Passion Killers........Please close the door as you leave!!

I went along to the Chartered Management Institutes book prize event last night, a nice event and some really noted authors and industry figures were present, etc....

What was most interesting about the event was a conversation I had post the event with a very senior leader in the publishing world (who will remain nameless). Here is someone who in his younger years followed his heart, his passions and his purpose and then some 30yrs on I stumble upon him over a glass of red wine. His message to me, enthusiasm is enough, most people in work aren't passionate, there just there to make a living and then go and do something more interesting.

I felt truly inspired by this conversation!! as I am sure we all would be, curb your enthusiasm came to mind as the conversation went along. Here was someone who has reached the top of his tree and is now stuck, bored, uninspired and a little downbeat on the world of work...hmmmm interesting.

Yet the very same person 10yrs ago would have been running on oxygen that was without doubt fuelled by his passion, purpose and love for the industry at that time....my thoughts.....time to change and do something more refreshing kind Sir and lets keep it upbeat in the world of Media.

Yes the stats for under 25 are shocking at present time, Yes it’s frightening how easily this government is choosing to make university an increasingly class and privilege based social engineering process and YET…every generation has its challenges, lets seek to objectively see the positives and opportunities here.

SO…………………………….

Can I buy into the story that people with ordinary lives, careers and a solid life shouldn't look to have passion in their working life.....I simply can't!!!

We have to find a way to love what we do, find the passion, purpose and our true meaning of what it means to be in service of something bigger than ourselves. Life without a sense of service doesn’t feel like a life that I want to lead, its not aligned to my version of a lifelessordinary.

THEN Today…………………
Life’s messages come in funny packages. Today with this conversation still running through my mind I exited from London's Liverpool Street station to be presented with these 2 ladies dressed in giant yellow condoms oops, I mean sleeping bags…..no boiler covers – advertising the services of the AA.

What made me smile? that here in the centre of London were 2 ladies running around in the middle of the drizzling, dreary London weather with a pretty horrendous job of attempting to gain a seconds acknowledgement from Londons commuters, no mean feat – these 2 girls put a smile on my face and demonstrated that no matter what we do, we have choice, passion is a feeling and yet more than that it’s a bloody mind-set and one that I think in the UK and the world over we will need to draw on for a very long time to come.

With passion comes fun, ideas, creativity, novelty, collaboration, insights, ideas, energy, laughter and ultimately innovation and we all know that we need more of all of this in life today!

The Internal Voice

A Beautiful Mind


Our mind is a wonderful and strange vessel all in one. One moment the internal dialogue stands to support you, telling you to push forwards, make it happen, independence and freedom align with your deepest needs, wants, values and purpose.

AND then like this morning I wake up with gnawing anxiety of someone who doesn't have a structure and routine imposed (self or by others). I awake in a slight daze wondering SO what am I really DOING here. And yet, Thursday I have a meeting with a potential publisher to discuss the book, I'm about to book the flights to India. I've been blessed with a number of people kindly sharing their contacts in India and saying get in touch with them.....

This voice is exactly and simply just that a voice, you have to push beyond the shadowy figure and tones of this voice, acknowledge its positive intentions and YET seek to go with your FLOW anyway....trusting both your INTUITION and also that the universe, your friends, family and professional network will be a supportive and encouraging network.

Lesson here I think when the shadowy voice of the saboteur/gremlin emerges, by all means listen to it, but don't obey it's message, see it as a trick of the mind to keep you small and boxed into a self imposed/limited prison.......

India: A Journey Less Ordinary

So I'm planning out my journey to India and it looks like I will be visiting southern India on this trip. I will be visiting Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai during the course of this trip. I'm going to be interviewing individual social entrepreneurs and organisations that are out there supporting these inspiring individuals.

I love the purpose of the organisation Kiva and their story is inspiring Jessica Jackley shares how the organisation began, just do it comes to mind......she went to Africa and spent time with real people, learning how they were being entrepreneurial, she learnt about their needs and then she simply went back to the US and with her business partner she began raising money to serve their needs.

I'm looking to hear from anyone who knows a great organisation in India and beyond who have a social purpose that is making a real difference to peoples lives.......contact me via Darren@darrenrobson.com.

Have fun!

Love your path. Without this, nothing makes any sense

picture reference: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcobellucci/3534516458/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Welcome to 2011,

An interesting article from Paulo Coelho's blog http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/01/01/manual-for-conserving-paths/ and I like the final rule about loving your path.

Having decided to leave the relative safety of a good organisation, in 2011 I've put myself out into the wider world. I've been here before back in 2003 - 2005 I ran my own small niche consultancy and in the end it didn't work for me........SO what I ask myself will have to be different this time. How will I ensure that I feed the family, keep myself sane, stay on the creative edge, connect with the right people and not find myself wasting my time on interesting conversations.....although of interest. How will I deal with my own failings, the fear of being rejected and the loneliness that is often associated with the start up phase of creating a new idea, organisation or seeking to find a new way of living your professional and personal life.

I think the fears, concerns and issues that I talk of above are a common part of going on the entrepreneurial journey, your authentic journey, where one follows their version of a truth, often called authenticity and what Tim 'Mac' Macartney http://www.embercombe.co.uk/calls the invisible path. This is about finding yourself, if like me you know on some deeply personal level that you need to start sharing your voice and ideas and that you have to get out there to really experience the world, then I hope this blog may become a resource.

Over the course of the next year I'm intent on sharing my warts and all story, the success, my failings and 'failures' or lessons. February see's me heading to India to interview, meet, observe and experience real social entrepreneurship in action. It's a risk that I personally have to take, without such a journey I'm always going to be left questioning and wondering what the hell has this journey been about, knowing intuitively that you aren't getting the most out of life or even giving enough back to life in the end it has to become the motive force, it has to challenge us to be our bigger self, to be more than we were yesterday and to find your new way.

We've heard that its about being the change that you want to see in the world...I think its time we evolved this insight to say that you have to lead the change, being and being alone is impotent it lacks the necessary action, drive and determination that it takes to make real change happen!

My original organisation was named 'lifelessordinary' and 2011 feels like it's about really understanding what that means for me and my life.......it's no longer simply about money alone, this year has to be about finding deep meaning and purpose in my life, conceiving a vision, having the balls to move towards that vision and then using your energy and discipline to focus to make something change and real in our world.....

The invisible path is not easy and then again the road less travelled would never be if it was always going to be easy......!