25 August
2010
Written by Brian Martin
As I look at nature and how magically and miraculously it works, it occurs to me that the environment is such an important determinant in what lives and what dies.
Cactus grows in the desert, willows and ferns thrive in the rain forest. If we put the cactus in the rainforest it rots and dies, and if we put willows in the desert they wither and die. Their environment is not conducive to their wellbeing.
This tells me that environment is the most powerful context in nature. The same is true in the human context. The environment in which we humans choose to play the game of life is the determinator of whether we live our life being accountable and responsible, or if we live our life being a victim. A victim's life’s view is "they did it to me", "it’s not my fault", and blaming others.
In my role as a chief executive, I worked hard to create an environment of accountability and responsibility. I have found people like to work in that environment, an environment where they create results that they are proud of. And guess what? They create even better results because of that. Another phenomenon is, as they became more successful, so did I.
I put a lot of energy into helping people be successful. I got a lot of pleasure and I still do get a wonderful stimulation watching them challenge themselves. This is a very rewarding experience for me, and that is why I have so many amazing friends amongst my former work colleagues.
The opportunity for you is to help others to be successful and then the universe somehow gives it back to you. In Asia it is called Ying and Yang. In the West it is commonly referred to as ‘giving and receiving’. This is not a new concept and is found in different religions, e.g. in Christianity, ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’. The Buddhists, Muslims, Confucians, and many other religions have their unique versions.
Try it, let me know your results!