Imagine yourself sitting down with your (future) grandchildren. Them, wide eyed and eager to hear what you have to say.
They want to learn from you and share your wisdom so they can sidestep mistakes and enjoy life to the fullest. You’re in the twilight of your life’s journey, they are just beginning.
They are intent on listening and being present because what you are about to give them is like gold dust. It’s your advice to create a better business, better life, and better world.
Now imagine for a moment. What would that advice be?
I was asked this very question to contribute to a new volume, volume 2, to a book called Better business, Better life, Better world via B1G1, the social giving enterprise.
Once I got past the fact that I don’t have grandchildren (my kids are 4 and 1 years old at the time of writing the advice), and that I had to use my imagination, it was a lot of fun.
The advice came quite easily for me because I do this with my children now. Helping them learn from things that have taken me 30 plus years to learn myself. My kids are a bit too young to comprehend it now but I know it will go into their subconscious to help them as they grow up and live their life.
So what advice would you give to your (future) grandchildren? Let me know in the comments at the end.
Keep scrolling if you want to read my contribution to the B1G1 book, my advice to my future grandchildren on creating a better business, better life, and better world. It’s a short read, maybe a few minutes at most.
What would your advice be to your grandchild in regard to creating a BETTER BUSINESS?
Building a great business is not an easy thing to do and it’s not for everyone. If I knew all of what was required of me before I started my own business I may not have done it.
But if you really want to build a great business then you must have a business purpose that is bigger than yourself, money, fame and status. Your purpose will provide you with resilience and motivation when times aren’t great and allow others to understand what you are doing and why.
Your purpose will help create the culture of your business and build your community to share and connect with like-minded people. Your community will enable you to surround yourself with people you can learn from and who believe the same things. You’ll accomplish more together and quicker.
Having purpose, culture, and community is one thing but you must also solve a problem that a lot of people have, a problem that can make a meaningful difference, either to your customer or a solution that empowers your customer to make a meaningful difference. After all, business is about being paid to solve problems for other people.
There too are lots of tactical things to consider like:
- Completing research on your market to ensure you understand the emotional impact of the problem you are solving
- Initially helping just one market solving just one problem with just one solution to keep your message and systems simple and clear
- Measuring and improving the numbers, the power of incremental gains in lots of areas adds up to a huge amount
- Pre-sell to your customers before launching new products or new businesses
- Acting now, good is good enough and
- Not going it alone, stick to your strengths and harness the strengths of others to complement your own from your community and like-minded partners
But most importantly, have some fun.
What would your advice be to your grandchild in regard to creating a BETTER LIFE?
My advice to live a better life is to live in the present and in gratitude.
In this state, you will be able to connect with your true self where your world and you are in a better, much happier and fun place. You will find that things work out just the way you want, just at the right time.
Living in the present means being fully engaged with what you are doing at any given moment.
It’s about appreciating the gift of life you are currently experiencing and being grateful for it, which leads nicely to gratitude.
Being grateful means being thankful for who you are, what you have and what you do. Not taking things for granted but expressing humility for what you are experiencing. Giving to others or being of servicing is also a form of gratitude.
Even when things seem to be not so great it’s important to understand what you are learning from the experience and being grateful for that.
The best teachers for living a wonderful life are my children. They have taught me patience, be myself, love myself for who I am and expressing the highest form of love, compassion, to others. All qualities that enhance life.
Also, purpose in your own life is important and the thing most people miss is that you can choose your purpose. You don’t have to find it.
I’d recommend choosing joy as your purpose, you having fun and sharing your gifts with the world.
Being in joy will lead to a fulfilled life for you and those whose life you touch because joy is what we all aspire to have.
Finally, it’s important to know that you can’t control what happens to you or in the world but you can control how you react to it.
Let go and find peace that everything is happening as it should for your journey. Enjoy the present moment you are in on your life’s journey, with gratitude, rather than focus on a destination where your journey passes you by.
What would your advice be to your grandchild in regard to creating a BETTER WORLD?
The planet on which we live, as well as all life here, truly is a miracle. The Universe is huge and a hostile place, so for our planet to be in just the right position in our Solar System and have just the right conditions to cultivate life is beyond incredible. The chance of you being alive reading this right now is at incomprehensible odds.
Astronauts have said after seeing Earth from Space they realise how precious our planet and life are and come back to Earth with a new perspective of sustainability and unity for the planet and the human race. They realise we are all one and we should do what we can together to protect all life and our planet. They feel a sense of belonging and of service to make that happen.
But you and every other human don’t have to go into Space to experience this. If you understand that we only have one planet, and there are no other planets like Earth anywhere close enough for us to travel to and that we are all part of the human race, then you are already making the world a better place.
A place where we care for our planet. Where our differences are put aside and we are united in the human spirit. Where we help, show empathy and compassion for one another.
The more people that get this will help create a multiplying effect on the consciousness of the world where eventually, we all act in this way.
I dream of a world where there is no poverty and everyone’s basic needs are met. At that point, I believe peace will exist in the world. Not only that but everyone will have the free choice to pursue and fulfil their potential.
It all starts with that knowledge and compassion towards our planet and all humans, being one together. Then with your business helping to make an impact and empower others, you will create a better world.
