging their emotions towards the ones that are different. One can almost say that the less people know the more definite their stands are, I think the wisdom comes rather in being open to differing points of view and accepting that there are no black-white problems and that the only good solutions are the ones created through dialogue and building commong understanding between ALL the affected stakeholders.

In this way it becomes clear that sollutions toward more sustainable use of resources and treating the nature will only come after we study and seek to understand the past and the present and will create steps that are not dictated from the western paradigm of the world but that reflect the differences in realities we live in. In the same manner, the movement towards sustainability in business world should be created amidst corporations, NGOs, society and governments taking into account the needs of all combined with a desire for more sustainable set-up of the world. Any other sollution I believe, will only shift (or strenghten) the current win-loose situation.

In essence, it is not so different from a group of friends trying to figure out where they will go for holidays, they also need to understand what each of them need and want and create a compromise through listening to each other, rather then imposing their point of view onto everyone else.

Following is an extract from one reflection I have written couple of months ago about opinions...

I think it is interesting to observe how many times we take strong stands, whether it is about judging someone, something, the world, often there is also lots of anger and personal insecurities behind what we say. Throughout the course of my life I have learned that there is always one more opinion to consider, always the other side of the coin that can change everything, always the other truth than our own.

It is useful to have opinions, it helps us to get through our life... In the same manner our brain makes us see square instead of four dots on the paper, we tend to connect the little dots of our previous experience and values with the situations that are around us and we form our opinion. However, it is necessary to be aware of the limitations this poses for us and use such assumptions as a starting ground for our opinion to evolve and include those opinions that can help us to see bigger picture. The journey of seeking then is the true wisdom, not having quick opinions about everything we encounter in the world.

At one episode of the Star Wars movie, Yoda, the Jedi master says once, referring to the Sith way of thinking (Sith represent the dark side of the force). “Only the Sith deals with extremes”. And it is the same with the opinions, none of the things in the world are only black or only white, but when you take strong opinion, you are making an extreme statement without considering the other side of the reality, which might be natural, yet not unchangeable.

www.kiva.org - lending entrepreneurs worldwide

2007-11-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have just come across an amazing project, at this web page you can see entrepreneurs from all around the world and on micro-credit principles lend them small amounts of money that will then help them in their business and within a specified timeframe will be repaid to you. At the moment, the demand for being able to loan is so big, the organization has decided to limit potential contribution to $25 in order to enable more and more people to be able to contribute. A great idea and way to make the micro credit scheme work on a global scale.

So I have looked around and made my first business loan, to Juan Gamon in Paraguay... Here is a bit about Juan...

Juan Gamón is 34 years old and is married to Margarita Ocampos, who is 32 years old. They live in their own house in the Arroyo Pora neighborhood and have a six year old son, who lives at school.

Juan began to work when he was very young as an employee in a very important and well-known auto repair shop in Encarnación, and over time acquired the necessary knowledge to open his own shop.

With some savings that he managed to put together, Juan bought some equipment and tools to start his own business. He began providing services changing and patching inner tubes for motorcycles, cars, trucks etc. Over time, thanks to his dedication and good management, he capitalized and started selling new and used tires for all kinds of vehicles.

The loan he is asking for is to purchase materials such as tires and inner tubes for cars and motorcycles to match his daily growing demand, since he can obtain valuable discounts by buying in large quantities.

It took me about 10 minutes to select Juan among the other entrepreneurs and send my part of the loan he is trying to get. How easy. Sitting in Czech Republic I can support a well being of one person and his family in a country I have never been to on the other side of the globe. How awesome... All my best Juan :)

So who is your favorite kiva entrepreneur?

How to climb mountains in Finland :)

2007-11-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have just come back from an amazing experience of chairing ACCESS 2007 in Finland. It was great to get back into the atmosphere of AIESEC and let myself be inspired as well as pass some of my thoughts to the mixed crowd of people representing the present and future of AIESEC in Finland. Also great to get2know Finish people, hard working, intelligent, humble and capable people that love hard rock music and speak in a distinct accent :) The conference theme was Running up that hill and as a part of my chairing contribution I have created a story of a mountain climber to help illustrate the agenda flow but as well to relate the experience of the conference to a metaphore for delegates to better relate to the theme. In the last letter I have created few recommendations that I would like to share with you as they apply not only for achieving things in AIESEC or climbing mountains, but I believe they fit well also for achieving things in life. Enjoy reading ...

Know Why - do not go up there because other people tell you to, go there for yourself, for what you believe, for what your heart longs for. There will be moments where you will be alone, during these, knowing why will pay off...
Remind yourself of what you want - obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes of the goal. In the toughest moments, imagine yourself standing there and feeling happy, proud and strong, it will help you to regain your energy.
Do not walk alone - have people around you that share your dream with you, lead them and allow yourself to be lead. Grow together, laugh together, fail and succeed together, help each other, remind yourself of what you can do, what is possible...
Look back - the journey can be hard and long, looking back on what is already behind you will allow you to see how much you have already achieved and will give you energy to continue.
Learn along - every day, every minute, there will be things to learn. Stay open, inviting and humble. Allow for things to come.
Enjoy - journey is as valuable as the goal, enjoy it as much as you can; new sights, nature you will see, new discoverie... Enjoy it...
Balance - know when to rest and when to climb, only this will make you sustainable all the way to the top.

Good luck in climbing and thank you AIESEC in Finland :)

About uniqueness

2007-10-24T02:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I saw an interesting movie, Dead Poet’s society. In one of the parts Robin Williams, who is teacher of poetry and literature at a conservative private high school lets three of his students walk in a circle. They are three different people and as different individuals they also begin to walk each in a different way. One of them walks fast, the other one slow and the third one walks as if he did not care at all. After making couple of rounds though, their steps and walking styles start to align in the pace and appearance and soon they are walking following the same rhytm, so uniform that even their schoolmates start to clap rhythmically as to accompany them on their journey of conformity.

It is in often natural to conform, to loose one’s uniqueness and become one of the crowd. As easily as the boys in the exercise aligned their styles of walking, we often align our styles of living our lives to what is desired, what do others do, what is normal or ordinary. Some of the norms are obviously necessary and are useful, but to my liking to often we hide our true dreams and potential behind the seeming comfort of conformity and loose our chance to make a unique contribution to the world.

The people that don’t do so end up as fools or geniuses. Depending on whether they succeed in what they do or not. Recently I got asked about what crazy things did I do in my life. This question was interesting as it made me think what do I consider as crazy and what were really the things, I have acted a bit our of the way, bit different, bit like my unique self...

In past couple of months, I have started watching TED talks (www.ted.com), TED is a conference happening every year in California, bringing 1000 people from all domains of society, 1000 people that have decided not to conform. Whether it is moving the limits of what humanity can achieve, whether it is performing art that transforms our perception of the world, technological advancements, people that devote their life to what they believe...

I can only wish that we all have sometimes a bit of the necessary courage not to conform at all times and give something amazing to the world than would do just to our uniqueness...

Following is few words that I discovered at my good friends blog that fit this theme :)

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!” It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Ishmael

2007-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have come across an amazing book, it's called Ishmael and was written by Daniel Quinn. The entire book is a dialogue between a man and a gorilla, seeking an answer to what is the role of humans in the context of nature and looking at human cultural and society paradigms that are leading us in todays world.

Main story that is holding human race captive is our own illusion that we are the ultimate evolution of life and that the purpose of our existence is to rule the world and take what is ours. The thinking patterns that have started to develop ever since the industrial revolution are present everywhere and serve as a justification for all the things the human race is doing to the environment, other species and to itself.

It is interesting to think about, I have recently come across a question, what is our role as humans towards the world around us? What is our responsibility? Often we ask ourselves, what do I want to achieve in my life, what is my role in the society, etc. most of the times though we speak only about human species and evaluate ourselves in such a context. The notion of our supreme power over nature and life as well as short term orientation without any ability to see the long term implications of our actions is present all around. It's enough just to look. And the story is so present and so addictive, so ego-stimulating that it is hard to resist.

In the book Presence, the authors argue that the gap between the power our rapid technological and civilization advances gives us and our wiseness to use such gits is widening, for centuries many authors speak about widening distance between people and nature, the urbanization is rapidly progressing and effects of our selfish arrogance towards the environment are more and more visible...

I think we should start asking such questions and start to seek ways how we can start feeling proud being human race. I know that there are many things and advancements that are already amazing and are admirable all throughout the human history, but are we going in the right direction or are we just behaving like little angry and powerful kids that destroy all the toys in the playground... I don't know but I hope we will find out sooner than we are forced to do so...

One story from the book to close off, it talks about an imaginary scientist encountering a jelly fish thousands of years ago where it peaked the evolutional path. The scientist asks the jelly fish how it came to being. And the jelly fish starts to talk about first cells, primitive organisms in the sea and through an entire story of evolution comes to present. Suddenly it stops and with tremendous pride in its voice says. "And finally came jelly fish..."

About solving the situation in Burma

2007-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I have responded to a forum on peacebuilders community answering potential solution to the current situation in Burma, thought I would share. Wish things could look different...

... I would agree that a solution of a dialogue can be the one leading the country to long-term solution that is not a quick-fix but a sustainable one. I believe that core laws of a dialogue are similar between individuals and bigger groups of people in its essence, just that they are more complex.

I love metaphors and I think we can try to look at current events in Burma through the lenses of one. Let us look at 2 individuals that are attending the same high-school. One of them, let’s call him Tom is a strong person, he has lots of physical strength and is not afraid to use it. He often scars off other people and has reached a position that though a combination of physical violence and threats is able to achieve whatever he wants, he is taking money and other things from other people and overall is living a very comfortable life on the expense of others. Then there is another person (John) that is peaceful and always takes all the bad things from Tom with a grace not getting down to his level. Although all the things Tom is doing are frustrating John he tries to understand Tom and tries to co-exist in a peaceful way, even to help Tom to live better life. The rest of the class is obviously frustrated by the situation but does not have enough confidence, courage or will to do anything about it.

One day, John gets too frustrated about what Tom is doing to him and other people in the class and although does not prefer confrontation, he stands against Tom in an uneven fight and calls for a solution that would help not only him but also the rest of the class. Although more people from the class stand-up against Tom together with John inspired by his example, Tom has enough force and capacity to punish all of them and the things remain unchanged in the class.

In order for dialogue to happen in this situation, I believe these things would need to have been in place...

Tom is afraid of someone else outside the class and chooses dialogue as a better solution than being punished.
Tom is in fact insecure person inside and is not happy about the way he is living his life and does not have the capacity to change, in John’s opinion however, he sees an offered helping hand and he is mature enough to accept it and together with John and the rest of the class wants to design a better setting to feel more happy as he will be living in an environment where not only him, but also other people are happy and he can be contribute to the well being of the whole class...
Tom can gain big improvement of current situation if he agrees to John’s proposal.

Now I know that’s it’s just a metaphor and metaphors by definition simplify things to an extreme. But maybe things can also be similar within the current situation. I don’t want to say that dialogue is not an option, in fact I think it is the only one as I would not approve of any solution causing more violence or negative outcomes, however sometimes I look at the world around and I see lot of short term thinking (let’s rape the country now, it does not matter what will be in the future), individual egoism (we are having a comfortable life where the rest of the country is barely surviving), lack of values and tons of individual desire for power and money. I think in this situation a dialogue is a solution, but dialogue happens when the 2 sides are both interested in the positive outcomes it can bring, they are both in similar position of power (even if it’s only for the purpose of the dialogue not in reality) as well as they both have a strong motivation to improve the current situation (both internal and external).

How likely it is that the current regime in Burma will choose the option 2? After what they have been doing to the country in last years, what they have done to the monks that represent a religion that is about understanding and dialogue by definition? Will they be able to take option 2 without immediate presence of the option 1 and 3? Is it possible to choose option 2 when there is so much to loose for Tom? Should the international community create conditions 1 and 3? What makes humans constantly create these situations in the world?

I think if the option 2 becomes reality and the two sides will meet to discuss openly, the process will become apparent by itself and the solutions that will come out will be long term and beneficial for all the sides. But unless the process begins and continues in such conditions, it might be likely that the situation will stay as it is. After all, currently Tom is happy and that is all he cares for.