Tips On Conscious Capitalism
The best ways of expanding the entrepreneurial spirit
My approach to spiritual living is focused specifically on those progressive thinkers who have an entrepreneurial spirit.
I like to focus on those who seek to guide and influence larger organizations to embrace conscious and spiritually-based business practices.
In the end, it serves each of us and the world at large to follow business strategies, in which we seek to benefit both human beings and the environment while producing greater income.
The conscious business movement in the U.S. originally emerged from the theory of corporate social responsibility. This theory promotes economic values where business people have social and environmental concerns at both global and local scales. This effort is related to not-for-profit business models, conscious consumerism, and socially responsible investing. It goes way beyond that.
Many in the wisdom path community avoid categorizing conscious business as any particular “thing” or as an idea that can be easily defined since they regard it less as a thing that can be categorized, and more as a process that includes self-awareness, awareness of purpose, practice (social theory) and relationships.
Many believe that Anita Roddick pioneered the conscious business movement with her company, The Body Shop in 1976. This company has been an environmental leader and worked to support various activist causes including putting an end to animal testing and defending human rights.
Many conscious businesses can be found in the health food industry and the lifestyles of health and sustainability) market. However, today conscious businesses can be found emerging in almost all aspects of business. Whole Foods cofounder, John Mackey, is a pioneer in the movement along with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
Large corporations as well as small boutique agencies and individuals have embraced the movement despite pressure to increase profit at any cost. They see the value of business practices based on ethics and social responsibility versus just personal gain. Public relations and brand specialist Sarni Jaye based her business on working only with conscious brands to help them grow and achieve their desired mission. USA Today reported about the wave of millennials embracing conscious business. Other businesses cited are Trader Joe’s, the Container Store, Nordstrom, and others, though many of these companies have been accused of union-busting practices.
Some various agencies and companies catalog the social and environmental practices of businesses for consumer use, as well as companies that consult with businesses to increase their awareness and beneficial practices in the world.
Conscious business is about people who are aware of the impact each of their habits and actions has on the environment (people and planet). It is about people who live their lives knowing that everything is interconnected. It is about people, who know who they are; and who desire to live and work through joy, creativity, and ease instead of fear, and domination.
It is generally agreed upon that the product or service of a conscious business should not be intrinsically harmful to humans or the environment. Such a business can take part in the conscious business movement if it is taking conscious steps to be more aware of its social and environmental effects and to adopt more beneficial social or environmental practices.
Conscious Capitalism
Capitalism can be viewed as among the most positive forces in human history. When viewed from the bigger picture it is an expression of all the best things an economic system can offer the visionary thinker. Those who attack it as an expression of power, negative influence, and greed are confusing capitalism, with the darker aspects of the human psyche. One need only look closely at what has become of most of the “so-called’ humane and idealistic economic, and social systems in history to see what a positive force capitalism can be. No matter how lofty many of the systems may have been conceptual, in the end, they either failed or were transformed by the natural human inclination for competition, hierarchal behavior, and reciprocal altruism.
Even the kibbutz movement in Israel originally altruistically driven collective communities has become, on many levels capitalistic. Though they were traditionally based on agriculture and service to each other, today they have expanded into other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism. In recent decades, some kibbutzim have been privatized and changes have been made in the communal lifestyle.
The word “capitalist” can mean two things:
1. It can mean someone who likes capitalism;
2. It can also mean someone who invests, such as a venture capitalist invests in new businesses, and a conscious capitalist can invest in things that make the world a better place to live for present and future generations.
The basics of conscious capitalism are as such:
• Business sells things that people want or need.
• Investors in business make extra money (profit).
• Investors can take their profit and invest it in more
businesses, in making the business bigger, or
serving others through this profit.
• Investors can get more profit if businesses are
successful.
• The investors use their profits to fulfill their needs
and reinvest the remaining profits to serve others.
Ultimately service to others cannot be mandated by the state or some regulating agency. It is the choice made by an extraordinary person seeking to do extraordinary things.
In a capitalist culture government plays a secondary role and people and companies make most of the decisions, and own most of the property. In a sense, any capitalist enterprise is a reflection of the heart and soul of the person making these decisions. The business owner can choose what goods are to be made by their company and sold for profit. The means of production are largely or entirely privately owned (by individuals or companies) and operated for profit. The meaning of all this goes beyond just financial profit. In the end, any business is part of the creative expression of the business owner or entrepreneur.
The Takeaway
Despite the many utopian ideas promoted by those well-meaning souls who see a better way than this, the truth is that people work for money so they can buy things they need or want, including food, clothing, and shelter. Capitalism has a more or less free market economy. That means prices move up or down according to the demand for products. People buy and sell things by their judgment.
This story is an excerpt from my course “How to Become Really Wealthy”
©Lewis Harrison, all rights reserved.
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Before you go…
I am Lewis Harrison, a successful entrepreneur, and advisor to philanthropists. I am also the award-winning author of over twenty books on business, leadership, personal growth, and strategic thinking. For over a decade I was the producer and host of the show “What’s Up” on NPR-affiliated WIOX FM in New York.
Now, aside from writing on Medium, and connecting personally with my readers, I teach seminars and speak on personal development, and life strategies throughout the world.
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