The Quest is a BeCollaboration digital publication
Issue Twelve 2019
ALASDAIR ROSS Spotlight on a key collaborator
CHRIS HUGHES
The theme of this issue is:
ADVENTURE
RIANA AVIS STUART KERSLAKE DAVE CORDLE ANDREW HORDER SIMON THOMAS
Published by BeCollaboration, 21 Victoria Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 4JZ UK Issue 12, first published on 1st November 2019 All rights reserved. Copyright Š BeCollaboration and Contributors, 2019 While aligned to the vision and values of BeCollaboration, the views expressed here are soley those of the contributors and are not expressions of policy on behalf of the BeCollaboration leadership. To experience a BeCollaboration Community, be our guest and come to a meeting. Register at www.becollaboration.com/meetings/
For more details about The Quest and about BeCollaboration, visit our website at www.becollaboration.com. You can contact the team by writing to team@becollboaration.com, or to one of the contributors whose contact emails can be found at the end of their articles. The Quest is a publication platform open to members of BeCollaboration to contribute to major debates and issues of concern. Operating within the UK economy, and part of a global economic system, contributors to The Quest hold a big picture. They are personally involved with complex issues that require the skills and intent of many to solve. They are on a passionate, sometimes a life-long search, to secure change in the world and as such hold a great responsibility for benefitting future generations. BeCollaboration believes in working for a world where every individual has the opportunity to be the best they can be: where we are empowered to recognize and honour our ‘innate genius’, exploit our full potential and make our dreams real. We seek a world where business and work are designed to meet a Human need for respect, to be valued, to achieve and to contribute to others. Most of all we seek a world where everyone has the opportunity to have their voice. heard and make a positive difference to the planet and humanity. www.BeCollaboration.com
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Issue Twelve
C O N T E N T S
About the contributors Editorial Gill Tiney The adventure of being alive! Chris Hughes An unexpected adventure Riana Avis Adventure is an inner journey Stuart Kerslake Mountains of the mind Dave Cordle The adventure of living your genius Andrew Horder Your Adventure – Your Choice – Your Life Simon Thomas Collaborator profile: Alasdair Ross
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About our contributors Chris Hughes Chris Hughes, Owner and founder of Debt Fighters – (Trading as Debt Collection Dorset) I have always loved meeting, talking, exchanging opinions and debating with people. I love meeting new people and building harmonious relationships. I am never been fazed by difficult situations and talking through sensitive issues. This is perhaps why I found my niche in Credit Control and went on to build a career of over 30 years successfully as a Credit Controller and then as a Credit Manager in UK and then heading up Credit roles across EMEA, USA and beyond. I have never shied away from those awkward discussions about solvency and making sure my clients and the companies I have worked for were paid. Email : chris@debtfightersltd.co.uk Website: www.debtfightersltd.co.uk
Riana Avis With a background in corporate information technology and a love for helping people succeed, Riana is quick to grasp a situation and find a way to work smarter. Her clients are professionals who are helpers by nature and so dedicated to their own clients, they find that being the visionary for their business and the one who initiates new big projects, are just too hard. This is where Riana offers Pragmatic Solutions to calm what can feel like chaos, help them break through their barriers, and find ease in their business and their life. Email: riana@rianaavis.com Telephone: 07801 393431 Website: www.rianaavis.com
Stuart Kerslake Stuart is an intuitive teacher and coach, who helps Leaders gain clarity around the life you’d love, and awareness of how your identity seeks to sabotage that – in essence I help you master the Hero’s Journey. Stuart is especially drawn to people who have the courage to create a business, as the vessel for expressing themselves, and sharing their gifts in the world; and he regularly helps people transition into successful, fulfilling businesses, that serve them rather than the other way round. Email : stuart@tibg.co.uk Telephone: 07798 628395
Dave Cordle Dave specialises in career coaching and personal development. Working with people across industry sectors and at all levels from shop floor to board room, his specialism is in helping people to fully understand what they’re good at and what an ideal role looks like for them, and then get jobs they love that support a lifestyle they have chosen.
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He helps people who are at a point where they don’t know what to do next or how to do it. They might be facing redundancy, unhappy in their current role, or looking for their first career / work step. It might be specific help preparing for an interview or creating a CV, or it might be designing a whole new career and future.
Email : dave@davecordle.co.uk Telephone: 020 8133 1037 Website: www.davecordle.co.uk
Andrew Horder Chief En-Courager at Joyful Genius Coaching – finding that sweet spot where your work is completely aligned with who you are, at your very best. I also work with teams to help them gain better alignment amongst the members and with the organisations they are working with. Email: andrew@joyful-genius.com Phone: 07885 963156 Website: www.joyful-genius.com
Simon Thomas Simon is an experienced digital and online innovator with 40 years’ business experience across a wide range of industries including industrial equipment, scientific research, biotech and engineering and currently internet services, bespoke websites and app development. Keeping ahead of the curve, innovation excites him and with his teams extend the bounds of what can be created. Simon loves working with people who instinctively operate collaboratively and this ensures relationships with clients are both enjoyable and of mutual value. Respectful of their mission and empowering their brand his core values of professionalism and trustworthiness confirm his passion to deliver a great outcome. Email: simon@toucanweb.co.uk Phone: 01279 871694 Website: www.toucanweb.co.uk
Alasdair Ross Strategically focused, extensively experienced and highly qualified HR specialist, delivering solutions to encourage effective profitability through the development of employees. Email: aross@wedohr.co.uk Phone: 07866 250690 Website: www. wedohr.co.uk
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Editorial Gill Tiney
As a pretty unadventurous person (in my own opinion), I have been awaiting this issue with excitement and anticipation. I love to hear about other people and how they embrace adventure in every corner of their lives. Indeed, when people join our online community at BeCollaboration Global that is one of the first questions we ask them – what has been your biggest adventure to date? The answers have been staggering! From climbing mountains, travelling solo through inhospitable countries or, perhaps more treacherous, travelling solo with a 3-year-old around the world. The usual jumping out of planes feature heavily too – something I admit I will never do. The group of Collaborators who asked to be included in this issue have taken a different slant on what I thought would be a kaleidoscope of daring do. Some see adventure as an internal experience, others as life’s whole journey, whilst others have, emboldened by one life changing experience, transformed their whole life into one of adventure and personal challenge. Chris Hughes is a really approachable, likeable guy. Never once did I guess that his deathdefying experience as a child has shaped his whole life and how he views his world today. It got me thinking of my own childhood incidences that still have a hold – for good or bad - on me today. Our limiting beliefs can start in childhood and remain hidden and hamper our growth, but what if the opposite were true? Perhaps an incident that could propel us to greatness is also lying dormant within us. Riana Avis took the bull by the horns and moved to the UK from South Africa, a life changing experience and one that required courage and the spirit of adventure. I wonder if I would have been that brave in the same circumstances. What does it take to choose such a bold step? Stuart Kerslake takes us on an internal adventure with reference to Joseph Campbell’s book, ‘The Hero’s Journey’. Sometimes the biggest adventure in life is the one we take within ourselves. Are you brave enough to venture there? Dave Cordle is one of our members who is known as an adventurer and is often posting his pics halfway up a mountain somewhere. He is the most sensible, kind and compassionate man you could wish to meet and yet his internal lust for the adventure of walking into the unknown shows a completely different side to him. He embodies Edmund Hillary’s values. Andrew Horder, known to us as the ‘Joyful Genius’, explores his adventurous side by looking into how we access our genius. Yes, we all have it at our disposal but some of us access it more easily than others. A fascinating viewpoint to consider.
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Finally, making his debut in ‘The Quest’, Simon Thomas shares with us his love of adventure. From my perspective, I see Simon is a born adventurer, with his love of sailing and skiing. His desire to overcome the fear factor by pushing himself to do more is the life force that drives him, like breathing itself. My conclusion after reading these articles is that we can all benefit from some adventure in our lives. We can all benefit from stretching ourselves out and getting out of our comfort zone, from being willing to risk looking a fool, to fail, just to get up again and try harder. Life is an adventure and not to embrace everything that it entails is to lead a half-life. I’m off to find my adventure, to challenge myself, discover possibility and embrace all that it offers. Adventure, without it what would life be? Please share with us your adventures and how it impacts your life today, we would love to hear from you.
About The Quest Team The Quest is produced by the BeCollaboration Digital Team and is made possible by, you guessed it, collaboration. For her driving force to bring the project to fruition, proofing and liaising with contributors, writing of editorial and case study and being our Team Dynamo we give huge thanks to Gill Tiney gill@becollaboration.com www.becollaboration.com
Colin Newlyn colin@colinnewlyn.com www.colinnewlyn.com
For typesetting, layout and art, project management of The Quest, proofing and creation and maintenance of our website, our warmest gratitude and huge thanks to Kay Westrap kay@mybusinessmum.co.uk and kay@couragetogrow.me.uk www.mybusinessmum.co.uk or www.couragetogrow.me.uk
For diligently proofing the content and checking for typos, huge thanks to Alan Brown of Brown and Tiney. alan@brownandtiney.com www.brownandtiney.com
For their awesome editing skills, thanks to Benn Abdy-Collins benn@bennabdy-collins.com www.bennabdy-collins.com and
For her proofreading and chasing skills, many thanks to Linda Burns. lifeinsideout8@gmail.com
For proofing the typesetting, design and artwork and generally ensuring that the look and feel are always 100%, our huge respect to Simon Thomas of Toucan Internet LLP. simon@toucanweb.co.uk www.toucanweb.co.uk or www.simonthomas.org.uk
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Chris Hughes
THE ADVENTURE OF BEING ALIVE!
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Born in Bournemouth 1963, I grew up in Highcliffe, by the sea, Dorset.
things differently but what could be my USP in the world?
Overcoming difficult situations has, it seems always been a part of my life.
So, my big lesson from this experience was to make the most of life!
In March 1972, at the young age of eight years old, I managed to run out in front of a car, completely ignoring the Green Cross Code, being distracted by a friend on the other side. I was knocked unconscious and left in a coma for two weeks.
All through my life exercise and undertaking physical activity has helped me cope with external work pressures. I started playing hockey at college and continued through Southampton Solent University. Originally, I opted for hockey as a means of getting in the team. The vast majority wanted to play football and to be honest I wasn’t particularly skilled at the game, so with fewer students in the hockey squad I was going to get some action. This later went on to playing Rugby as a winger as I was reasonably fast. It was running that I really enjoyed. The release of endorphins has helped me at numerous points of my life.
When I came around, I was very lucky to be alive. I didn’t know where I was, or how I got there and I spoke no words for the first three days. I am pretty sure my parents thought I would never recover. However, when a cleaner asked me which football team I supported, I said Bournemouth, who were then vying with Aston Villa for promotion from the old third division. I became a celebrity getting to guard Ted MacDougall’s (Bournemouth’s leading striker at the time) boots at the end of my bed and you know you’ve made it when you are featured in the Sun! So began a long painful road back to recovery. It was hard but I knew I could never give up, I wanted to do my best and it taught me a valuable lesson. Never take life for granted. Thankfully I returned to school several months later and was given a lot of extra attention to regain my studies. One of the unfortunate things that I experienced was that I was labelled as ‘not normal’, although I felt OK; I had a serious head injury so how could I be normal. To be honest it never bothered me, I just said it knocked sense into me. I knew that it wasn’t enough just to be normal, I had been given, even at this very young age a second chance to try and do
I went on to run numerous half marathons and ran 5 full marathons including London. I later discovered following a duathlon that I was quite fast on the bike. I decided to give it a go and became New Forest cycling (best for Age) short course time trial Champion in 2012. Always pushing myself to see what could be achieved.
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“Being a member of BeCollaboration has given me the opportunity to bring my different ethos of Debt Collection to the BeCollaboration team, so that I can assist the clients of BeCollaboration” Since then I have cycled through the Alps, culminating with the ride to the top of Col De L’iseran, the highest mountain pass in the Alps.
that ‘Together we are stronger’. When you work with someone, rather than taking sides, it must become a win/win for all.
These challenges are part of what drives me, just as I was that young boy in the hospital bed, I now want to experience life to the fullest.
Whilst I love rugby as a team sport with winners and losers the camaraderie after the match brings both sides together. I experience this as I am a volunteer with Bournemouth Rugby Club and it is a great feeling to be part of something like that, to have contributed in a small way to the team who were awarded Rugby Team of the year 2019 by Rugby World Magazine.
I should add that I am very keen on dogs. I have numerous adventurers with my Dobermann and Greyhound which are both starting their second lives with me. I got my second chance, so I wanted to give these guys a new life too. In my business of credit control, I utilise my drive for challenge to help others in challenging circumstances. I had been taught in the UK that ‘strong arm’ tactics were the way to recover debt. In reality this never seemed particularly successful and having travelled the globe working in this arena for many organisations I favoured the inclusive mediation method of recovery. The bigger the debt the bigger the challenge and I have sometimes used unorthodox methods of collection, but I am working for an equitable solution for all involved.
Being a member of BeCollaboration has given me the opportunity to bring my different ethos of Debt Collection to the BeCollaboration team, so that I can assist the clients of BeCollaboration in the uncertain times ahead and achieve solvency for business clients, being part of something with shared values and culture and has given me a sense of what is possible. Overall what has life taught me? Well my current business helps people to break free of debt and live an empowered life, I want to share that sense of freedom with my business partners and customers. I must mention that this is not something which can be done alone, we need to work together.
Everyone has a story to tell, I uncover what is possible and this gentler method of credit control enables me to help business owners before the situation becomes desperate. We become a team, working towards a solution.
I feel being a part of Engage and BeCollaboration, is to harness a good working relationship, and the future does feel exciting and fulfilling.
This is what appealed to me with BeCollaboration. An organisation that identifies
I knew from an early age that if I wanted to make a difference you can’t rely on qualifications
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alone. My father said to me “you’re a long time dead”, which for me meant to make the most of your brief skip across the planet, and make sure you enjoy it. Ultimately life is an adventure, we don’t know what hand we will be dealt but by collaborating I intend to make the most of it. You can contact Chris at: Email : chris@debtfightersltd.co.uk Website: www.debtfightersltd.co.uk
“My father said to me “you’re a long time dead”, which for me meant to make the most of your brief skip across the planet, and make sure you enjoy it.” Join the discussion...
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Fed up with politics – big P and little p? Upset with our media, seeing propaganda filled programmes giving biased opinion, social media feeding our misconceptions? Let down by the education system? Sickened by the poverty on our own doorstep? Is this the status quo? Can one person change anything? It feels impossible that anyone can even make a dent in our real world problems. And yet… There is a way for YOU to make a difference. Discover what Gill Tiney believes is the very beginning of a whole world solution. No revolution No bloodshed Yet a way to stop the madness Making of a Movement is her story to awakening, the dawning of a realisation that she isn’t looking for a hero to save the world – she is hero enough to make a start. She doesn’t need all of the solutions to the vast dichotomy we find ourselves in, we don’t need to have all of the answers to build a new future. What we need is Collaboration the tool to transform the negative spiral we are currently living in and together build a better future. This book tells her journey, the lessons learned, the path still to come, the firm belief that this is her reason for being. If you are passionate about what you do and who you are, you will recognise her frustrations as she comes across opposition, and triumphs as new people appear to support the cause. This is a story not merely of success, of making millions, but of hope and certainty that we can all be better, and can all make an impact while we are privileged enough to be here on our planet earth. You can buy a copy of the book here - www.becollaboration.com/making-of-a-movement-book/
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Riana Avis
AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE
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The year was 1998, two years before the Flicking through the pile, I’d comment, ‘Yes! Millennium bug* was due to hit computers This one, this one, this one. Not this one. This one.’ worldwide. Back in sunny South Africa, letter upon letter poured through my letterbox with job offers in Canada, Europe, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Companies were desperately recruiting talent to fix the Y2K* problem.
‘Why don’t you go for any of them, then?’ ‘Boring. Y2K jobs. Besides, you’re both at school. And I don’t want to move to another country.’ ‘It’ll be an adventure!’ he persisted. I lost count of the number of times we had this conversation.
‘Can you do any of these?’ my son, seventeen, wanted to know.
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“My son was excited that at last I was ‘getting a life.’ My daughter, well, I guess I talked her into it. ”
Ambitious and keen to excel in my IT career, I came across a comment in an industry newspaper one day: “two year’s overseas experience would be a great asset on your CV.” Really?
move to the UK became. My son was excited that at last I was ‘getting a life.’ My daughter, well, I guess I talked her into it.
Such a move can be temporary? No need to Friends and family were generous in their emigrate. Only two years. That is do-able. VERY encouragement, advice, questions and do-able! misgivings: Where would I go? Australia, Canada, the • Stay in the south. It is brighter and warmer. United Kingdom? Up north is wetter. Colder. Darker. • Layers. Wear layers. The UK, obviously. • You’ll need a good coat. • If you’re going to regret not going, you had I had the paperwork to say that I was a British better do it. Citizen. Swore allegiance to the Queen, I did! I • Make a list of at least eight reasons why knew people in the UK. My best friend Jan was you’re going, to remind you when things from the UK. Through her I knew about her get tough. brother Dave and sister-in-law Sue. Another • Don’t come back for at least two years; or friend, Pam, had recently moved back to the you’ll never go back to England. UK. So had her daughter Sally. There was Brian from Manchester who visited his daughter in How will you manage without your family? South Africa every year. We had become very How will you cope with the weather? friendly. And there was my ex-husband. He had What about your dad? He is not getting any moved back after our divorce. younger. Suddenly it became imperative to find the paper that proclaimed my right of abode in the UK! With only a vague idea of where it might be, I went looking for it and found it straightaway! A sign from the Universe or what?! I was so excited I called a friend! And suddenly it all snowballed. The more I thought about it, the more feasible a temporary www.BeCollaboration.com
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Eventually all the paperwork was in order. South African and British passports for all of us. One-way flight tickets for my daughter and I. CV submitted to an agency in the UK. My son was going to stay with a friend and complete his training in computer programming. And then we were off.
Pam and her husband Brian met us at Heathrow, took us under their wing in Hertfordshire and introduced us to life in the UK. Brian helped me open a bank account, ran me to and from the station for job hunting in London and educated
me on the Highway Code. One day he picked me up from the station brimming with excitement. He and my daughter had found a car for me. Kris was SO thrilled at the prospect! Slowly the penny dropped. It was vitally important to her that we had something of our own. And what better than a red Ford Escort MK4?!
My first priority was to find work. Conscious of the advice ‘stay in the south’, I declined all opportunities north of London. It was laughable. There I was, 6,000 miles from home and refused to budge another 300!
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Work, school for my daughter and a place to live, all came together in about six weeks. Sue and Dave were a godsend. They found various bits of furniture in their loft, introduced us to Ikea, and helped us make a home. Between them in Surrey, Pam, Brian and Sally in Hertfordshire and Brian in Manchester, we had a ready-made family and were invited for meals, weekends, family gatherings and even Christmases. Small things baffled me. Where to get clothes hangers? Stationery for school? Clothes for my daughter who was almost 6 feet tall at age 14? Food tasted bland. For the life of me, I could not cook rice! Fortunately, we discovered Delia Smith. My hair, fine and lank at the best of times, turned mousy and stayed plastered to my skull no matter what. Clothes and shoes were unsuitable and had to be replaced. The result was not pretty. In the words of another South African friend in the UK, ‘my glamour days were over.’
learning, new ways to dress and a different hairstyle for the English weather, even a new way of communicating. No kidding; I had to learn to speak differently. The constant novelty was tiring though. We were not on holiday. We were making a life. That’s when it hit me. The enormity of what I had done leaving our life in South Africa. Friends, family, a way of life and ease of being in an environment we knew. So began the self-attack, accusations and blame: ‘What have you done?!’ ‘What were you thinking?’ ‘How could you be so stupid?’ Night after night, incessant thoughts of throwing my life and that of my children away, how irresponsible I was coming to the UK, what a mess I made, blah, blah and more blah, kept me awake. Out of desperation, I got out of bed one night in search of something, anything that would stop the pain. In the lounge, Anthony Robbin’s book ‘Awaken the Giant Within’ caught my eye. I opened it randomly and started reading. Slowly my breathing eased and the tension in my body abated. I went back to bed and continued reading until I was calm enough to fall asleep.
At work, I was very pleased that they used similar technology to what I was accustomed to in South Africa. Something familiar at last! It was not to be however... the technology was so differently deployed and the Global Banking That book became my crutch, my source of System so complex and integrated, my ten wisdom, the bedrock of my life. years of IT experience counted for nothing. Work remained a challenge though. Still, I was not daunted. My first IT job had One day as I got off the bus to go to work, I was taught me that it can take at least six months thinking ‘I can’t do this anymore’ when a voice for things to start making sense. All I had to do in my head said loud and clear: ‘Dig deeper’. was trust the process. I remembered the work of Louise Hay and the Those first six months were exciting. Everything mirrorwork in her book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’. was new and novel. It was a time of new Back home, I went to the bathroom and stared experiences, new challenges, new rules, new at myself in the mirror. It felt odd. Strange. But then, so did my life. Every day was like wading www.BeCollaboration.com
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“One day as I got off the bus to go to work, I was thinking ‘I can’t do this anymore’ when a voice in my head said loud and clear: ‘Dig deeper’.” through treacle. If this was going to help, who was I to say no? I stood in front of that mirror, looked myself deep in the eyes and said, ‘I love you.’ It felt re-assuring, comforting. I repeated it.
* The millennium bug, a.k.a., Y2K problem, had to do with the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates from the year 2000 and beyond.
It was a turning point. Things started to change. Numerous ways and opportunities in which I could help myself started showing up in my life. For example: The School of Practical Philosophy, which is about exploring Mindful Living, Wisdom and Happiness. And, the Tony Robbin’s event, Unleash the Power Within, which is about personal development and overcoming your fears.
You can contact Riana at: Email: riana@rianaavis.com Telephone: 07801 393431 Website: www.rianaavis.com
After that, there was no stopping me. I discovered coaching, a modality that focuses on helping individuals unlock their own potential, and promptly signed up for both the Personal Performance and Corporate & Executive Coaching Diploma. More discoveries followed, the most notable being A Course in Miracles, Crucial Conversations and Be Collaboration. Looking back, I can see how my drive to help myself became a blueprint for my current work. I understand how my compassion, empathy and wisdom are sourced from my own experiences. I am deeply grateful that I can hold my clients in such a space. Two decades later, we, my son, daughter and I, are still in the UK. They are both married now. We’ve stopped surviving and started thriving long ago. I visit my dad when I can. We often speak on the phone. Life itself has taught me a precious lesson: Life is an adventure. Embrace it! Join the discussion...
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What are the BeCollaboration meetings all about? We are a community of motivated and passionate people who choose to work closely together so we can make a positive impact on businesses, organisations and the lives of individuals we work with. People get involved with BeCollaboration for the buzz of being part of something larger than themselves. They want to be able to fulfil their dreams and ambitions with a team of collaborators who are as passionate as they are, and share the same goals. Collaboration creates empowerment for personal, professional and philanthropic growth. In short, we are up for changing the world. Fancy a bit of that? You can see a little more about the whole BeCollaboration approach to life and business here: www.becollaboration.com/our-vision
Details of all our meetings are on our website: www.BeCollaboration.com
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Stuart Kerslake
ADVENTURE IS AN INNER JOURNEY
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“Our individual thoughts are not, as we think, the deep, but only the foam upon the deep.” – W.B. Yeats.
many times) during our time on this planet. He describes this mono-myth as the “Hero’s Journey”.
Introduction
This Hero’s Journey is the root of every great story, be it oral, written or visual (like a film or TV show), and it’s often depicted as a circle, broken into two “worlds”, the Ordinary or Everyday, and the Special, the domains of the Known and the Unknown respectively.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, as a noun, the word Adventure means “An unusual and exciting or daring experience”, and as a verb, it means to “Engage in daring or risky activity”. But interestingly, Adventure has two Latin derivatives: “Adventurus”, “About to happen’; and “Advenire”, ‘Arrive’”. As well as the anticipation (“about to happen”) of the “unusual, exciting, daring experience”, there’s also a sense of arrival – a “setting out” and an “arriving”, if you will. So you could say that an adventure is circular in nature.
This is often overlaid with three segments, Departure, Initiation and Return, such that the Departure and Return occur in the Everyday/ Known world, whilst the Initiation occurs in the Special/Unknown world.
Circles are seen as powerful symbols in virtually every culture we know, past and present. They contain the wholeness of things, as well as being “endless” along their circumference.
Campbell had 17 steps around the circle (others have condensed this to 8 or 12) with the very first step being “Call to Adventure”. Something stirs within us (Adventurus) to “engage in daring or risky activity”, and so we Depart. But ultimately, we will Return, transformed by our “ordeals” in the Initiation stage, in the unknown, the Void or Abyss, as our fears would have it.
Joseph Campbell was a lifelong student of mythology and symbology, and perhaps his most powerful thesis is that there is one overarching “mono-myth” underpinning every myth, which is also a beautiful metaphor for the journey each of us takes (potentially
This is not intended as a treatise on the Hero’s Journey, but as an analogy, imagine Neo from “The Matrix”, suddenly awakening from his “sleep” and choosing the Red Pill, to be literally unplugged from the ordinary world, and immersed into the extraordinary one
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“As humans we so desperately need to know How, but that’s just the shackle we drag behind us on our adventure. ”
(which perversely is also the “real” world). He Context before Content then undergoes many “adventures” with Agent Smith and other predicaments, before claiming In contrast to our greatest fears about the Void, his position as “The One”. the truth is that the magic, the power, and our treasure, all lie in the still, silent, space, which The Adventure of life is the context for everything else. Without the context of stillness we cannot experience The Departure stage of the Hero’s Journey is all movement; without the context of silence about awakening to the magic; to realise there’s we cannot experience sounds; and without something more to life; to catch glimpses of the context of space we cannot experience the “other world”; to be Woke, as Prince Ea so objects/“stuff”. eloquently puts it! As humans, we need the context, in order Having set off, adventure flows throughout to be able to experience the content. And the Hero’s Journey, but it’s not really about without the contrast of the Nothing, how can fighting the threshold guardians, or slaying we experience the Everything? our demons, as powerful as those steps can be for our personal growth and awareness; it’s Let’s take this to another level: I’ve suggested ultimately about stepping into the Abyss, the above, that there’s a One Mind – grace, Void, the Nothingness. god, source, divine/infinite intelligence, the Universe, call it what you will. Now imagine As humans we so desperately need to know that each of us is an individual spark of that How, but that’s just the shackle we drag behind One Mind; a beautiful, magnificent, sovereign us on our adventure. The “cursed hows” as Mike part of it, connected through all time and space Dooley refers to them, which stifle creativity, with everyone and everything else. imagination, wisdom and intuition. Just imagine it – it’s only a premise, and In the Void, we disconnect from the brain (our ultimately you have the choice/discretion to local, limited mind, which can only re-hash the take it or leave it – but just imagine you are an past or project into the future), and we become integral part of that One Mind. truly one with the moment, present and open to any/all possibilities, connected to the One In that case, wouldn’t your adventure in this Mind which is universal and timeless. In this human form, be to experience the contrast space there’s no need to know How; just a between the still, silent, space which is your willingness to be open to receive the wisdom true nature, and the contents of your life i.e. the of that One Mind, in service of our higher Self. stuff, the activity, the noise? Good/bad, up/ down, perfect/imperfect, ego/genius? www.BeCollaboration.com
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From the space of context, all the wisdom, creativity and imagination of the One Mind is available to you, to create the content of the life you would love.
go on the Return adventure, bringing those gifts back to the Everyday world, in service of others, reclaiming our true nature as “kings and queens”, not ruling others, but sovereign in our own majesty and wholeness.
Initiation – Death and Resurrection Sadly, unlike many ancient, and some current cultures, we do not have a formal initiation ceremony across large parts of the globe (pretty much all “Western” cultures), and so we do not experience the dive into the unknown as a matter of course.
And from the space of sovereignty, you can choose to spend some of your adventure in collaboration with other sovereign individuals, to co-create some of that content, in service of you, others and the world. Sovereignty and Collaboration
The Initiation stage is often referred to as Death and Resurrection; the premise that you have to die to be re-born; metaphorically, or even “literally” – Jesus Christ, Jake Sully in Avatar, John Snow in Game of Thrones.
It’s only in this state of sovereignty that we can truly collaborate. Collaboration is not about co-dependency or compromise; it’s about a number of sovereign individuals, coalescing around a common cause or theme, because it serves both themselves and the world In the Initiation stage, we die to the past; we at large, to do so. And this is the essence of die to our ego; we die to how our future “must BeCollaboration. be”. And then we step into the void, into the nothingness. Matthew 18:20: “When 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I with them”; whatever your Then, and only then, do we see that the gap feelings about the Christian religion, as with between the Nothing and the Everything is every great sacred text, there are many pearls infinitesimal – they are essentially the same of wisdom in the bible, for those who wish to thing, but either way, they’re all part of the see. My humble inference from this verse is Whole. Two sides of the coin, Yin and Yang, full that when 2 or more people connect with a circle. sense of common “spirit”, all the power and wisdom of “the universe” is available to them. It’s only when we are prepared to “die”, Campbell says, that we find our true gifts, the One of the most thrilling and magical sights treasure we’ve been seeking. And then we in nature, is a murmuration of birds such as Join the discussion...
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“And then the dusk descends, and with a final flourish like a firework finale, there is sudden and instant silence. ”
starlings, when thousands of birds gather in groups that move harmoniously through the air in beautiful patterns, as if they were a single entity. Watching their movements as the sun sets, flowing this way and that, with little segments fragmenting and then re-joining, matches any firework display you can imagine.
Dive deep beneath the foam! You can contact Stuart at: Email : stuart@tibg.co.uk Telephone: 07798 628395
Somehow they know “intuitively” exactly what to do – they are of “one mind”, yet each bird remains a separate, sovereign entity. And then the dusk descends, and with a final flourish like a firework finale, there is sudden and instant silence. As one, they’ve settled to earth for the night. Now that’s synergy, that’s synchronicity, that’s collaboration. An invitation to Adventure In summary then, the only things that hold you and I back from the full adventure, where we are wholly sovereign, yet can choose to journey in company with others if we wish, are our erroneous thoughts, feelings, definitions and assumptions about ourselves, others and the world in general, designed to “prove” some perceived incompleteness or in-validity we hold about ourselves. This is the “foam upon the deep”, that Yeats describes. If we can hear the call to adventure, Depart on the path with that sense of anticipation and wonder, face the challenges of our Initiation and allow ourselves to sink into the Abyss (which is really where our true nature lies anyway), and finally die to those stories we hold about our inadequacy, we will make the Return, transformed, in service of ourselves and the wider world.
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Our main aim in BeCollaboration is to bring people together, face to face, in a community where we share values, grow together and are aligned, to create projects and events that will have a lasting impact to improve our world. Logistically it is not possible for everyone to physically get to a meeting (yet) and so we have developed the next best thing. Being in an online community with all of the same BeCollaboration ethos you can now access the same magic, connect with incredible BeCollaboration members and get the same generous spirit from our online community. Follow the link Join the Platform to become a member. There you will find articles, videos, discussions and information to help you in your business and your life. Learn from the community, share your knowledge, support and help others, near and far. Plus discover those who are aligned and are nearby to you, where there are events close by – or worth travelling to. Invite your friends in, no matter where they are in the world. The common denominator? Being passionate about making a difference to others and working in your genius, your flow, to make it happen. Discover others who share your passion and create something together – Together we are stronger. What could you achieve if you had others to help you? Come and find them on the BeCollaboration platform. If you are a fan of the movie The Matrix you will remember a clip where Morpheus ask Neo if he wants to take the red pill or the blue pill‌. Take the red pill and discover a new world of love, connection and abundance in BeCollaboration. See you on the other side.
BeCollaboration Global
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Dave Cordle
MOUNTAINS OF THE MIND
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“But what about the adventure that is your life? Are you engaged in some great expedition? Or are you watching from the side-lines as your life slides by?”
It was bright inside the tent. Bright, but deathly us to weather the storm and get back. quiet. It wouldn’t last. As we pushed up against the sides of the tent for the umpteenth time to shift more of the accumulated snow, the first distant breath of wind whispered in the distance from away down the glacier.
You may read of adventures like this from the comfort of your sofa: these very real and exciting events; these edge of the seat escapades. Some of you will have been on one or two. It’s easy to think they are far away from our everyday lives.
Here we go again. The cycle had been repeating But what about the adventure that is your life? for hours now. Are you engaged in some great expedition? Or The whisper grew to a hollow breath. Closer are you watching from the side-lines as your now, growing as it approached. Louder. Closer. life slides by? Even louder. Even closer. Howling furiously. Almost on us. Wind, roaring like an express I was! train as it bore down on our tent. My coach and mentor, Christine, pointed it BANG! It hit! Like a rifle shot, a carbon-fibre out to me, “You’ve done some amazing things pole snapped under the pressure. The wind out there, Dave, on the mountains and in the laughed and moved on away up the glacier wild places. When are you going to make that onto the icecap leaving us scrabbling in our adventure in your everyday life?” bags for something to repair the tent with Wow! That stopped me in my tracks. I spoke before the next blast hit. often about making a difference and was This, surely, is the stuff of true adventure. experimenting with ideas that have evolved Following the route of Shackleton’s epic escape and reformed during the last 15 years into things from the Antarctic in 1916, we were camped that are starting to make a big impact. Back then on the Crean Glacier on the remote South I never allowed myself to get so passionate Atlantic island of South Georgia in the grip of an that I was in danger of doing anything about Antarctic storm. These can go on for days and it. A phrase a lot of people seem to resonate we were beyond the reach of any help; reliant with is “I was scared to put my head above the on ourselves and the equipment we had with parapet”. www.BeCollaboration.com
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It was a true sliding doors, red pill or blue pill, sink or swim moment. It was in that very moment that I started my greatest expedition. One that has taken me to the very edge of the dark crevasses of my mind, through winding valleys full of rich rewards and beautiful people. One that has challenged me with raging torrents that dare me to give up. One in which I have stood on wonderful peaks and summits that I could never have imagined back then. The analogy with mountain expeditions is good. So, are you ready to come on an adventure? One that you’ll look back on and not regret a single second, one in which you will enjoy the journey? Come with me. Let’s have an adventure. First of all you need to choose your destination. In nearly 20 years of career coaching I have noticed that the most successful people have a feeling associated with their destination. They are the people who say, “I want to be happy” or “I want to make a difference”. For me,
the only thought in my mind as I contemplated redundancy was “whatever’s next, I’ve got to have passion for it”. Before you start, you need to fill your rucksack with the equipment you’ll need for the expedition. For South Georgia it was ropes, an ice axe, a tent, and so on. For you, it’s all of the skills, qualities and achievements you have, and your attitudes and mindset. Make a list of all those things now. You have your equipment and you know your destination. Now you need to take the first step, take the first action that will move you towards your goal. It could be the smallest step, but it’s still one small step towards your destination and if you keep taking those small steps, you’ll be amazed how quickly you find that you’ve moved a long way from the start. It is just like climbing a mountain. Very often you’ve got your head down, taking small steps up what seems like a steep slope. But, when you stop and turn around, you realise that you’re already way above the valley where you started.
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“...is what I’m doing now moving me towards my destination?” If it isn’t, ask “what can I do that will move me in that direction?”
All you need is to keep taking actions, however small. And if you keep on taking steps, you will reach your destination. Keep an eye on your map and compass though, to make sure you’re still heading where you want. To check your compass, you just have to ask yourself, “is what I’m doing now moving me towards my destination?” If it isn’t, ask “what can I do that will move me in that direction?” You’ll want to enjoy the journey and be able to overcome any metaphorical raging torrents or snow-blocked passes. This calls on your emotional intelligence and resilience skills. What’s your favourite way of keeping calm? What strategies work best for you in overcoming challenges? One of my favourite questions to make sure I enjoy the journey is “Am I loving what I’m doing right now?”. If I’m not, there are two easy solutions: either it’s not something that’s helping me on my mission, or if it is, I just need to change the way I’m thinking about it.
Tour Leader. I never reached the top of any of them because it turned out these were only the foothills of the Career Coach mountain I eventually climbed. The journey is never over. Once you’re standing on that summit, you can see other mountains, other valleys, other far distant sandy shores. There begins your next expedition. I’d come a long way on that first adventure. But it was only the start of even better things and more wonderful places. I’m on a mission now to create a world where everyone has the skills and confidence to define and create success, in their career and beyond. More mountains, more valleys, more far distant shores await. So, what is your adventure? What’s your next destination?
Wherever you are now, even if you’re not sure exactly which way to go, you’re already on the top of a mountain created by everything Continuing the analogy, keep an open mind you’ve thought and done so far. You are already so you don’t miss the opportunity to visit magnificent. interesting side valleys, or perhaps take a whole new direction. When I went through So, take time to admire the view and recognise redundancy, I was exploring mountains called the achievement in that climb before you pick Counselling, Teaching, Writer and Adventure your next journey. www.BeCollaboration.com
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Then pick up your rucksack, pick up your walking poles and stride on out on your next adventure. You can contact Dave at: Email : dave@davecordle.co.uk Telephone: 020 8133 1037 Website: www.davecordle.co.uk
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Andrew Horder
THE ADVENTURE OF LIVING YOUR GENIUS
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“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” What’s it like to work in your genius? (Helen Keller) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a great book Adventure isn’t all about climbing mountains about the feeling of being in your genius, or travelling the world. It can also be about called “Flow”. The flow state is when you are so exploring the limits of what you can achieve absorbed in your work that time both stands with your work. I have a firm belief that the still and flies by, and you are surprised that it’s majority of people are not using their unique dinner-time already. The work gets done with genius to its full potential, choosing instead to ease but it’s not easy; you know it’s stretching fit in, unwilling to step beyond the ordinary. you but somehow there’s no struggle in its completion. And that’s a shame. When other people are amazed at what you It’s not because they lack courage. I think can do but to you it comes so naturally it it’s because they drifted into work that lacks almost feels a bit cheeky to be getting paid for adventure because it was what was there and it, that’s one of the biggest clues to discovering they needed to pay the bills. It’s safe and secure your genius. When you find yourself baffled but it’s boring. We spend far too much time at that people could possibly not know how to do work to be doing something that doesn’t let something that you do with ease, that’s your you become more of who you are. That’s why genius coming out to play. my work is all about releasing genius, allowing it to blossom and grow into something so much As an aside, even if it might feel a bit cheeky to more than most of us will allow our life’s work get paid for what you love doing and find really to become. easy, please resist the temptation to do it for free. You were gifted your genius in order to So what is genius? deliver it to the world. If you don’t get properly rewarded for it, you won’t be able to carry on A lot of people shy away from claiming their doing it and the world will miss out. genius, believing it to be arrogant or bigheaded. Genius is supposed to be the term The trouble is, most of us don’t get to work we apply to the likes of Einstein, exceptional in that flow state for very much of the time. individuals, people who change the world. But There’s all sorts of other ‘stuff’ (polite version) people have a genius for lots of small things that you are expected to do as well, which is too, like spreadsheets, or getting a kitchen about as far from your genius as you can get. sparkling clean, or making crochet unicorns. And that crushes that exhilarating feeling of living life on purpose. Your unique genius doesn’t have to change the whole world, it just has to change the world Adventuring with other geniuses for the people who would love to experience it. Whether that’s by sorting out all their data, Have you ever had that experience where giving them a home to be proud of, or providing it’s felt like something’s never going to go the perfect gift for my lovely wife. Everything right and then you happen to meet someone we do makes a difference to somebody and who can just fix it for you in an instant? And everyone has their own unique way of making suddenly the fog has lifted and you can see that difference. your way forward again. All you needed was Join the discussion...
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“Back to Helen Keller’s quote, maybe it’s time for that daring adventure?”
someone with a genius for whatever it was that genius to join you on your journey. was keeping you stuck. Someone who delights Beyond limitations in doing what you dread. One scary thing about managing to bring We can’t all have a genius for everything. There more of your genius to your work is that you’re are always going to be things that need doing inevitably going to get further than you are that are not your forte. You can drive yourself now. Getting rid of the distractions, of all that to distraction by trying to keep on top of them ‘stuff’ that isn’t you in your genius, means you’ll yourself or you can accept help from people have no excuse not to discover just how far you who will love to take those tasks on. A big part can really go. That might seem a little daunting! of genius is knowing where yours ends. Back to Helen Keller’s quote, maybe it’s time for that daring adventure? No-one sets out to explore a jungle all on their own (well, not if they want to come back. Only a All of that non-genius stuff can be a very useful fool rushes into uncharted territory alone). They excuse to stay in your comfort zone, where you gather together a team of complementary feel safe. However, what if you were willing to geniuses; the trailblazers, navigators, cooks, push yourself to your full potential? Imagine not medics, ecologists, botanists. And the bearers having to worry about all the dross and instead too, so that the specialists get to do their being able to focus completely on what puts genius thing while someone else looks after you in ‘flow’. Think how much more you could the logistics. Someone for whom that is, almost achieve. literally, ‘a walk in the park’. Just take a moment to consider where your You don’t need to explore life as a foolish solo particular genius might take you if you had a either. When someone is surprised about supportive and collaborative team around you, something you can’t do, step aside, because allowing you to achieve that career or business you’ve just found someone whose genius is dream you’ve been carefully nurturing for ready to help. Why not team up with them and years. see what grand and glorious adventures you What would that mean for you and your family? can have together? Every time you find there’s something to be done that you don’t have the What would it mean for the world? skills (or indeed the inclination) to do well, start looking around and be open to finding another Are you ready for that level of excitement? www.BeCollaboration.com
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“My belief is that work is meant to be a source of great joy. It’s not supposed to be a hard slog that you have to do so you can pay for your ‘real’ life.”
As T.S. Elliott put it: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” It’s supposed to be fun! My belief is that work is meant to be a source of great joy. It’s not supposed to be a hard slog that you have to do so you can pay for your ‘real’ life. The idea that something that we spend half our waking hours doing should be nothing but drudgery seems completely crazy to me. What if your work is a major part of your real life, and the other part is how you relax and recharge so you can go do more of it? What if work made you so happy that you came home to your loved ones each evening delighted at a great day doing great work? What if getting to take your genius out to play every day was how you fulfil your purpose and potential in the world? Wouldn’t that make work a rather fun adventure? You can contact Andrew at: email : andrew@joyful-genius.com Telephone: 07885 963156 Website: www.joyful-genius.com
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Simon Thomas
YOUR ADVENTURE - YOUR CHOICE - YOUR LIFE
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Tense and responsive to changes in wind force and direction with repeat dousing by curtains of heavy spray flying up over the fore deck as the hull drops and slams down into the troughs of the swell, the skipper, with his crew, balance the forces of the wind and boat direction for performance and safety. The team pulling together for one purpose to get the best from the system of people, sheets, pulleys, sails and tackle. Here operating on the edge, in a storm, where the force of the wind has the ability to blow you down and capsize you in a moment, the adrenaline flows high, you are so alive not knowing what the next second will bring, a feeling of adventure further heightens as you’re off the coast under dark heavy skies with a rising blustery wind, and the responsibility for the well-being of your crew. Then it goes calm and to those who have been here before, we know this is the calm before the storm whips up to a bigger and more intense fury. Do we quickly dash for the safety of the nearest river inlet with the vulnerability of a full sail area or do we take time to reef the sails, so we present a smaller more controllable stormready sail area? Time seems precious to make a decision and act before the intensity of the storm increases.
and no one better than you present to master the situation and get all home safe and well. Being on the edge of being in control Being on the edge of being in control is probably a thrill seeker’s definition of adventure, not knowing if the forces in play could push the situation out of your control in a flash, gives intense excitement and makes you pull on all your resources to maintain and regain control. This I’m told, scares the bejeepers out of some people, whilst for others the adrenaline rush brings with it the biggest feeling of being alive there is. Physical adventure when you’re on the absolute edge of your ability, takes you to a place of immense presence. This must be the feeling performance athletes seek; this self-motivated adventurous drive to be working at the extremes of your genius and ability that becomes a rewarding habit and therefore becomes a compulsive addiction. The physiology behind this is the primeval programming we all share that’s fuelled by the rush of dopamine to the brain. All we need is the cue to do it and we’re out there doing what gives us these kicks.
Do not be under the illusion that this extreme There is no escaping the position you are in mastery is something for a select few, on the www.BeCollaboration.com
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“Much to the annoyance of some around me now, if there’s the opportunity to do something different, my default position is ‘yes’, then consider the details.”
contrary, it’s in every one of us and we owe it brothers. We seemed to spend lots of time on to ourselves to push for this excitement reward beaches or at any number of my parents’ friends by operating at the highest point of excellence. at bbqs and other family fun events. One day I was asked if I wanted to “jump aboard and We mostly live our lives to an ordered pattern go water skiing”. The default response was to that repeats and, from past experience, keeps instantly turn this down, though within minutes us safe in these tried and tested patterns. of the opportunity passing, I was struck by a We seem to instinctively seek the security of tremendous sense of loss; I’d passed on the these comforting norms from where we run opportunity to do something very different, our routines and break out occasionally for exhilarating and exciting for the first time. This has provided a positive conditioning effect on holidays or other adventures. me that has lasted to this day. The choice to break out is the body saying we need more; we need to get out of the cave to see Much to the annoyance of some around me what’s out there. The key word here is ‘choice’ now, if there’s the opportunity to do something and knowing we have that available to us; our different, my default position is ‘yes’, then choice can enable greater opportunities every consider the details. day for us to step into the unknown, even a little and for some this, in itself, is a mini adventure. Defining adventure is possibly subjective. After That is another part of adventure, the unknown. a period incapacitated in hospital following We mostly all have choices to one degree or an operation even going out with the physio another and sometimes it takes a catalyst for to tackle stairs seemed quite an adventure at us to realise that what we did yesterday, and the time! I suppose adventure can be found in countless days before need not be what we do any situation that challenges you in some way, tomorrow. In its simplest form the choice to say offers up something unknown or uncertain to yourself “today’s going to be a good day”, outcomes and as a consequence of that it is sufficient a catalyst in itself to influence new excites something primeval in us. This primeval intentions, improve well-being and get better buzz for some is a kick and to others takes them very uncomfortably outside their comfort zone. outcomes with all you encounter. So, adventure is really defined by the person One experience that conditioned me early on in the moment, and seeking adventure is a life in life was when I was twelve and spending the habit that in itself is sufficient to get you to a summers on Long Island with my parents and state of anticipation and excitement. Join the discussion...
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Anyone who has taken the brave step and started their first business will have done so with a feeling of adventure, with the excitement and anticipation of what the future will bring in terms of rewards, not just financial but also the richness of the relationships that will come along as well. Operating in the digital and online world that I inhabit, we combine technologies and experience to give our clients the solutions they seek. There are just so many readily available resources and bespoke programming options, that it can be quite an adventure combining these in new ways that deliver tangible solutions to real world scenarios. Every time the phone rings it could be another client adventure for us in understanding the end point a client needs, and then building and linking digital solutions together to deliver. That’s how I see my day to day business and why I can see it as another adventure; the next time the phone rings may well be the next one.
Apply this way of living to every situation you find yourself at, and consciously recognise that you have the power of choice that could lead to unknown adventures; meeting new people, going to different places, stumbling across new ideas. In all these situations you have choices to switch off the autopilot and play a little - life really is an adventure to enjoy at every point. Being a blues fan the “crossroads” comes up frequently since blues legend Robert Leroy Johnson went down to the local crossroads where he sold his soul to the devil to achieve musical success. Make a pact with yourself ..... see the choices and opportunities in every occasion
This is not advocation to make a pact with the devil, but more that you make a pact with yourself ..... see the choices and opportunities in every occasion. Change your default from playing safe to seeing and embracing Life is an adventure if you choose to frame it opportunity and just see what turns up. It may that way, and if you can see every occasion well not be the same as yesterday; it may be the as a crossroads, then you have choices as to start of something awesome and life changing. which path to tread. My challenge to you is to take the blinkers off tomorrow, and when you get to a crossroads you’ll see more than You can contact Simon at: the usual road directly ahead, you’ll see other roads coming in from either side. Where will email : simon@toucanweb.co.uk those other roads lead you? What unexpected Telephone: 01279 871694 opportunities may be down those untrodden Website: www.toucanweb.co.uk paths?
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Profile: Taking a look at a key Collaborator in the community.
Alasdair Ross
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Who is Alasdair Ross?
If you could choose one BeCollaboration value that you identify with what might that be?
I am father of 2 beautiful intelligent daughters, married to a strong woman Julie who holds me to account. I’m fortunate to know my purpose in life which is to positively inspire and support everybody that I come into contact with.
Integrity – without this you cannot be consistent, truthful or authentic. You have been a member of BeCollaboration for a while now, can you identify how you have been impacted in your life by being a member?
One of the ways I do this is through ‘We do HR’ which helps owners of large and small Finding my genius was a pivotal moment when businesses to make the right decisions, for I developed the necessary self-belief and their people, and to engender work places that understanding of my purpose. motivate and encourage great employees. This issue of The Quest has focused on What fills you with joy? ‘Adventure’, how do you see that in your life and how as a state of mind is it valuable to you? Seeing the light come on in others, whether that be from a training programme that helps them Like an elastic band that sits on a windowsill in with a golden nugget, or where the right word the sunshine, overtime will wither and perish, at the right time lifts their spirits, supporting our very essence requires us to be stretched their goals to be better people. and pulled in many different directions in order to remain strong. The adventure is a journey of What is your reason for BEing? Or in other challenges that make us stretch ourselves. words what are you passionate about? As one of our early adopters and supporters I’m rewarded when I’m successful in inspiring at BeCollaboration why do you think it is others and helping them to be more successful important to support others? than me for the greater good. No man is an island, as human beings we need others to be our friends, challenge us, and help www.BeCollaboration.com
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us understand that we are better than we often think of ourselves. By being there to support others, we are pivotal in helping them to grow as individuals but more importantly human beings.
early adopters who really understood the potential of creating a movement was in itself inspirational. To be part of a community without ranker and where everybody was seeking ways to help each other, is the fundamental elements that constitute a community free Are you free to operate within your Genius? from discrimination which is essential when What does that mean for you? you regard yourself as a “global human being”. Yes, but that comes from an inner strength and self-belief that my genius and purpose is meant to be. Challenges and obstacles that try to constrain me only serve to make me grow.
If someone is interested in becoming part of the BeCollaboration community, from your perspective, what might they expect when they get there?
What vision do you have for your business and Fun, a sharing of knowledge, freedom of your life working within the BeCollaboration expression and an instantaneous engagement community? in community. The vision for my business is to create a legacy where the core essence that positively impacts the businesses we work for live long beyond me. My life and work within BeCollaboration is about finding like-minded individuals who understand the very essence that collaboration and the “greater sum of all the parts” is so much better than the negative elements associated with competition.
You can contact Alasdair at: email : aross@wedohr.co.uk Telephone: 07866 250690 Website: www.wedohr.co.uk
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“To be part of a community without ranker and where everybody was seeking ways to help each other, is the fundamental elements that constitute a community free from discrimination which is essential when you regard yourself as a global human being.�
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The Quest Invitation to visit.
BeCollaboration believe that true collaboration – as you have witnessed here in The Quest, occurs when people develop and deepen their relationship, building trust through sharing their authentic self. This doesn’t generally happen as a result of online communication. Meeting face to face is the best way to create amazing possibilities where wonderful projects happen. The Quest is just one such project. We believe that meeting regularly is fundamental to our growth and learning so we have monthly meetings for guests and Collaborators to meet and discuss new ideas, issues and potential solutions. Each meeting delivers knowledge sharing, business insights, personal development opportunities as well as thought leaders in the making presenting their genius to the room. All of this in an atmosphere where fun and laughter are paramount. At the end of the meeting, we find no one wants to leave so we continue the conversations in a social get together for as long as you want to stay. If you would like to visit and meet our community you are very welcome. There is no cost to attend, simply bring an open mind and a listening heart. You can get full meeting information including upcoming dates and venue details here www.becollaboration.com just click on ATTEND A MEETING. We look forward to meeting you soon.
www.BeCollaboration.com
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Dates: 15th November 21st November 26th November
Herts Surrey London
Hertford Banstead Canada Water
What happens at a BeCollaboration meeting. 2pm – 3pm is the Introduction for guests. Learn more about what inspires us to be part of the community, our journey so far and how to make the most of your visit. 3pm – 6pm The Collaborators will join you to share, create, discuss, inspire and learn – plus have fun! 6pm onwards there is always a social vibe to continue the conversation, you are very welcome to stay and we can get to know you more too. We look forward to welcoming you to a BeCollaboration event soon.
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www.BeCollaboration.com
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