BUSINESS

Why Human Resources? Are We Capital? You Don’t Own Us!

Reflections on Life and Ownership

In periods of illness, reflection is our huge profit. Our windfall. Our return on investment of time in hospital.

So, I reflect a lot these days.

If we don’t relate everything we do to LIFE and WHY, what does it all mean?

We need heart and soul back into our world. Into business and technology most of all. So, my educational innovation sharing about biomimicry is always layered with heart and soul. I’m thinking up little strategies for how to do bring feelings back. What can I post? What random acts of kindness will I do today? Who can I surprise?

Do you ever go around giving compliments to strangers? Not because they do something but just for being them?

Just because you notice their glasses and you like these glasses?

The other day, I was in the sauna. I love the sauna for relaxing my body. And relaxation is what I need now most of all. Stress is the #1 ill-maker.

And a young woman spoke to me in English.

She turned out to be German. But she spoke English to me in a Dutch sauna. She said:

“Maybe it sounds strange, but you radiate a calmness I like very much. Calmness and confidence.”

This little comment made my day! I had been stressed the days before but in the sauna, a calm surrender came over me. And she had picked up on that. And the most beautiful fact was that she expressed it to me.

I was glad to hear the calm was not only something I only felt inside, it was pick-up-able. She noticed. And she made me the best compliment ever.

Thank you, German woman!

Ownership and Leadership

Today, I reflected on business ownership. And ex-president Trump. And the fact that he gave a speech about the Dutch farmer protests getting completely out of hand. Riots. Fires. Asbestos is dumped on highways.

Intimidations from both sides.

And bad bad bad leadership. Of course, Trump applauded the farmers. And I just think, how can we do this to each other? Over what?

Maybe I should be writing more about leadership. And about how to handle emotions in leadership. How to allow emotions in leadership. How to communicate in a non-manipulative way while emotions can be felt in the room.

Maybe I should. Maybe I will soon.

This is what I posted today on LinkedIn, where I have a good number of followers. We inspire each other in business, life, radical innovation, and everything in between.

On LinkedIn

Dove drama. Thousands of animals got disoriented due to a storm. This article starts with the fact that their owners lose millions.

Is that our problem in this world? Do we think we own? Do we think we lose millions while we never had millions in the first place?

No one cares about the doves, apparently. We care for animals because they represent millions and can make future millions for us.

Future. Time. Millions.

Let’s think today about ownership. Who owns who? Who owns what? How does capital make capital in the future?

How can employees be human capital if you can’t own them? If tomorrow they can walk away? Or get sick? Or die?

Risks. Ownership.

Do we own capital or does capital own us? Does the bank own us? Does the bank and tax office differentiate between capital in stones/assets and cash flow?

Why not?

That’s one of the big problems in the Dutch farmer drama. There are more problems. I know. But that’s not for this story.

Does the bank take responsibility when times get tough? Does any company? Companies made millions at one point in time. And now they whine.

Risks. Winning. Losing.

Can we please make a company strategy for good times and bad times? Can investors please be connected to the company and the local economy?

Share in windfalls and share in risks and costs.

Can we please stop blaming the government for everything? And can this government please stop giving us more and more difficult rules? Bureaucracy is killing us all!

Autonomy. Responsibility. Flourishing.

Leaders, please be like fair mothers. 2/3 tender loving care. And 1/3 clear and minimal rules so everyone can develop themselves into a good future.

Leaders, please tell me your positive vision.

Start with only 3 words and elaborate to a maximum of 21 words. What is your WHY? Why does your company exist?

Do your stakeholders know? Do you ever talk about it over lunch?

Why not?

Reflection, my friends.

If we don’t relate everything we do to LIFE and WHY, what does it all mean?

Human Animals with Thoughts

Maybe today I can invite you here on Medium to do a little reflection too? Who owns what? Who owns who?

Why are you so sad when your lover leaves? Why do you blame him for anything? Do you own his thoughts? His feelings? Do you own your own thoughts and feelings?

My feelings are mine. And mine alone.

I realize that I’m an animal species who has the wonderful gift of thought. However, I also realize we are just triggering on three very biological things.

• Dopamine. The beautiful addictive feeling of dopamine. The happy hormone. We want it all day. The rush we get when we buy something. Or when someone smiles at us. Sugars. Chocolate. All dopamine
• Amygdala. It’s the little almond in our brain that triggers when we feel offended. The amygdala wants to keep us safe. And because we live in a relatively safe world now, no more tigers and daily snakes, we mostly fear each other and illness
• We are wired to observe differences. We feel the cold when we come from warm. Dark is darker when we come from light

The amygdala causes us to fight, flee or freeze. Do you ever notice it? The urge to defend yourself in speech?

But why do you care if someone thinks something of you?

Are we just busy all day judging people (observing the difference between them and me) and trying not to be judged (hiding differences from others)?

We want to be unique. And we want to belong.

That seems a contradiction.

So how? How? How?

Biggest Freedom

My biggest freedom in life came when I realized all this and I could observe myself triggering. I became free of other people’s thoughts about me. I became free of trying to please. I became free of judging other people.

What a feeling! True freedom!

When I didn’t need anyone anymore for my emotional happiness, I could love people for real. And love came with bucketloads into my life.

Of course, freedom comes with responsibility over my own body and my own life and health. That’s a thingy for me these days. How do I know what to decide about my own health? But luckily, I learned to trust my own deep observations. I know what to do.

It’s my life. My journey.

And that’s great freedom too. I have very good and honest conversations with my oncologist. I want to know what he knows. And I’m aware that there’s a lot he doesn’t know either. I spoke to a friend who cured herself of cancer.

She was given up. The doctors couldn’t do anything.

And she uncreated the illness she had created the alternative way. With Ayurveda (I just looooove the old Asian wisdom of Ayurveda) and deep Hawaiian ho’oponopono forgiveness rituals.

Ho’oponopono roughly translates as:

“Cause things to move back in balance”

We had a deep talk. And I will incorporate her story into my journey. In my own way. I’m not her. She’s not me. I have been conceived at a Belgian nuclear plant after all. I’m a chemical girl. Hahaha.

And perhaps I have to have a chemical journey to be cancer-cured. I don’t know. And I don’t have to know all.

That would be arrogant.

So, I surrender to the mystery of life.

And I can only repeat my first sentence.

If I don’t relate everything I do to LIFE and WHY, what does it all mean?

Thanks for our conversation today. If you want to continue in the comments, I will answer. And we’ll talk for real.

Thank you, Gaia, for giving me Wild Writing. © Désirée Driesenaar, 2022