Member Platform - Jeff Klein

Jeff Klein, Chief Activation Officer, FLOW. Jeff is charged with developing the infrastructure for FLOW, with an emphasis on messaging, FLOW community development, and strategic relationships. He conceived of and is producing Working for Good, facilitating a collaboration between FLOW, Peace Cereal, Zaadz, and the Global Nomads Group

Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good

“Liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” is a powerful intention with profound consequences. Liberation is no small undertaking, on any level, towards any end. The entrepreneurial spirit is a powerful force, requiring awareness, skill, and courage to channel towards an intended outcome. And realizing good intentions through focused activation of the entrepreneurial spirit is a profound endeavor, with many challenges along the way. Making the world a better place to live and a home for human flourishing, begins with your intention, comes to life through entrepreneurial spirit, and manifests through your actions.

In our pursuit of liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good, we must overcome many levels of limitations undermining our ability to realize our highest potential whether:

• Self-imposed – fear, doubt, laziness, etc.;
• Put on us by others - undermining our confidence, creating confusion, manipulating our perception and understanding, distracting our attention and energy; or,
• Imposed by systems, structures, culture, and institutions.

This is not a journey for the faint of heart, but it is one we all have the potential and opportunity to begin, and we can access internal and external resources to sustain the journey.

The Working for Good program and the Working for Good curriculum (produced by FLOW) represent the collaboration of individuals and organizations who share a powerful intention to support human flourishing and an essential belief in our ability to create good in the world – love, peace, prosperity, happiness. And we believe that this requires that each of us take responsibility for our own journey, with inspiration and support from others, even as we inspire and support others. At some point, we must embrace the potential within us, take the risks, cultivate the courage, skills, and discipline required to stay the course.

So, this short piece is an offering to the process of liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good. The contents of the piece include:

• Definitions: What does “liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” mean?
• Conditions: What are the conditions that foster the liberation of the entrepreneurial spirit for good?
• Challenges: What are the obstacles and barriers to liberating the entrepreneurial spirit?
• Skills, Tools & Attributes: What does it take to liberate and sustain the entrepreneurial spirit for good?
• Inspiration…

Definitions: What does “Liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” mean?

“We need to recall the angel aspects of the word, recognizing words as independent carriers of soul between people. We need to recall that we do not just make words up or learn them in school, or ever have them fully under control. Words, like angels, are powers, which have invisible power over us. They are personal presences which have whole mythologies: genders, genealogies (etymologies concerning origins and creations), histories, and vogues; and their own guarding, blaspheming, creating, and annihilating effects.”

James Hillman

And so, we approach words and their meaning with great respect and acknowledge the vital forces they represent. Such is certainly the case with the individual and combination of words embodied by “liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good.”

We begin with the subject of the phrase, Spirit, and its modifier, Entrepreneurial; continue with the verb, Liberate (Liberating), then “for Good,” and finish by putting them all together.

Spirit: Vital principle or animating force for human beings. Origination: Latin spiritus, breath; spirare, to breathe.

Entrepreneurial: Undertaking an endeavor, assuming risk, innovating, creating wealth by combining things in new ways. Origination: French entreprendre, to undertake.

Entrepreneurial Spirit: An energy or animating force that activates the human potential to create, innovate, explore, endeavor, passionately pursue vision in spite of challenges, obstacles, and risks.

Liberate: To set free, release, unleash. Origination: Latin liberare, liberat, free. For Good: Two meanings, 1. Positive, desirable, beneficial, constructive. 2. Permanently, forever, once and for all.

Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good: Once and for all, unleashing the human potential to create positive outcomes through courageous innovation, exploration, and endeavor.

Conditions: What are the conditions that foster the liberation of the human spirit for good?

Michael Strong outlined these conditions superbly in Lesson 2 of the Working for Good curriculum. To summarize:

• Freedom
• Skills, Tools, & Attributes (outlined below)
• Access to resources, especially high quality information, and inner resources of imagination, creativity, initiative…

Challenges

“By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom. By defending our faults, we betray an unsound mind.”

The Sutra of Hui Neng

Challenges to the process of liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good originate internally and externally. Both can weigh heavily. Without addressing the internal obstacles to liberation, the opportunities for overcoming the external obstacles are substantially diminished. Here is a partial list of the inner challenges we face in liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good.

Sit with each of them and explore how they affect your ability to fully realize who you are and what you are capable of accomplishing. Check in with them from time to time. They are like cockroaches, as they will run rampant through the room that is your mind, if you keep the room dark. But as soon as you shine the light on them, they will scurry for cover. You may not eradicate them by shining the light of your attention on them, but they will not be running around your room when you do. Keep the light on. Keep the cockroaches out. Here goes…

• Fear
• Doubt
• Delusion
• Complacency
• Ignorance
• Overindulgence
• Addiction to Distraction
• Arrogance
• Disinterest
• Unwillingness to Learn
• Weak Moral and Ethical Core
• Weak Skills
• Lack of Confidence
• Diffidence
• Lack of Discipline
• Lack of Imagination
• Anger towards yourself and others
• Avoidance
• Shame
• Blame towards yourself and others

And here are some of the external challenges, which also require attention to overcome. Some of them require collaboration to effectively address, even societal transformation. While the inner challenges require a flashlight to illuminate, these require a huge spotlight to illuminate, rigorous analysis, extensive dialog and process, and collaborative effort to address.

As Michael Strong reflected in Lessons 1 and 2 of the Working for Good curriculum, human beings have historically risen to the occasion, and continue to address and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. So we encourage you to face these head on too:

• External Control (including regulations, monopolies, unfair competition, cheating, collusion)
• Cultural Norms
• Social Pressures
• Lies told by others
• Bad Information
• Limited Access to Resources
• Degraded Resources

Skills, Tools & Attributes

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it has increased.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The way to overcome obstacles to liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good – for your self and in support of others – is principally based on personal responsibility and practice. It is and has always been, “a small group of highly motivated individuals who have changed the world” to paraphrase Margaret Mead. And these “thoughtful, committed citizens” build on their personal, internal resources to do their transformational work in the world.

Following are some core skills and attributes we can cultivate to support us to liberate the entrepreneurial spirit and to have a positive impact in and on the world. While the cockroaches (challenges) run from light, the seeds embodying these skills and attributes sprout and flourish under the warmth and radiance of the light. Focus your attention on them. Find the seeds within yourself. And encourage them to grow.

• Passion, Patience, & Persistence
• Vision, Wisdom, & Discernment
• Compassion, Courage, & Collaboration
• Faith, Creativity, & Discipline
• Introspection, Reflection, & Inner Work
• Authentic Power, Self-restraint

And among the tools and practices that support us to embody and employ these skills and attributes are:

• Conflict mitigation, mediation, and resolution
• Thoughtful use of speech
• Planning
• Establishing measurable goals
• Effectively tracking the environment and our progress
• Employing feedback mechanisms
• Organizing our activities
• Keeping track of our commitments and ensuring that we live up to them

Developing consistent personal practice is essential to cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit for good within your self. As we brush our teeth, wash our hands, keep our kitchen sink clean, eat well, drink plenty of water, etc., certain personal practices can provide a strong core of support for our pursuit of entrepreneurial liberation for good.

Personal practice supports us to develop many of the skills and attributes listed above. Finding practices that best support you is a matter of personal choice, guided by intuition, “teachers,” trial and error. To a considerable extent, what specific practices or paths you choose doesn't really matter. As Carlos Castaneda recounts the counsel of his teacher, Don Juan, what matters is that “it has heart.”

Over the past 25 years I have developed an array of practices that support me to maintain my health and well-being, work with passion and energy, and maintain my commitments and intentions. The best thing about committed practice is it continues to stretch you, and reveal new opportunities for inquiry and growth. Following are some of the practices I consistently employ and enjoy.

• A daily Yoga and meditation practice, including daily recitation of core moral and ethical commitments of non-harming, not stealing, not engaging in harmful sexual behavior, not speaking in harmful or unproductive ways, no use of intoxicants, and setting an intention to support the well-being of all whom I encounter;
• A frequent running practice;
• Ongoing training and practice in mindfulness, skillful communication aimed at cultivating and sustaining peace in relationship;
• Walking in nature and gardening;
• Consistently employing a personal organization/time management system (for over 18 years);
• Regularly identifying and learning from mentors, and from anyone I meet; and
• Actively use the dictionary and thesaurus to honor the power of words and to use them skillfully.
• See Footnotes below for details and links.

Practices such as these can help to develop a strong nervous system that can withstand and weather the endless stream of stress we face in entrepreneurial adventure. They help to build a resilient immune system that can ward off illness and enable us to persevere with health and vitality. They provide deeply rooted moral and ethical fiber, which sustain steady and consistent behavior. And they support us to keep our word to ourselves and to others, which is among the most essential skills for wellbeing and success.

When challenges and crises arise, we have the strength, stability, and flexibility to adapt, maintain focus and intention, sustain energy and persist. And when joy arises, we can embrace it in a sustained and grounded way, rather than burning out with excitement.

Inspiration

One of our core intentions with Working for Good and the Working for Good curriculum is to inspire entrepreneurial initiative in service to society. The participants in this program were essentially self-selected, by virtue of their authentic, ongoing pursuit of liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good.

As reflected by Kartar Singh's piece entitled “Business as Service” in Lesson 3 of the Working for Good curriculum and by their sponsorship of Working for Good, Golden Temple and Peace Cereal embody a core commitment to serving humanity through business, and through their non-profit activities, including teaching Yoga and meditation. Thanks to Kartar, my business Cause Alliance Marketing came to life through the Celebrate Peace program, and I reintroduced Kundalini Yoga into my life.

“Liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good” is FLOW’s raison d’etre and deeply embodied in everything FLOW does. FLOW CEO and Chief Visionary Officer Michael Strong paints a compelling picture of the power and potential of the entrepreneurial spirit in “The Opportunity: The Creative Powers of a Free Civilization” in Lesson 2. You can find a deep well of Michael's writing and other resources at www.flowidealism.org. FLOW co-founder John Mackey has created a one of the most important model in the world of entrepreneurial excellence and conscious business through Whole Foods, which he reflects in his piece on “The Role of the Corporation” in Lesson 3 of the Working for Good curriculum. At the FLOW web site you can download a transcript of a powerful speech John gave at the 2004 FreedomFest, entitled “Winning the Battle for Freedom and Prosperity.”

As Donna Callejon from GlobalGiving represented in her piece, the applications of the entrepreneurial spirit are diverse and not exclusively focused on business. The GlobalGiving web site is filled with hundreds of inspirational projects lead by courageous social entrepreneurs (www.globalgiving.com).

Marilyn King’s personal story, of arising from seven months in bed after an automobile accident to qualify for the Olympics without physical training, reveals the profound power of our minds to influence reality. As the Buddha said, “Mind is the forerunner of all things.” And Marilyn's Olympian Thinking program provides practical tools for activating the Olympian within us. Marilyn's piece was highlighted on the FLOW home page in April.

In the final article of the Working for Good curriculum (also featured on the FLOW home page in April), is a profoundly inspired and inspiring jewel from Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz, which is an extraordinary, emerging, global community and a powerful force for positive change, principally dedicated to supporting all of us to realize our highest potential to contribute the most we can to manifest the greatest good for ourselves and all beings. Sounds like a community we are all already a part of! Zaadz will soon be providing internet service for FLOW, including powerful tools for facilitating the FLOW community on-line.

Clearly, everyone involved in Working for Good is deeply committed to promoting human flourishing, and to doing so in good part by cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit in service to self and society.

We encourage you to look to us, and others, for ongoing inspiration and support and, most important, to continually look inside yourself to find the inspiration that resides in your heart, and to follow it with passion and purpose.

Onward, in the spirit of FLOW!

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Stephen Jobs

“Hell, there are no rules here. We’re trying to accomplish something.”

Thomas Edison

Footnotes

1. Yoga of various forms has supported me on my journey for over 27 years. My current Yoga practice is principally comprised of 31 minutes of the Kundalini Yoga “exercise” called Sat Kriya, which I was inspired to pick up by Kartar Singh Khalsa. It is a powerful nervous system builder, creating strength, stability, and general wellbeing. See this link for instruction on how to do Sat Kriya. I've practiced more than a dozen forms of Yoga, and they all serve in many ways.
2. I practice Vipassana meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Southeast Asia under the guidance of a Thai Forest monk named Ajahn Jumnien.
3. Employing the ChiRunning method so I don't injure myself and to reinforce the awareness and core development of Yoga and meditation.
4. Unfortunately, the excellent system I use – called Workability – is no longer being taught or sold, but other good systems are readily available. This is a powerful tool to support you to keep track of your commitments and to keep your word.

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