Category: Technology


Imagination is in our DNA

Ancient Technology That Powers Creativity – A talk on the People’s Stage, Wisdom 2.0, San Francisco February 2018.

Dont be confused by my accent. Born of Irish parents I lived in the UK until I was 10yrs old. I moved with my family to Ireland until my late 20s. Since then I have lived in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. My accent is chameleon.

The theme of my talk is that Imagination is ancient and it is a gift that comes ‘bundled’ in our DNA. The premise is that how you use your imagination determines your reality. My end result for the talk is to open up minds to the real possibilities of imagination and to pique curiosity to explore the magic of it.

We think imagination is child’s play – about playing make believe. But it is not. It is the key to FREEDOM when we know how to use it because with our imaginations we can make things up – we can make our dreams real and create what matters to us. We are fundamentally imaginative beings but there are two aspects to ourselves that vie to harness the power of our imaginations.

One aspect is wild, free, unfettered and focused on creativity – let’s call it SPIRIT.

The second is careful, cautious, rational and focused on past experience – let’s call it STORY.

Kodak is a great example of a company that was innovative in its time – founded in 1888 and up until 1976 had 90% of film sales and 85% of camera sales in the US. But then came Fuji followed by digital photography and Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012. Kodak developed a digital camera in 1975, the first of its kind, but dropped it because of the fear that it would impact its film business.

On the other hand Apple is an obvious example of a company that has a history of being innovative launching products that we didnt know we needed while Netflix and Amazon have revolutionised their market sectors in the way they approached business.

On a personal note I am a dreamer and a procrastinator. In the lead up to the talk I conjured up all sorts of inessential activity including a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco. For those of you not from the USA that is ALOT of driving! I got to hang with some of my very favourite friends BUT it did put the squeeze on my preparation time for this talk.

These two aspects of SPIRIT and STORY co-exist in me so having the ability to shift the focus of my imagination is the difference between creating a reality of my choosing or getting side tracked and loosing sight of what matters to me. As I am trained in using my imagination creatively I daily put my focus imaginatively into the Vision of being on stage sharing my passion.

The talk takes you through using your imagination to shift your attention in relation to a problem you have from your STORY to your SPIRIT. I use a problem I have in the demonstration taking myself through some questions that reveal to me where my focus is and use my imagination to shift my focus.

Pick a problem you currently have. It could be about work, a relationship, about something that you would love to create but you have not got around to it – the book, that sabbatical, a weekend of hiking or a weekend of doing nothing…..It doesnt have to be a big problem – it could be that they had run out of your favourite muffin this morning at the store!

Our STORY communicates to us through our thoughts and feelings. My problem is about the book I am not writing.

The first question I want to know the answer to is ‘What am I thinking?’

What are your thoughts?

The second question I want to know the answer to is ‘What am I feeling?’

What are your feelings?

Our thoughts and feelings reveal the STORY and our imaginations create our reality. How would you summarise your STORY? And what is the reality you have created for yourself?

My STORY is “who wants to read what I have to write that and I cannot afford he time”…..this STORY is POWERING my imagination and basically I am spinning wheels going nowhere. No book. Similarly your story is powering your imagination to create your reality.

It was Einstein who said we cannot solve a problem with the same consciousness that we used to create it.

So lets switch from the consciousness of our STORY to the consciousness of SPIRIT. We do  this by connecting directly to our imaginations. Our SPIRIT does not communicate to us through our thoughts and feelings. SPIRIT talks to us directly through our imagination. The language of imagination is symbolic – that may be visual, sensory, auditory or just direct knowledge or awareness. As we are unique our language of imagination is unique.

Developing a creative relationship with imagination is about developing your ability to interpret and translate what you receive. You may already have a working relationship with your imagination or today may be Imagination 101 for you. Whichever it doesnt matter. As it is your language you can choose to learn it as you go.

Take a moment to be aware of your breath, it is helpful to close your eyes. There is no need to control or manage your breath, just allow it to oxygenate your body. To do what it does naturally and automatically. Now choose to be of SERVICE to yourself. Your heart is your highest level of intelligence and your highest good is its number one priority.

Breathe

Notice any thoughts, any feelings, notice your STORY. Whatever is going on in this moment doesnt matter. Imagine that you are somewhere that makes your heart sing – it may be outdoors in nature, or somewhere cosy with a good book. Your happy place. Wherever that is imagine you are there.

Breathe

Experience that place right now. Feel it. Hear it. See it. Taste it. Breathe it in.

Now imagine a golden circle. A clear clean space in this realm that you are in. Imagine this circle represents what really matters to you. You don’t need to know what that is just that the circle is a representation of that. Now imagine stepping into that circle.

Observe the first thing you get – it may be a feeling, an image, a sensation, a symbol. It can be anything but it is the first thing you get. You don’t have to know what it means but ask yourself:

what could it mean about you?

What could it mean about what matters to you?

What is the emotional quality of this space?

What does that emotion make you feel like doing?

When you are ready open your eyes and return to normal consciousness. Capture what you got on paper if you want to. It may make sense to you but dont worry if it doesn’t. Connect with the experience of it, the emotion of it.

What did you experience?

What did you learn?

Feel free to share in the comments below.

This is just a taster using this ancient technology. Innovative creators are renowned for their ability to bring together disparate ideas in new and unique combinations. Powered by SPIRIT imagination connects us to everything past, present and future in a non linear quantum reality. It is powerful, innovative, rule-breaking and life changing. It is radical. It is not for wimps. Innovation is not a function of DNA but rather a function of the ability to be able to determine the focus of your imagination.

I am not special BUT I have developed a living relationship with my imagination. I am using this technology to create an alternative STORY which I call my MYTH. A MYTH which is real, tangible and rich with meaning and magic. Some of my imagination creations:

  • Wiz-Biz a Business Mentoring program to inject magic into business – for wizard-business creators. A get together to serve each member imaginatively – this ensures that our businesses have heart, joy and real value for us rather than what we think the world wants from us.
  • CO:LLAB –  roving co-living, co-working project for like minded creators in beautiful parts of the world by the ocean.
  • Halcyon Days – a collaboration with Thea Allison, 5 day retreats in Greece to restore you to the richness of life. Diving deep into what matters to you and starting the process of making it real in your world.

Phil Knight founder of NIKE writes in his memoir ‘Shoe Dog’ of a moment long before his multi- million dollar business was a reality

‘I had an aching sense that our time is short, shorter than we ever know, short as a morning run, and I wanted mine to be meaningful, and purposeful. And creative. And important. Above all….different’

Phil was a runner before jogging was invented. He loved running but being a athlete wasn’t all that he wanted. So he wondered ‘What if there were a way without being an athlete, to feel what athlete’s feel? To play all the time, instead of working? Or else to enjoy work so much that it becomes essentially the same thing’. Phil’s words speak to me.

I love working with the technology of imagination, infinitely curious about what it reveals to me and my clients about what is important and to the crazy, beautiful, possibilities it inspires us to step up to. It is play, glorious play and it is heart warming to liberate people’s minds and open their hearts.

We sell ourselves short when we argue that unique creativity is only available to the chosen few e.g. Mozart, Picasso, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk. Imagination is neutral. We all have it. Being uniquely creative, being an innovator is a choice about how we use our imagination. Before I learnt that I could focus my imagination I was using it to power my STORY. Now I use it to power my creativity.

I am reminded of Don Juan in the writings of Carlos Castenada as he muses

‘Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn’t.’

Why wouldn’t you choose the path of your heart? My invitation to you is to connect with your SPIRIT and feel the freedom of your IMAGINATION to focus your energy and your gifts on creating and innovating rather than resolving the problems in your life.

If you want to road test that process again you can access a FREE DOWNLOAD here

Our Home Is On Fire

‘Markets that deal in human futures are inherently pernicious’ Shoshana Zuboff – very interesting and considered observations on a new type of capitalism emerging as our experience becomes a commodity.

I, for one feel threatened by this scrutiny of my experience but Shoshana’s message is that it isn’t personal and we don’t have to be powerless when we understand that we are in ‘a moment of discontinuity’. Rather than thinking ‘our house is on fire’ understand that the very essence of who we are has now been commoditised and turned into data, data used to predict behaviour and shepherd our experience. We can be afraid because we do not know how to deal with this or be present to the bigger landscape turning our attention to deeper questions of awareness, responsibility and our collective vision for the future.

Let’s not be tinkering with the deck chairs on the Titanic rather consider a new paradigm of the future together.

I was prompted to write this post after listening to Shoshana’s webinar on Surveillance Capitalism as part of the Presencing Institute’s webinar series on Dialogues on Transforming Society & Self, (DoTS). Her book is available on Amazon.

My peer group On A Mission will be hosting a Pura Vida, a Creative Summit in Costa Rica in September 2020 to consider exactly that; new possibilities and paradigms to foster collaborative synergy based on consciousness, evolution & celebration. Watch this space for more information or email [email protected] if you want to know more.

True Collaboration Calls For Carbon Offsetting

Photo by Cristina Cerda on Unsplash

I experience an increasing tension about the impact of my convenient lifestyle. Over 25 years I became accustomed to the fast pace of growth driven business at the heart of the disposable consumerism of big city London.

In the past 3 years I have come to question the primary drivers of business that gobble up our time, our joy, our spirit and our planet. I let go of living in London and of sacrificing my wellbeing and talents to a vision that didn’t belong to me.

I have found living directly connected to the elements of nature e.g. by the sea or in the mountains grounds me in a different rhythm, I think about light switches, own a bag for life and a reusable coffee cup, I choose zero air miles vegetables over world traveller imposters, cringe at plastic packaging, have nightmares about water bottles and the decimation of our oceans, walk more, spend less and sleep better.

I choose to live in the creative orientation, beyond the normal constraints of survival e.g. 9-5 job, regular income, a fixed abode. It is a wild ride at the extremes of existence that few people purposefully choose to do. I actually and metaphorically choose to voyage in unknown domains.

I choose to tread lightly on this earth; the call to be a hermit is seductive. I am passionate to leverage the genius of our collective creativity but I cant be bothered with kudos, conferences or the whitewash of feel-good collectives. I embrace the achievements of science, technology and innovation but don’t know where to begin to use them to transmute and transfigure life on earth.

I believe that we are better together, contributing the best of who we are to receive the fullness of who we can be. I believe that every human being has the potential to be part of the global synergy.

From the bottom of my heart I believe true collaboration is simple and it is the biggest challenge we are being invited to face at this time.

There is maverick community of early adopters out there, those with their toes in the water. I am called to join them and thanks to technology I can find and connect to them on line but is no avoiding the truth that the substance of collaboration is love and love calls for intimacy and vulnerability, for physical as well as ideological closeness, for kinship, sharing, eye to eye connection and the ability to be with and hang out in the messy entanglement of humanness.

I would happily stay at home – as I said earlier the call to be a hermit is seductive – especially when flying and many forms travel have such a polluting impact on our environment. Fortunately I have a friend who has a mate who has founded a company that helps those of us who caught in the carbon/climate predicament https://www.clevel.co.uk/flight-carbon-calculator/

Conversations On Change


I love taking photographs and using them on my posts and website but it isn’t my primary focus so unsplash is a treasure chest for me. There is always a photo to capture the essence of what I would love to share.

If you don’t know who unsplash (obscure name) are you found out here – Unsplash is a community where anyone can share high-resolution photos for anyone to use freely; open source for photographyI have been using this site for over 2 years and unlike most sites I subscribe too I receive very few emails and the ones I do receive are gentle reminders of this cornucopia of creativity that I might like to visit. Crediting isn’t required but is appreciated – and why not.

With a focus on connecting & sharing rather than competition & profit it is impacting the industry, Mikael Cho, founder, writes ‘We didn’t start Unsplash to reinvent an industry. We started Unsplash because we thought it might be useful.’

And it is useful – not just for me who wants to use photographs but also for photographers who want to get their work out there BUT there are cautionary notes. Unsplash has grown rapidly – there are mixed feelings from photographers, despite downloads work is often not credited (it can be easy to forget). Zero financial exchange may feel like a new way of doing business but it brings up mixed feelings on both sides; receiving something for free isn’t always reciprocal receiving. As an occasional user I dont mind being an anonymous ‘client’ receiving occasional email but as a contributor with 50K downloads anonymous or soliciting emails don’t cut the mustard (see online stories from disgruntled photographers).

The razors edge for unsplash has to be the line between the kindness, consideration & reciprocity of community and insatiable growth for growth’s sake which is part of the old paradigm of business. I don’t know how unsplash intends to evolve but evolve it will; the challenge is to direct that evolution always tweaking and adjusting.

I congratulate people & companies that are changing the way WE do business, not by changing the way THEY do business but by choosing to create from the source of a passion or a dream.

I work with entrepreneurs and change-makers to master and direct evolution. Feel free to contact me if you want to have a no obligation conversation about your business and how to stay on track and true to your original intention & vision.

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

#TheImaginationTechnologist #CrossingFrontiers #BeTheChangeInBusiness #BusinessReimagined

Be The Orchestrator Of REAL Change In Your World

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Orchestrated change fails not because of lack of passion, determination or intelligence but because of our individual and collective orientation to the past, to what we already know and believe to be true. It fails because of our inherent efficiency as humans to base our responses and actions on embedded sense making patterns.
 
Purposeful change succeeds when we respond from our connectedness to ALL THAT IS possible and from our ability to dynamically evolve our sense making from the future that is emerging in the moment.
 
To change from a reality that we do not want to one that we do requires us individually and collectively to disengage from our embedded patterns of understanding and sense making, to sit in the space of ALL THAT IS and cultivate a quality of inner spaciousness to listen to the whisper of the emergent future.
 
After 30+ years in the transformation business – systems, structures and people I have distilled my knowledge into a model that guarantees REAL change, change that nourishes the individual, fosters flourishing relationships, promotes thriving communities and is the foundation for business in service to sustainability, re-invention and regeneration.
 
It is a model that serves the agenda of connectedness and heart centred creation:
 
* Based on our human capacity for developmental learning and our capacity to imagine.
 
* requires no special training or upskilling
 
* makes for an effortless shift from reactionary to creative responses in all areas of life the more it is used and applied
 
* can be applied at the individual, group and collective level.
 
* provides immediate insights and results can be apparent in as little as a couple of hours.
 
The model is based on my study and experience of structural dynamics, hermetic philosophy, alchemy, intuition and business transformation methodologies e.g. Agile, Lean sigma, Theory U, Systems Thinking.
 
There are no intellectual property or trademark restrictions and although there is no training required as such to use the model it’s efficacy and the integrity of results are inextricably linked to the interior quality of the Teacher, Leader, Coach or Facilitator – their level of self-awareness, self-responsibility, self-mastery and their agenda of intention.
The quality of change – or not – is a direct reflection of the quality of s/he who orchestrates that change. Whether the reality that is created is the desired outcome or not it becomes the starting point for the next iteration of creation and the teacher for the student who wants to learn.
The key themes of the model are:
1. Inner Sense
2. Structural Integrity
3. Creative Tension
4. Devotional Action
5. Learning & Adjusting
6. Leveraging Momentum
 
Are you a change-maker with a business, product or project that you dearly want to succeed? If you have read this far and you are interested in how to orchestrate successful change I am available for a no obligation consultation on line.
 
Email me on [email protected]

Superconscious Thinking: 5 Steps to Access Your Genius

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It was Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind who said the “The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind—creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers.”

The only thing we can be certain of is change.  Whether we are living in a time of more or less change is immaterial what is important is that we can be comfortable with it, work with it and ultimately welcome it.  When we do this we make connections that haven’t been made before and these connections facilitate us to bring something new into being.  Then we become one of the ‘different kind’ of people who belong to the future because we have created it.

We are led to believe that genius belongs to an elite.  That people like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk are one-offs: that what they do and how they do it is not repeatable but it was Jobs that said “I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis.”

Whether we believe it or not this kind of consciousness is available to all of us and whether we like it or not it does influence our lives.  It is the quiet voice that we hear in meditation, when we choose to be mindful or perhaps unexpectedly when we spontaneously disengage from the cacophony of life.  This is the voice of true intuition – what the mind apprehends before rationalising.  A voice that we oft times ignore but in hindsight realise it’s truth.

We all have the faculty and capability to become super conscious thinkers.  My invitation to you is to cultivate a super conscious connection to proactively access your own well of unique potential.  To embody super conscious thinking cultivate a daily practise. Meditation is the process but the end result is wisdom. Start with 5-10 mins in the morning, somewhere quiet where you can be comfortable and preferably close your eyes.  Here are some easy guidelines to follow:

1. Be curious: you don’t have to believe or know to check out what super conscious thinking is about.  There is no condition that precludes you from being able to access your genius. Consider what if……what if you were a genius and a super conscious thinker what would life be like then?

2. Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings: your thoughts and feelings do exist but they are not a reflection of true reality.  They are a reflection of your past experience, your fears, your doubts, a reflection of the world as you learnt to see it. Remember the quiet voice I talked about earlier – well thoughts and feelings are what drown out the quiet voice.  Acknowledging them turns down the sound.

3. Choose yourself: this time IS about you, about accessing your gifts, your talents and ultimately finding out what is important to you. It is NOT about planning your day, working out the logistics of your home life or solving the problems of the world.

4. Let go of the need to know: Nothing has to make sense or to be worked out. That is for later on in your day!

5. Connect with your genius: imagine a golden circle or if you are not visual just know it is there and choose to step into it.  Remember the first thing that your mind apprehends is the gold nugget of the super conscious thinker.  Be with that, you don’t need to know what it is or what it means.  Ask yourself what it feels like to be here in your genius. Choose that emotion for the day.

You will discover that super conscious thinking doesn’t just put you in touch with your deepest self but – and this might seem a bit out there – like a sci-fi version of the internet it will connect you to all that is, in a place beyond the space time continuum.  From here it is possible to create what really matters to you because you are guided by the engine room of your soul.

Biography

Anne is an experienced innovation and technology professional with over 30 years experience. A hallmark of her experience is the early adoption of new technologies such as hand held computers for revenue collection, the first paperless office in the UK and workflow systems for offshore business process outsourcing.  Involved in a number of global projects Anne had to lead virtual teams from a variety of vendors challenged by time zone, language and cultural differences.  She was compelled to find tools to bring the best of diverse contributions and talents to together and she learnt about the subtle power of coaching to create synergy.  Anne now refers to this as the ‘Technology of Superconscious Thinking’ and has evolved a way of bring all her experience together to create end results that can often appear to be impossible.  She  works with a number of private clients in the UK, US, Singapore and Australia making personal and career transitions and with companies who are willing to innovate and commit to the potential of people in their organisations.

For more information on how to create super consciously email your details to [email protected] and Anne will get back to you for a 15 min consultation on how the technology of super consciousness can be applied for you personally or your business.

The White Rabbit & The First Startup Accelerator Lab

IMAG4005White Rabbit advertising Mr Sykes Modern Conceirge

My curiosity is piqued.  I love meetup but with my broad range of interests I am flooded with all sorts of  meetings to join.  It takes something extra to catch my eye and Henry Chuks, author of Gorilla Theory managed to do that by putting together an event with the words Startup + Accelerator + Lab in the happening part of town – Shoreditch in the heart of Silicon Roundabout.  A white rabbit moment!  Focused as I am on writing and the development of the SatNav4TheSoul app toolbox I can be loathe to venture out of my West London hideaway but the semblance of Spring and a personal note from Andras Tessenyi of JBS Labs who was also signed up for the meetup lured me out on the 23 April 2014 to Shoreditch Town Hall.  Quite incicidentally I did encounter my white rabbit on the way, not alive and not in a hurry but indisputably a white rabbit.

Henry is a happy fellow who laid on free copies of his book Gorilla Theory and two tables heaped with refreshments and snacks.  Shoreditch Town Hall is an impressive venue and a healthy turn out added to the buzz in the air.  Unfortunately the acoustics and the lack of seating proved to be a challenge as the night went on.  I am not against the standing in principle but in practise the presentations need to be tighly managed; short sharp and punchy.  Suzanne Noble from Frugl started the proceedings well and got the advantage of a fresh and curious crowd.  She also presented her proposition for Frugl – an iPhone app to give you the best of your city, on a budget in the form of events that are free or less than £10 – clearly, unambiguously and with the enthusiasm of someone who believe in what she is doing.  She had a very clear ask for £150K investment to take Frugl to the next level. For me this was the winning pitch of the evening. It was obvious that it would take alot more money to take Frugl to where she really wants it to go – an app for every city – but what she was asking was anchored in reality, it was a starting point for discussion and she led me to believe that she could be pragmatic and creative with any money she received.  Of course it takes more than a gut feel to know if that is true but at least she created the invitation to find out.

I am also intrigued by Meetcha At created by Jodi Humphreys and Rob Slama.  It is a free app that allows you to invite friends to vote for time and place meetings and then takes the guilt out of the social choice question by choosing the date and place.  I havent downloaded the app yet but I would like to think that it allows the host to do time and place weighting and ideally choose to override the computer decision.  Though that could defeat the original purpose of the app I think there is a room for an app that does the analytical leg work involved in the herding cats work of social gatherings.

As a shy extrovert I am not a great fan of pure networking.  The pitch focus was a nice distraction that gave me the opportunity to ease into connecting.  Henry, our host, was very sociable ensuring that he greeted everyone and nurtured the flow of conversation. Although I could not stay until the end I got to exchange business cards with Suzanne of Frugl, to meet Mel Lewis of Video Labz who design websites and video ‘to put more money on your bottom line’ and dive into a bit more detail with Andras of JBSLabs who could be a potential business partner for the developmemnt of SatNav4TheSoul.

All in all a great night out, just dampened a modicum by the veil of rain that came to meet me on the steps as I left.  There is scope to tighten up the pitch concept to be powerful for both the presenters and the audience.  I like the idea of a panel of experts to give feedback to help people tweak their pitches and perhaps some more environmental comforts but it does have the potential to be a productive evening of entertainment that serves the heart of Silicon Roundabout.

Anne K. Scott facilitates change; she has over 30 years experiencing delivering leading edge technology and mentoring individuals to start their own businesses or creating change in their lives aligned with their core values and true purpose. If you are interested in the work that Anne does check out Working Together here.  She is the creator of FindYourMojo a FREE iPHone productivity app. If you are interested in what intuitive coaching can do for you please do contact me.  I support clients all over the world.