How to make decisions during uncertain times

 

Uncertainty makes your road foggy. When the world seems unstable, every option comes with a question mark, a doubt, a… something is wrong… It is as if you are driving, you look ahead, but the road keeps shifting.

No choice feels completely right. I know, it’s easy to freeze and to overthink, imagining every worst-case scenario as the only possibility. But here’s the thing - not deciding is also a decision and often, it’s the one that costs the most…

• So, start by setting clear criteria: What matters most right now? What can you compromise? What is non-negotiable?
• A few solid guidelines will keep you anchored when emotions try to take over and use logic. Your logic… Check the facts, weigh the risks, compare options… But don’t let analysis become a cage; analyze and move forward with the decision.
• And be careful with another potential prison… Your past experiences are useful - they’ve shaped your instincts, after all, and you have been able to survive and reach to this point. But remember, the past is a reference; don’t reject a new path just because it doesn’t look like the old one.
• Be a visionary: imagine where you want to be, beyond where you are. At the same time, be practical if things are not going well - a flexible balanced plan is better than a perfect one that will never be brought to reality.
• And here’s a crucial piece for a decision, many people forget: a journey to your inner world. When you connect to yourself, decisions stop feeling like a gamble. Your intuition turns into a compass and meditation becomes a personal recharger. To make a better decision, trust yourself and just sit quietly, meditate...
• Related to the former point, remember: a clean mind sees more paths than a crowded one and sometimes, the next step reveals itself only in its stillness.

These are uncertain times. Your best decision maybe won’t be the smartest or the safest, so make a decision by aligning mind, heart and soul.

In this way, you will move forward, even when the road is not yet clear.

Finding a good job

Jobs, gigs, an employment…

For some, it is some sort of slavery… for others, it is a way of realizing the true potential.

What is it for you?

OK, there are some places or careers that shouldn’t exist, either because they are very underpaid or useless. But there is a way to make those meaningful.

There are other jobs that make you feel the best in the world… they can be made even more meaningful.

First, align your job with your VALUES, those qualities you don’t write into your curriculum, but they are what will link whatever you do with what you are. It does not mean you have to leave it, but reflect upon how to include them into your activities.

Second, what is your PURPOSE in life? If you are working, but that is not making your purpose clearer or greater, then you won’t find full satisfaction. If that is the case, it is time to rethink your work position, career or attitude; there is something wrong. Don’t leave it, just think, reflect and act.

The last thing is your FUTURE VISION: can you see how this present position contributes for you in terms of fulfilling your aim and goals? Part of the reason work is unfulfilling is the fact that you don’t realize how it fits in the picture of your life… Think of it, there is always something you can learn or assimilate even from a very bad job.

You do this and whatever you work will be good for you and for others.

Quo Vadis?

 

Where are you going? It is a very old question… and yet, so important for days like the ones we are living.

There is a general sensation of earth as a boat adrift, without a clear leadership and very little initiative from people in general. The leadership that exists is often restricted to a small sector and its influence does not spread, besides our leaders look like they need lots of help due to the complexity of the present.

In relation to people in general, I feel we are not taking advantage of this unique moment in history: we can all be leaders… of the self.

So instead of looking for people who would tell us where to go, what to be in the future and how to create a new world, it is our turn – yours and mine – to find that out.

So, ask yourself: where am I going? The answer will motivate you to give the first steps.

Is there any future in my horizon?

Images can be inspiring… A picture I have taken shown a foggy road and although you could see the beginning and a few meters further, nothing was waiting for you ahead.

At these times, that is future for us.

For some unknown reason, humanity has been obsessed in learning about their future; so many things were created for that. And then the uncertainty paradigm has become predominant, so there is no horoscope that can really tell you the future now, and no consultant or coach can really guide you in these very foggy times.

You are on your own…

But…

There is another wonderful possibility: you can create your own future. Step by step, action by action, thought by thought. That is, you are your own leader.

Taking into account that, here are a few suggestions:

• To be in uncertain times does not mean to not plan your future. Just be deeper and think in terms of a future vision instead of only objectives & aims.
• Be prepared to adapt, but don’t lose focus or important things related to life such as values and relationship.
• Make your present a real present for yourself and the people who live and work with you. Whatever you do now, its fruits will become your future at some point.
• Develop your resilience in such a way that you will face obstacles from a high energy.
• When you fail for some reason, just turn the failure into a step towards your success. Learn, change and implement the lessons onto your life.

Living your dream

The biggest challenge of a visionary like you is probably to live the dreams and transform them into action.

What do you need to do so that your dreams can be seen, heard, touched and live a footprint in the universe?

• Of course, first thing is to have a dream, which must be something that even though is unreachable today is still possible. Maybe lots of effort is needed…
• Then you have to awake, that is, to put your dream into reality, to transform the intangible thoughts into tangible actions or at least a plan…
• …Because another step is to discern a pathway for the dream to come true.
• Now you must walk the designed path, making a step by step process towards your dream.
• At the same, you need to empower yourself, after all, when a dream comes true it changes your reality and you need power to face the obstacles that come with it.
• From time to time, check where you are and correct the path if that is necessary.
• One day, you will see your dream in the reality of your life. Celebrate and help others to reach their dreams too.

This post is a humble homage to Prajapita Brahma, who is my subtle mentor and whose day I celebrate today.

Change at a high speed

Changes are present every time and everywhere. It is part of life and it is part of our own identity as we know we will be changing and our society system is based on that, supporting different stages of our lives.

However in the last few decades, that change has been accelerated and that system has failed, which explains very successful people at a young age and people who were supposed to be retired, still working.

Changes are happening in a fast speed and there are many theories about it. Regardless, they are happening and it is time we prepare ourselves for that. By facing a fast-paced change unprepared, we are destroying our health and compromising our own reality. Stress, a high rate of divorces, loneliness, mental disturbances… all of that is a way of coping with this type of change.

I was very touched by one case that happened in Colombia, where the main bank CEO decided to resign due to a letter he received from his daughter where she claimed her father back and this news showed the extent changes are affecting our lives.

However, there are many things you can do to keep pace with change, as much as possible anyway. If you feel overwhelmed by an omnipotent and omnipresent change, try these:

• Make sure the things you value are not lost in change. You can’t avoid traditions and structures to disappear under the fire of change, but you can prevent whatever you receive from them to get lost. For instance, maybe you used to have dinner every night with your family or go to your temple of devotion all Sundays; if change is too fast you can’t do even that, but you may create other slots of your time and keep them no matter what: a family meeting on Sunday night and a good daily routine of prayer or meditation would help you to recharge your life, keeping intact the experiences you value.
• Whatever you do should be aligned to your values. So, understand your values and check if your actions match those. If not, think of a way to do it. Values are important and they will help you dealing with changes without pain. Look for something else to do that is aligned to your values and change it, or develop values that are aligned to what you are doing.
• Is your present position, profession or career fulfilling your purpose in life? Do you even know your purpose in life? There is a very easy way to know if you are accomplishing your purpose, even though you don’t know it, and that is your level of satisfaction. Not talking here about joy or enjoyment; if you eat a nice food, you would enjoy it, but after a while you would be hungry again, but if you are satisfied with something, that sensation does not leave you and you don’t get tired of it either. Reflect on your present life and look for a way to satisfy your purpose.
• You have a future, a subtle edifice you have been building all these years. Right now you are doing it! However, due to change fast rhythm, you sacrifice that to have something unrelated in the present moment. Find in your present situation opportunities to attain that future vision and invest time and energy on those.

Your biggest opportunity: a WHOLE NEW YEAR!

As a painter, you have a blank canvas you front of you… or if you are a sculptor, you have a rock, just waiting to be molded. Perhaps you are a musician with a guitar in your lap waiting to be played, with some new invention of your mind.

Maybe you are a person with a whole new year to be filled…

What to do?

As every artist has a method that helps channeling their creativity, in the same way we all can channel that wonderful power in relation to life itself.

Because what is life if not art? It is something with method and geniality, lots of method and flow with reality…

So, let’s do this…

Pick the brush of your thoughts and draft a future you want to live. Ok, you can use a pen, but let your imagination talks. Loud.

Now, take the canvas of your own present reality; using the computer of your mind, turn it blank. Yes, you have a life already, this is not a denial, but it is a creative process…

With that blank canvas ready for you, start to paint. Use again the brush of your thoughts, along with the painting of your determination, energy, love, intention, peace… Each energy with a different color.

And paint the last scene of 2016. The last thing you want to see in your face, in your eyes; the last thing that should be present in your lips and mind.

After that, look at your masterpiece… It is a key for this process that you accept that no matter how different is from your present reality.

Acceptance opens the way for embracing the new reality you will be building the whole year.

And now, start to live your painting. Step by step, keep that image very clear within you and build the most marvelous time of your life. 

Time management in unmanageable times

When I was just starting to work on IT, trying to understand computers and users, my job was pretty boring... So, I got distracted with some booklets I found scattered around. They came from a Time Management course my boss took and two things stroke me: first, the interesting ideas and, second, how my boss just ignored them...

Time management is a wonderful tool and an incredible theory, but its use in the practical life, a VERY BUSY practical life, is not so easy for it demands discipline and focus.

Besides, some of the champions in Time Management consider their success based on their ability in managing their time and not in its results. Life, especially corporate and business life, is not happy with a manager, a coach or a CEO who is able to manage his or her time very well... Others would want to see an outcome for that.

Results are quite hard to be experienced and one of the reasons is the unmanageable times you are living. We are living a very particular period of our history, a time that Peter Drücker, a consultants' prophet, has foreseen: a time we are not sure what is going on and we are less sure what will happen in the future.

We can go and make changes in our way of managing times (as I am doing this year), but still we cannot catch up with reality as it was probably more possible twenty years ago.

What to do then? Just flow and let it be? Or maybe creating even another tool to help you managing your time? I would like to explore that…

Let's talk about consciousness. Since I have seen those booklets, I have started my own way of managing time, which helped me to create a basis for courses and seminars I give. My main focus, however is not the method as it is, but the awareness of time the person has to develop.

As humans, we have created a very complex way of considering time. Although we can understand easily concepts as VERY SOON or LATE, we are ruled by a psychological sense of time rather than a real one. For instance, if you enjoy a two-days holiday somewhere, a place where you are happy and everything works fine, you will feel the time is very SHORT, even though it is the same time as when you had to work and finish your company accounts, which probably looked as very LONG.

The trick in Time Management is to reconcile your own perception of time with others' perception and the real clock-time. That means you need to do three things:

• Strength your own leadership. The only way to do something as mentioned before and survive in the process is when you are a leader. Although there are many concepts of leadership, three things are important in relation to Time Management, and you can cultivate them: your self-control, your own sense of being an example and a clear picture of your vision of the present and future for both, yourself and the organization you are leading.
• Value your own values. Rushing around or procrastinating do not only affect your health and others' patience, it may also affect your values. For a check-up on your values and, in relation to Time Management, check these three values to see if they are being put into action or just serving as a decoration for your speeches: patience will help you when others are not committed enough, perseverance will help you to educate others and try again, and introspection (or calmness)will help you to check your own commitment and make the needed changes.
• Use real methods. Ah, that is a must!! You can take as many courses of Time Management (want my cell phone number?) or attend to a thousand seminars, and yet, all of it may be is inapplicable to your reality. Ask three questions and make the necessary improvements: is what I am doing aligned with my needs? Are we, other people around me and i, really experiencing benefit by using these methods? Is there any way i can manage time better?

Well... time is up!! Get up and start to apply your own consciousness into your time.

Focus... action!

In a fast-paced society as the one we are living, people seldom gives time for reflection. We normally just react and that makes us tired... so we look for means of relaxing and we don't have enough energy to think, reflect and act, which means we just start reacting again.

This has created a big trend where tourism and entertainment can be considered one of the biggest industries. An example: let's say you are going for shopping - compare the time shopping with the time you spend watching a movie.

It is a strange society, right? We have displaced food as our first value and we have embraced industrial elements, things we could easily live without; now we are going even beyond, preferring what is not even real...

Well, solution does not lie in new policies, a change in the laws or even new inventions. The real solution is to prevent that big tiredness for life that takes place and makes us confusing love we see in a movie with the real love we can feel only in reality.

Focus. It will help people to get less tired and more effective in whatever they do. If you just get tired, in the normal way, that can be solved by a change of environment or a good sound sleep, then it is easier to start thinking and reflecting, before going into reaction. As a consequence, your actions' quality will be better and even if you fall on the reaction pattern again, it will be in relation to a very good quality action.

Focus on what you really want and need. Focus on your reality, your mission and vision of life and you will feel it as a wonderful experience, as an entertainment in itself.

It is not only your productivity that will increase enormously, your joy will also increase and you will enjoy life in a way you probably thought it was only possible watching some good episode on television.

Focus. Reflect. Act. Relax. And focus again...

Next evolution: back to the past

You have probably noticed that some things seem to go backwards. Not talking about fashion here, which is of course very temporary, but we are talking about habits and customs.

For instance, have you realized people prefer to write rather than talk? Come on, most sci-fi movies, books or ideas were pointing to people sitting down somewhere and starting to talk to their TV set saying open the window; and the window would open!

However, what is happening is people writing and writing... It is not only the WhatsApp wave, but the SMS and all kind of gadgets and software that allow it. If I could back in time and tell someone about twenty years that would be the future, they really wouldn't believe in me...

That is the reality of life: things don't happen because someone thinks it is cool, but because it is useful, powerful or really beautiful.

So... let's look at ourselves in relation to that: is there anything you have imagined you would be doing right now but you are not? Perhaps you imagined an incredible work, a marvelous family or strong health and that entered into the self sci-fi list...

Well, let's apply the same concept: whatever is now, it is because it was more useful, powerful or beautiful. WHAT???!!!!

Yes, part of you like what you see now, much, much more than what you have imagined it. So, if you want to change yourself, you have to go back to the past...

You have to understand what your thoughts were at that point in time when you visualized a different future... Did you? If you did, tune into it, enjoy that attitude or awareness you had at that moment.

After that, understand that perception and compare it to what you have in your mind at present. And, if you feel it is needed, just change the present...

Start with your consciousness and the way you think. Teach yourself, dialogue with yourself and experiment with another way, the way you have thought you would be living right now.

If you do that for some time every day, you will start to see some changes in yourself and then, it is possible those changes become permanent, and your self sci-fi imagination pays off.

And the year has come...

The "New Year effect" is known to be finished by January, 12th... It is around that time when you "get into the real world" and start to lose hope on marvelous changes. By the end of February, nothing of those wonderful realizations and resolutions will remain.

So, you still got time! You are aware of your desire to change; it is still in your mind and heart. This is the moment when you have to change the dream into vision, the desire into action. This is the moment when you should sit down and REALLY plan your new year.

Things don't happen just because they should; they happen because something has created the energy, so that takes place. Inertia, my friends, is the Universal Law, especially if you remember that does not mean only to be stuck; inertia is also about something moving in a uniform motion too.

Your resolutions defy the very essence of that law, so the Universe has everything ready to boycott your ideas and actions: you will postpone, your friends will convince you to postpone it until it is not practical anymore, your wife or husband will make you forget about that, etc. etc.

To create change means to be a leader and leaders have a strategy to do what they must do. And that is what you have to do, a strategic plan for your life, or at least for your year.

The essence of that plan is easy enough: what is your aim, when you want that to happen, how to do it and how to face obstacles. One hour is more than enough for a particular change for the year.

After creating the plan, just put into action. If you feel so, share with other people, get them by your side. Then, enjoy sailing through new waters, discovering new lands of opportunity and changing your life!

A Christmas Palette

Once upon a time, a small boy looked at a plane in the sky.

It was unexpected. This boy were living at Gray City, where everything was, well, gray: buildings, cars, houses, clothes and, of course, the sky. They told him it was a very prosperous place to live and his family was very happy there. They used to express their happiness sitting in front of the TV set; with little messages on the screen, they knew very well when to laugh, smile, be sad and cry. Their food was also gray...

The little boy did not like to live there. He didn't like to eat gray food everyday - he would love to eat yellow, orange and red food at some point in life!! He didn't like to go to a gray school, where very gray teachers used to teach him gray things - he would love to learn green and blue lessons!

And one day, after a very gray fight with his gray mom, he saw the plane... It was so high in the sky, he couldn't believe he was seeing it; besides, he would swear he was also seeing a patch of... of BLUE!! Yes, around the plane!! Almost invisible, but it was there. He touched his eyes, he touched his heart, and he thanked for that gift. After all, it was Christmas Eve...

From that day on, something happened to him. It started in his dreams: they became blue. Later, he also started to have yellow, orange, red and even purple dreams!

Later, in his mind there was always a patch of blue... sometimes, he could also have green and yellow ideas.

Slowly, he changed. His family could not understand him and they tried to turn him gray again; his teachers did not like him and cause him more troubles than ever, and even his friends were scared of him.

What nobody knew was that he saw the blue sky and he saw the plane and he knew, one day, he would jump into that plane and go to a place, where you could find any color you wanted.

Scared as they were, forcefully trying to change him back into a normal and common gray, they could not do anything... And the small boy grew up into a wonderful guy.

And one day, in another Christmas Eve day, he jumped into a plane, leaving to Multicolor City. And he was so happy...

After one year, however, things did not go as he wanted. He missed things from his city...

What he realized one evening is that even though they have so many colors, still they were all gray inside.

Ok, that was not true... His boss for instance was a perfect red, and his neighbor upstairs, she was totally blue. And then she remembered a friend of a friend at Gray city who was totally a green one. Slowly, he changed... Because colors were not outside.

Nowadays, he is living at Blue City. He constantly goes to Gray City to visit friends and family who appreciate him as he is. Sometimes, he also goes to Multicolor City to enjoy the Carnival and meet friends he got there. And his mind is open for all colors of life...

Ah, did I say that evening when he realized that was... yes, right! Christmas Eve...

What will happen in the next 10 years?

The world is full of predictions; some are fulfilled, others are not. And yet, people are always waiting for that...

So, what will happen in the next 10 years in your life, your family and friends' lives, your community, country and the world in general? Can you tell me that?

I guess you would say something, or just say it is not possible to predict... but, let's do a different exercise.

Look at yourself now, in all the dimensions we mentioned before: you, family/friends, community and country. Go back 10 years... Check some newspaper in internet or just see your agenda for that time. Do you remember what you were wearing or the fashion? Can you tell me the place you were working, how much money you were spending and earning?

Now, compare that time to the present situation, and draw some conclusions...

If you do this exercise, you will be able to notice some trends. After that, try to visualize the future 10 years, working with the trends you have found.

The last phase is the most important: it starts with the question what can you do to prepare yourself for the future you are going to live? After responding it, implement it. And live it.

It is a wonderful work for the self as it makes you to keep the future present in your mind and at the same time, improving your present moment.

From dream to vision...

A vision without an action is just a dream.An action without a vision is a labor.A vision with action can change the world.

I heard that quote many and many years ago. Along the time, other time was mentioned as its author - as far as I know, nobody knows it, but it was engraved in an old church...

It doesn't matter - it touched me in a different way.

I have been a dreamer, I have just declared that to you, but it was after this quote that I started to give importance to the action that turns the dream into a vision, into a reality.

Dreams are good: physical dreams help your body somehow, "cleaning" your brain of useless images or warning you that something is wrong; mystical dreams transform lives around the world by creating new paths for human race to follow, and spiritual dreams help you to develop certain qualities you perhaps did not realize you need to do.

But the most fascinating of all are those dreams we have with our open eyes... Perhaps looking at something or just talking with other people. Those dreams when you challenge your present reality and you wonder if it would be possible for you to live life in a different way. Then, you wake up and go on to another direction eventually forgetting that dream.

However, if you are able to catch your dream and start to change whatever you have to change so that dream becomes a reality, which means you had a vision, a glimpse of a possible future.

There are no real statistics, but it is known that visionaries are able to fulfill their dreams at some point in their lives. And, in the cases they couldn't, still the generated so much change in their own lives that it was worthwhile to even try.

And that is what I did. I still remember that day, living a low middle class area in Sao Paulo, my birthplace, when I saw a plane crossing the blue sky. And I wondered if one day I would be there... Now, I look behind and I can see my visions have been fulfilled. Now, I can say I have a very wonderful life because one day I did not allow that dream to go dormant; I pursued it, and made it real. I am sure you are doing the same too.

And from dreamers we become visionaries, in the creation of a new world and a new life.

When America gets together...

First of all, I think it is important to celebrate and to consider the importance of hosting the Summit of the Americas in a country like Colombia.

For many years, for its "particular" situation, Colombia has been avoided of main important meetings and summits. I don't argue the reason - by living here I am aware that some events would really create a danger not only for its participants but also for the population in general.

So, it is with joy that I see this event happening. I really would like to be there, but other commitments (and a slight lack of invitation) made me come to another town. It does not matter, I feel everyone who lives in Colombia is in the Summit, in one way or another.

It is a wonderful opportunity to try to unite this continent. Even though you can go to one extreme to the other by land (and I just met a guy who has come from Mexico in bycicle!), unity is not a speciality here.

Even though we speak fewer languages compared to Europe, Asia or Africa, and even the small Oceania has probably more official languages than us, we don't talk much among ourselves.

And the real name of the continent is AMERICA - just one, not many. Yes, politics has split that in 2 or 3, depending on the country where you live. Social and economical factors made people refer to only one country when they use the name AMERICA, instead of the whole continent, and even American refers to people who are born to that one country.

But we are the AMERICA. We are the fruit of a dream and a vision. We are the fruit of perseverance and daring. We are the craddle of great civilisations, unfortunately destroyed by smaller ones, even though they had more guns.

We are the AMERICA, a green place, a place of diversity and greatness. A place that can serve the world in so many ways.

Perhaps I am a dreamer, but this summit, being held in the corner of South America, in a country that has suffered so many divisions within, can really be the biggest opportunity we all have.

It is time to put politics aside and start to integrate and embrace the fact we live on the same land.

Only then, one day, we will realise we live on the same Earth.

I am Harry Potter

Literature has given us many heroes whose deeds are not as heroic as themselves. You can remember Ishmael from Moby-Dick or even Joshua from the Bible - they were loved because they were different from others.

They dared to be different and in their own way, they became leaders, kind of heroes. Not as someone who frees a country or who saves lives, but more like people who overcame deep inner challenges.

Nowadays, when everyone tries to be similar to the next, Harry Potter emerged as a different paradigm. And he conquered the world, there is no doubt about that. His magic was to "touch a nerve" and make the character, who was refused by his own people, become a heroe.

At some point of J.K.Rowling's books, Harry mentions that he never intended to do something to be a heroe, it just happened like that. The reason is simple: when you are different, you tend to be a heroe everytime.

The world is still not ready for different people and it tries constantly to make others to be like the main stream. Harry Potter showed a kind of path for those of us who are different, who are leaders, to-be or de facto.

The first thing was to give himself a chance, when the opportunity emerged. As soon as he knew he was a wizard, even though that could be the most absurd thing in the world, he accepted the opportunity, with all the risks envolved.

Second, balance emotions and reason - this is a constant in the life of this modern hero. Balance is a key for success and failures come due to its lack. Listen to the heart, but also to the head.

Third, life is a big and interesting school! Whoever has read those books started to wonder why was that schools cannot be that fun. In fact, our own lives happen in a huge school and each step is incredible, it is a powerful lesson.

Fourth, magic is ALWAYS the solution. For those of us who are leaders, different from the rest, rules are not so strict, especially concerning to how to get success. We rely a lot on pure "magic" - not the wand-kind of magic, but the one that emerges from talent and energy.

Fifth, last and you can complement if you want, no matter what, you have to stick to your vision, objectives and aim. That is a big challenge, but leaders cannot afford to wander from their destination, even though sacrifices are high!

And let's not forget that Harry Potter, because of all of that, received constant help until the end.

Take care.