Putting Ancient Wisdom into Modern Day Work
A zentrepreneur doesn’t just make a living. A zentrepreneur makes a whole living by turning good ideas into great results. Within all people there is a zentrepreneur, a fearless soul seeking freedom and expression. It is life force. It is spirit. It is consciousness itself. The problem is, many people have lost sight of this. For whatever reasons and conditionings, fear has taken over and disempowered human potential from fully expressing itself. Insecurity, doubt, anxiety, stress, fear, worry and a host of other feelings imprison the soul and restrict behavior.
Life then passes by on autopilot, staying in the lines to fit in or avoid conflict. In many cases, we are trapped without knowing it. The subconscious mind, over one-million times more powerful than the conscious mind, governs our life as if we are driving with the brakes on. Without awareness, we become our own worst enemy.
Awakening the Zentrepreneur in You
Zentrepreneurs wake up to this reality and allow our true essence, our spirit, to be creative and free by getting out of our own way. We “let flow” the life force by learning to “let go” the obstacles and barriers in our way. Many of these constraints are self-imposed. They include our fears, our doubts, our insecurities and our limiting beliefs. Most of these obstacles are subconscious, meaning we do not even know they are there. They are hidden in the mind but reflected daily in our habits and tendencies.
The same is true for organizations and cultures. On the surface we see these assumptions, values, and beliefs reflected in policies, procedures and behaviors, but we often miss the underlying memes and paradigms driving the behaviors. Without healthy questioning, these flawed assumptions and misinterpretations can severely restrict us, personally, professionally and organizationally. It takes our inner zentrepreneur to change this. Solving problems inside the box can be severely limiting when the box itself is the problem.
Unleash the Zentrepreneur Power in You
We unleash the power and grace of the zentrepreneur by asking thoughtful questions, contemplating the answers carefully, and using discernment to act wisely on the choices we have. Stop and ask yourself, are you simplifying things in your organization or complicating them? Are you truly innovating or creeping along with small incremental improvements? Are you adding or subtracting? Are you filling up valuable time and space with unproductive activity or getting it out of the way. Are you tapping the inner genius and zentrepreneur in your associates or obstructing it? Are you applying healthy Lean principles or institutionalizing a lot of waste with defensiveness, rationalization and sophisticated quick fixes?
These and many more are the questions the zentrepreneur asks. We gain profound knowledge by asking profound questions. Be careful not to judge or criticize the ideas as they surface as this will limit the creative problem-solving process. Let the ideas flow and then sort them into options. Invite other people to help you with this exercise. Seek the wisdom and genius of a team. We do not have to know all the answers ourselves.
Use questions like “Why” and “Why not?” to further explore the ideas. Use questions like “How” and “Who” and “When” to bring more discernment and practicality to the options. Prepare for the “Yeah, buts” and the “So Whats” as well. Pushback and resistance can be healthy and wise. Use it to your advantage. It is healthy to consider multiple points of view, so keep an open mind as you search for better ways of doing things.
How is the Zentrepreneur Spirit Moving You?
You are a zentrepreneur when you are applying your true, inner spirit. You are sharing your ideas and acting on them. You are finding ways to bring more joy to the world. You are part of the solution and not part of the problem. You are letting go of grief and guilt and insecurity, and you are embracing the fearless soul within you searching for expression. Spirit knows no fear, so when we are “inspired” we are willing to do whatever it takes to pursue our mission. We are focused, enthusiastic and thankful for the opportunity. We are engaging and creative. We are resourceful and productive. Observers notice this “zenergy” and are inspired by it. Like energy attracts like energy.
The Law of Attraction draws into our lives an abundance of power and grace to fuel our desires. Amazing things get done. Miracles happen. The world improves. We are grateful. The zentrepreneur takes a knee and gives thanks, recognizing that this powerful force of zenergy does not come from us – as the ego would suggest. It comes through us – when we let go of our fears and doubts and allow it! It is always there. It is abundant and plentiful. It is the sacred life force and there is no shortage of it.
