Memorial Day puts life into focus for us all. The greatest discontinuity in life is death. Yet, although we seemingly know so much about life, we truly know very little about death. As a people, most of us turn to religion and then we all fight over the words and meanings. And often, wars and deaths follow. It is a strange irony. We can do better.
We all need foundations. Even the television series has a simple foundations statement. It is based on three universals about the very nature of perfection. The first and most simple is continuity; as a function it creates order. The second is symmetry and as a function it creates relations. The third is harmony, a complex symmetry moving in time, and it creates fleeting moments of perfection (as well as all the dynamics of life within an imperfect, fundamentally chaotic, physical world).
Reality Check. This three-part statement can be used as a reality check for all religions and their statements about life and death. If their holy writings are not implicitly about continuity-order, symmetry-relations, and ultimately dynamics-harmony, then that statement is an historic statement, stamped within a moment in time, and its universality can only be understood within the context of perfection and perfected states in space and time.
All universals inherently satisfy those three conditions (more about this statement in future blogs).
The struggle of life and death. In a prior blog the work of Ahmad Chebbani and the US-Arab Economic Forum was introduced. The net-net of that forum is that we will be working with the embassies and their country's investors to re-introduce the television series into every Arab nation. We will also be launching a new series about the best businesses in the world. We'll look at the oldest to examine the essential nature of their continuity conditions. And, we'll look at the businesses creating the most jobs to look more deeply into the dynamics of innovation.
Business is fundamentally about creating value. And, value is measured by those same three universals. Business may not discuss universals very well, but they are inherent in the essential fabric of good business and this show and all the shows that we introduce will always be about the best businesses.
Every day should begin as a Memorial Day. This weekend it has been a profound pleasure to review several episodes where the founder has died simply to see that their legacy vibrantly lives on.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
May 1: An open letter and a request for a prayer on this National Day of Prayer
There are many benefits in doing a weekly television show about people who start, run, and grow a very successful business.¹ The greatest benefit is just to be with these very special people for a few days.² We have met some of the finest, most-evolved people on the planet.³ The second benefit is a blessing; many have become friends. And third, sometimes we are invited as their guests to special occasions.
Surely, we feel this way about Ahmad Chebbani and his wife, Michelle, and their three lovely daughters. What a privilege to get to know them. And, what an honor to continue to know and to watch this family and their businesses grow.
Ahmad has invited us to attend his U.S. –Arab Economic Forum on May 7-9, 2008 in Washington D.C. and I am anxious to report the results.
On September 11, 2001 the chemistry of the global community was forever changed. Now people like Ahmad are trying to build bridges over the chasm that was created that day.
Thought-leaders from business, government and academia from over 35 countries will convene to struggle to answer the question, "How do we bridge the divide?" Of course, I have been thinking about the finest possible outcome of such an event.
Today is May 1, 2008. It is the National Day of Prayer. I ask that you stop for a moment and offer a little prayer that together we all might get involved in bridging the divides between cultures, religions, and political systems.
On a selfish note, I also ask for your prayers for this television production, Small Business School. It has a big vision and mission.
Just think what might happen if we were all looking for the most ethical, generous, and successful people in the world to profile and understand deeply. What role models these people would be! Just think what might happen if there were a series like American Idol but all about business. Reward the good and ignore the bad.
Thank you.
Bruce Camber
camber@SmallBusinessSchool.org
214-801-8521
Footnotes:
¹ This show is on mission and is driven by a new vision for the future.
² The people invited to be stars of this show have been selected by their communities -- they are profoundly respected within their industry for their leadership and integrity and they are loved in their community for their generosity and ethics. Here is a link to the selection criteria.
³Of course, one's blog is a personal reflection on the meaning and value of life.
Surely, we feel this way about Ahmad Chebbani and his wife, Michelle, and their three lovely daughters. What a privilege to get to know them. And, what an honor to continue to know and to watch this family and their businesses grow.
Ahmad has invited us to attend his U.S. –Arab Economic Forum on May 7-9, 2008 in Washington D.C. and I am anxious to report the results.
On September 11, 2001 the chemistry of the global community was forever changed. Now people like Ahmad are trying to build bridges over the chasm that was created that day.
Thought-leaders from business, government and academia from over 35 countries will convene to struggle to answer the question, "How do we bridge the divide?" Of course, I have been thinking about the finest possible outcome of such an event.
Today is May 1, 2008. It is the National Day of Prayer. I ask that you stop for a moment and offer a little prayer that together we all might get involved in bridging the divides between cultures, religions, and political systems.
On a selfish note, I also ask for your prayers for this television production, Small Business School. It has a big vision and mission.
Just think what might happen if we were all looking for the most ethical, generous, and successful people in the world to profile and understand deeply. What role models these people would be! Just think what might happen if there were a series like American Idol but all about business. Reward the good and ignore the bad.
Thank you.
Bruce Camber
camber@SmallBusinessSchool.org
214-801-8521
Footnotes:
¹ This show is on mission and is driven by a new vision for the future.
² The people invited to be stars of this show have been selected by their communities -- they are profoundly respected within their industry for their leadership and integrity and they are loved in their community for their generosity and ethics. Here is a link to the selection criteria.
³Of course, one's blog is a personal reflection on the meaning and value of life.
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