Many of us could be excused for feeling a little edgy right now.

But whatever is happening, there are always opportunities for the bold. We all have the choice - we can hide from the fear of what is happening, or we can step up and define the future.

A downturn is a great opportunity for authentic business. We are all looking for alternatives that we can believe in.

Number one - of course is to understand your life’s purpose or the core motivation of your business or organisation. With this you can identify the challenges facing society that you or your business care enough about to make a living by solving them. If you want some help you can use my free Life Purpose e-book - or give me a call.

Second look for the “pain” in the area of your purpose. Where are people, or is nature, uncomfortable and how can your passions and talents help to turn that pain into peace.

Third come up with your breakthrough idea for solving the problem and get started. Start on a small scale, build up interest and a following and then develop your plan to grow and evolve.

Lets look at some obvious areas of pain at the moment and the people who are offering innovative and, in some cases, authentic solutions:

Banking - businesses are struggling to find funding and at the same time savers are nervous about the security of their bank - it is time for Zopa. Zopa cleverly brings together consortia of savers and borrowers ensuring security and a good deal for both.

For a bit of fun - take a look at one of my ideas for banking innovation - banking with a flight simulator as a way of making banking more engaging and therefore easier to understand.

Transport/communication - spiraling fuel costs and environmental concerns mean that people are looking for cheaper and less polluting ways to travel and communicate.

Plug in Hybrids massively increase the effectiveness of hybrid cars, reducing emissions and fuel costs.

Truphone enables very low cost voice over IP (VoIP) phone calls from your mobile.

Zipcar is a cross between a car sharing scheme and low cost car hire that really works.

The Hub an innovative working environment increasing collaboration and reducing commuting.

Other obvious areas ripe for innovation are home energy generation, connecting suppliers with customers more directly (it has worked well for Google), long distance travel, localised food production, recycling and so on.

Now is the time to innovate and offer your solutions to the world, there are plenty of investors out there looking for somewhere safer and more responsible to put their money.

Let’s create something amazing.

with love

nx

Neil Crofts
Inspirer
authenticis
inspiration innovation motivation

+44 (0)7775 658534
neil@authenticis.com
www.authenticis.com

How many of your needs are met, right now. Think about it.

All of them? Some of them? Are you aware of all of your needs? Do you know what your needs are and which are most important?

Are you clear as to which order you need to sort them?

Are you forever “topping up” your needs or continuously “spinning plates”?

Last night I realised that I have been going through life without addressing various needs.

Abraham Maslow defined his “Hierarchy of Needs” and for the first time I considered that I haven’t been making sure that all my needs are met.

I had chosen to meet my needs from the most basic, physical needs first and then once they are sorted, move on to higher level needs. It doesn’t work like that though!

Life is moment by moment, by moment, by moment. It is in this moment where you and I can fulfil our needs. It is this moment that we can fulfil our need to give love, to gain stability, to increase our personal growth, to accept and to belong. We cannot plan this for next week or next month or even next year.

“Oh yeah, next year I plan to self actualise.” – It doesn’t work like that because the only moment is right now. If you set out, moment by moment to fulfil all your needs then you’ll be completely fulfilled, all the time! Amazing!

Humour me here … feel this moment. Go on … feeeeeeel it.

Delight in it … dance in it … embrace it … cuddle it … tickle it.

Isn’t that a wonderful feeling?

Every day we read more and hear more of the “Credit Crunch” and so forth. We read stories of predicted negative growth and no one knows when it may end.

It’s just a story. Tens of thousands of journalists are loving it, as it means we read and buy their papers and watch their daily news programmes.

So what happens to that story if we live “in this moment”, instead of thinking about their story; and choose to fulfil our needs and help others to fulfill their needs?

Well then we create a new story. A story that counteracts the “news”.

Come on Britain! Ignore the story. Enjoy this moment and delight in your very existence.

Warmest wishes,

Dan

For many the future is looking uncertain at best, bleak at worst.

Both the economy and the environment are fragile and in spite of this we still find the energy to be at war with each other.

But necessity is the mother of invention and crisis the cauldron of creativity.

Although many knew we needed to, we were not going to re-invent our economic systems or our treatment of the environment without a crisis.

Governments will demand tighter regulation and populations will demand greater integrity and responsibility for the greater good.

Businesses and brands will have to inspire confidence in their wider contribution to the good of society as a whole. It will no longer be acceptable for companies to throw up the smoke screen of shareholder value and ignore wider responsibilities.

Now is the time to re-invent our economy as a responsible, caring servant of society, that will spread wealth without exploiting people or the environment.

Utopian? Only if we are prepared to settle for compromise.

It is up to us to redesign the system. We are the responsible ones.

As the computer scientist Alan Kay said: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

I have for a long time articulated my own life’s purpose as being “to heal the world through authenticity”. This is based on the belief that if enough people were authentic to themselves most of the challenges we face would disappear.

For me this means working both with individuals and with businesses, helping as many as possible to understand their true values and principles, and to live them without fear or compromise in all situations.

Up to now I have, rather confusingly, merged the individual and the organisational under the Authentic Transformation banner. This week I am separating them.

Today, in partnership with my wife, Benedicte, we are launching Authenticis.

Authenticis creates cultural innovation that will help people and businesses flourish. We unleash the power of the passion of the people in the organisation, for both profit and the greater good of society.

We help businesses and other organisations, across Europe, become and benefit from being authentic.

I feel like this is the moment that the last seven years of work and research have all been building towards. I am very excited about the future.

I would love your help in the success of Authenticis.

Can you help us to spread awareness and connect with clients?

Can you help us to inspire and transform organisational cultures?

Can you help us refine and develop our message with feedback on the web site?

Please get in touch with us and recommend us to others who you feel may be inspired. It is only through collaboration that we can change the world.

Let’s invent an authentic future together - Now!

with love

nx
Neil Crofts
Inspirer
authenticis
inspiration innovation motivation

+44 (0)7775 658534

+34 606 204 994
neil@authenticis.com
www.authenticis.com

Contrast the fortunes of two different styles of doing business.

In the last week we have seen the most dramatic evidence of the frailty of the traditional model of business.

Banks and other financial institutions, who have sought to maximise the redistribution of wealth from the population and the environment to a few senior executives and shareholders, have foundered.

Part of the reason for their troubles is that they exist in a world where they compete with everyone. They compete with other financial institutions sure, but they also compete with customers, staff and even governments to extract the maximum financial return.

It is like building a tower of blocks, one block on top of another, and just seeing how high it can go before it topples. While it works, it works spectacularly well, but it is always vulnerable to changes in economic, political or social climate.

By way of contrast, take a look at www.betterplace.com
This is an authentic business that is building a solid foundation because staff, governments, business partners and customers REALLY want it to succeed.

Their authentic purpose inspires and motivates every member of staff, every day and in every action and interaction. The clarity of purpose facilitates innovation and problem solving as well as engaging partners, suppliers and the media.

All of this is available to almost any business in almost any market sector and all they need to do to get there is to articulate their authentic purpose and align the business around it.

Authentic businesses are more like building a pyramid than a tower of blocks. The growth may not be quite as spectacular, but the positive purpose inspires loyalty and support, which make for rock solid foundations that remains stable even in challenging conditions.

It is possible to transform your business into an authentic business and you do not need to be the chairman or CEO to make a start (although it helps ;-).

If you want help in working out how to do it - give me a call.

Take a look at my new Motivational Coaching web site at www.neilcrofts.com
With love

nx

neil crofts  - coach, consultant, facilitator
Authentic Transformation - join the evolution
UK mobile 07775 658534
neil@authentictransformation.co.uk
www.authentictransformation.co.uk
“Individually we make a difference,
through collaboration we create change”

A great friend of mine (who is also an excellent Personal Trainer), recommended that I visit “T-Nation”, a website devoted to developing your body. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical. I have, in the past, read copious amounts of material from other “Body Building” websites and found that it was all about supplements and overly complicated routines.

I like to keep things simple. I prefer a down to earth approach that works. So I was pleasantly surprised when I read an article on T-Nation about Reg Park. Three times “Mr Universe”, Reg was the guy Arnold Schwarzenegger looked up to, as a lad.

The approach that Reg had was strength of mind and confidence building.

“Confidence is critical for increased size and strength

According to Reg, an effective training program focuses on increasing confidence. You should feel strong, empowered, and ready to take on the world after each workout. If you feel weak and defeated, then you’re doing something wrong.”

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_reg_park_way_to_serious_size_and_strength

This approach can be used in all areas of our lives. Goal setting for example. Our initial goals need to be achievable, so that we can build on our success and feel comfortable in “raising the bar” to the next level. It is when we set ourselves too high a target that we consider our perceived limitations and neglect our goals, forcing ourselves to compromise needlessly.

The article went on to say …

“Reg was a big believer in self-analysis. You must take the time to find out who you are, and what you’re capable of. He stated that if you worry a lot, then you’ll find great benefit from training, as it’ll help remove stress, and help you get a better handle on your life.”

Now here is a man after my own heart. How can you develop yourself, without knowing who you are? It’s impossible. It’s like giving advice to someone, without asking them any questions!

If this wasn’t enough, it continued by saying …

“We learn the power of discipline, perseverance, patience, and hard work from training. Carry over these skills into your business or job, and you’ll benefit tremendously.”

I need not say anymore. There is so much value in training your body, not only in terms of shape and size increasing your “body confidence”, but also the lessons that are learned along the way.

Reading these “pearls of wisdom” made me reflect on my current training goals. At the end of August, I set myself the challenge of gaining 11lbs of lean muscle by October 4th. So far, I have fluctuated in weight. My size in the mirror gets bigger each week and I am definitely getting stronger. I have also lost body fat, so my overall weight is deceptive. I probably am gaining muscle, however losing fat at the same time is balancing my weight.

Now I plucked 11lbs out of the air, it impressed me to go for a large number. However, my ultimate goal is to have a strong, lean, athletic, muscular body and this is far more important that achieving a certain number of pounds by a certain time.

In every case, my ultimate goal has a higher priority than my initial goal and so it takes preference. To that end I have modified my goal in order to make sure I build solid foundations and do not cut corners.

My goal now is to increase my lean muscle mass weekly, building solid foundations, by doing core strength exercises. One to two pounds is enough to accumulate each week. Trying to put on more each week is pretty pointless as there is no rush!

Don’t be afraid to modify your goals so that you are on course for your ultimate goal.

Good luck!

Warmest wishes,

Dan

“Training is like life, you get your ups and downs, but if you think about your problems hard enough and logically enough, you’ll either solve them or reach a compromise.”
 
— Reg Park