One of the key elements I have found in my ongoing work with men and their Disquiet, is the strong desire to be doing work that makes a difference or matters. As we get older, we start realizing the things that seemed to mean so much to us in our early career building years just don’t seem to be as important. We start asking questions like, what else is there for me to do? How can I make a difference? Where do I find meaning? We start thinking about our legacy. How can we leave this place a bit better after our time here?
Acting on these questions often leads us to new ways of living and finding new communities to both support and be supported. We start meeting people who are asking the same questions and are each trying to do something that answers them.
At this stage in my own life, I have been privileged to meet some like-minded people who are working to make a difference through their businesses. They all hold a deep commitment to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. Let me introduce some of them and what they do.
As you will see from the list, the businesses and people are diverse, but their commitment to their clients is a unifying theme. These are also great resources for you as well as helping you in your own efforts to build connections with like-minded people. So visit their sites and see if you can sense how they are making a difference in their fields.
Helping other businesses:
Dawud Miracle at HealthyWebsite Design. Dawud is so much more than a website designer. He focuses on working with small businesses that specialize in helping others. He is a behind-the-scenes hero supporting and partnering with businesses making a difference in the world. His blog focuses on leveraging the Internet for your business. But peek between the lines and you will sense the life wisdom underneath.
Mark Silver at Heart of Business also works directly with businesses dedicated to making a difference while being profitable. In a recent article, he really speaks to our getting overwhelmed by always jumping into help. There needs to be boundaries and how to say “no” is a real challenge for many of us. For me, his first key question is huge. It gets to how often I assume I know what the person needs and just jump in – and then it’s not so great for either of us. Like all of his work, Mark stresses seeking guidance within as the starting point. Below are 3 key questions he asks himself:
1. Does this person need help?
2. Do I have a role in providing this person help?
3. What is my role in providing help?
You will be reading and hearing more about this next guy soon. As a result of learning and working with his own Disquiet, Stuart Baker of Conscious Cooperation is doing amazing work in the construction industry. He is committed to reducing conflict and improving cooperation and communication in the construction industry. His article about the power of questions, is a great example of how doing his work.
Helping with life:
When coaching men on how to work with their Disquiet, one of the key areas we work on is the limiting thinking systems that keep someone feeling trapped in their life. Until we do that work, any new direction planning or actions will be limited and sabotaged by the current thinking. Mona Grayson does this masterfully in her work with a powerfully effective system that a person can learn to use themselves that has immediate results. You can learn more about it at Question the Mind. She creatively demonstrates its application in every day settings on her blog.
Ever get cut off in traffic and in an instant go ballistic? Thoughts of turning your car into a battering ram actually feel satisfying? Read here on a successful way of “de-fusing”. Elisa Gillispie at Your Ideal Customer helps people get what they long for in business and in their lives.
Joanna Rueter helps you organize your life at Breathing Space. At her blog, you will find wide ranging articles that will give you a sense of her values. Her articles about how to take on the clutter in your office and home are extremely helpful. She writes “Think about who’s in charge – you or the stuff, and see what happens” Read more here.
Helping inside organizations
Jason Stein brings peace into the workplace. He helps high powered professionals become more effective by staying grounded in their speed-of-light environments. He has just started a new blog at Mindfulness Maverick, where you can actually request specific topics and issues for him to cover. Talk about a customized service!
At Synaptus Insights, Dennis Stevens bridges the gap between performance and strategy in business. I think his work is important to the Disquiet inside organizations. In a current article about applying “lean principles”, he writes: “you have to focus your efforts where it will benefit the business. You can’t view process improvement distinct from value creation and human interactions.”
Enjoy meeting these people and what they do. Thanks to my colleagues here who are making a difference in the world. It is inspiring and reassuring to see people who are up to the same things finding ways to tap into what is personally important to them in ways that serve others.
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