Colombia, Colombia

When a friend of mine came to Colombia, we started to talk to him about the country. When the subject of the Summit of Americas came, his response was that the only thing that came out of that was the scandal in Cartagena...

Well, in companies, an error in PR can make all the effort of years just go to waste. Is that the case now?

Colombia has changed, from a wounded country, scared of growing and daring (and still, growing and daring), to a country that is profiled to be a leader in its own. And it is a pity the fact that because of a mistake, not from Colombians but from foreigners, Colombia goes backwards...

I do hope Colombia's leaders are working on that and seeing how to solve the situation. Normally, that would imply to create more opportunities to show the greatness until they forget the bad side - something that all countries and places have, after all...

But, a good lesson for any leader is to be always prepared for anything like that. That can mean many things, but I feel personally that it is not a question to hide situations, as normally leaders do.

Tylenol case, which is now a study case in many parts of the world, showed that accepting the mistake is perhaps the best policy. Working on that along with all those affected is even better. Trying to deny, or simply ignoring... well, people won't forget it so easily!!

And if you try to blame others, even when they are probably the real guilty ones, that does not work well. After all, when a scandal like that happens, it is not only one or two people's fault - a friend of mine almost everyday was pointing the role of the hotel, for instance.

I do hope all the efforts so many people have made on Colombia don't go to waste and, rather than that it makes Colombia even more an example to other places of the world, as I know the country already is.

To be a leader, without tension

This is a series of tips especially created to help leaders to be free of tension.

TIPS to be a tension-free leader

1. Awareness - it is imperative the leader takes over his own responsibility over tension, without blaming others or making excuses.
2. Research - it is useful to know the reasons for tension, which means to read articles and talk to experts.
3. Communication - the leader must clarify to people in a 360 degree (that means, all the people they are related), that he or she is under tension; this is a must in the case of people who are affected by that.
4. Healing - the key for healing tension is a deep inner loving dialogue; to love yourself relieves or eliminates tension.
5. Maintenance - tension can come back at any moment; it is very important to develop habits to prevent that.
6. Meditation - meditation practise helps leader to clarify her/his own life, detaching and experiencing going beyond tension.
7. Exercise - to move the body prevents tension that comes due to basic physical problems; to walk is the best for that.
8. Diet - more than a particular diet, there has to be consistency and healthy habits.
9. Positive - it helps to look for more sources, like lectures, videos and talks, that makes the leader more positive.
10. Voluntarism - one of the foundations to prevent tension is to do something that serves others without receiving anything back, which makes the self more balanced.

Beyond greed

Is greed equal to success? Is greed equal to stress? Is a simple life a synonym of a life without greed?

I was thinking about that after reading a spiritual class.

First of all, I really feel greed is different than success. The main reason of that thought is the fact that I always think of success as something integral and holistic. Yes, with greed you may have success in your work or career, but it is very much possible that you will be a failure in relationships, health and your spiritual life.

However, when you are moved by greed, one thing is for sure: you will get stressed. Ambition, in the form of greed, makes you blind to certain natural limits, like your health or the needs of people in your family.

But, ambition, when it is free from greed, it is not only good, but very important ofr the sense of realisation as a human being. You can have the ultimate car or the best mobile phone in the world, and still not being greedy. On the other hand, you can be very simple and live in a small house, and yet be very greedy.

Yes, we have to work and produce. Money is good, nothing bad about that. To have things in PERFECTLY ok. But, inside it is basic for the human soul to understand that it does not matter what I have, what matters is what I am.

A common mistake...

When I was a child, one of the things that I liked most was to learn how to sing the Brazilian National anthem.

But, I was the only one - being considered one of the most difficult in the world (at least, we Brazilian think that), its lyrics are not only old in age, but very unique and elaborated.

In fact, most people don't know how to sing it. Those who know usually make mistakes at the time of singing.

This is why I was very empathic when Shakira, a Colombian singer you probably have heard about, made the mistake and spoke a word that did not exist. Jokes were everywhere in the web. In fact, she did not create a new word, it was just that she forgot one letter. One letter, and the whole meaning was lost.

On the other hand, that shows something very important: even though you don't realise, your steps as leader are being watched very closely.

We are on the stage of humankind, at a time of need, a time of decision and a probable big inflection in human history. Everyone is watching those who are creating the next era for humanity.

That means you do need to study, research, to be coached and taught. You do need to learn, and keep on learning, and rehearse and change, and be humble.

That mistake overshadowed completely her speech during the Summit of Americas. Which was more important, the mistake or the speech? A leader in many ways, Shakira has created her foundation for poor people to be able to learn much before than other celebrities in Colombia, opening a social branch that was almost non-existent before. Her Barefoot Foundation is an inspiration.

As a Colombian, she helped the name of the country, tainted by so many bad news, to improve. Even though she dared to enter the English-speaking world, she is Colombia for many people, and I still remember the intense emotion of reaching a simple hotel in Bombay, turn on the TV and watch Shakira singing there...

So, what is more important? And yet, one-letter mistake and a whole life can be forgotten.

Next time, don't be afraid of learning again whatever you learned in the past. Specially your National Anthem.

About coming back to work

As I said in a former post, this blog was designed because of my lack of proper work. Something happened in my life, and companies were not calling me for help. In fact, they were not calling me for anything, really.

I really had the opportunity, the golden chance of learning that having a job is more than working, and that is the reason of this blog.

Now, work is coming back. Slowly, but steady, I am being called by many companies to help them. They are still small projects, but for me they are BIG, because they are a direct fruit of a long work on my own self.

Then, I see other issues emerging, and I feel it is good to revise them, turning them in valuable lessons others can be benefitted:

• The need of having humility and high self-esteem. Working with spirituality, I always know and talk about to have the balance between these two qualities, but I have been faced with them a lot. After all, you cannot tell others something you are not doing, but you have to value your conquests and ideas, as they are your real wealth. As a consultant, one of the techniques is to share examples, and sometimes you think your examples are good, when they are not. But at other times, your example will be the perfect one for the situation, be ready to know the difference.
• The need of researching and studying. One of the opportunities I've got was to deliver a course that I did not do for at least TEN YEARS! It evolved, and I realised (unfortunately, during the same course) that I should study more and research more. One of my mistakes would be too embarrassing, if it was not noticed by a good friend, who did not push.
• Focus, more focus. During my time without job, I generated around 10 areas of work. But, as I am performing again, to keep up with 10 areas of work is not easy, and it would be stressing in the long term. With the help of a coach, I was able to group those 10 areas in... well, 7 areas... As you see, I am still working on that focus.
• CLEAR AIM. I've put myself an immediate aim - 10 days of work! And that is what I have got. So, I have to clear my aim a little bit, remind myself the year has 365 days and my life won't finish on 2012, no matter what fake Mayans are saying. So, don't talk about such a short aim, rather than that plan it better.
• Don't lose courage. When I am working, I feel sometimes a little "rusty". Courage is needed to keep on doing, to just keep on performing and little by little rust will fade away eventually and you will see your optimum performance coming back.
• Don't be afraid of checking yourself. It is harsh. That course with my friend... my God, he was calling me apart, telling me what was wrong with me, with no mercy. And that was wonderful. You do need to check yourself, or being checked by someone else, so that you can improve.

Take care and keep on moving.

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.

Beyond the lack of job

After about two years plus, I feel I am again getting job, with companies employing me and my skills. Yes, during those years I have got small things, never starved, but it was never something big enough for me to change that computer or "go dental".

It was when I realised I was not getting enough to call that an income, that I have decided to start this blog - that is the reason for the name, as I understood at that point my focus was really not to get a job. It was - and is - much more than that.

This period, which I am still living, has been one of the most productive periods of my life. I am now positioning myself as a provider of knowledge and wisdom, more than just blogging or "twitting", "facebooking", etc. I have clarity about myself, what I want for my life and what I want to give the world.

It has been a time of deep reflection about what my real values are, what is really important for me and what is not. It has been a time where despair brushed my life, but I reacted meditating more, studying more and reflecting even more (and yes, guys, sending cv's and proposals were also part of that time...).

I won't miss this time when it is over, I must be honest, but probaly I will miss the energy it generated.

Now, wouldn't be wonderful if everyone who is now complaining they don't have a job do the same? Yesterday, watching an old tv series, one of the characters was saying that you should so something - if not for money, then help the community.

That time - the time when you lack a job, you are sick, you are alone - that time is so valuable for your own growth. As I said before in this blog, it is the time of sowing, and now I see that with hard work, it does not matter much what kind of hard work you are doing, crops come even before time.

Take care.