There are so many technological changes in the last decades. What changed the world really; cars, planes, Internet, smart phone or medical health care? Peter Drucker said that it is none of these inventions by itself, but the total, creates an increasing amount of opportunities for more and more people. Initially, this sounds great. However, it also means that you have to make choices. Furthermore, the playground changes since similar opportunities are available to competition. Personal vision and understanding your values are more important than ever before. It requires a leadership mindset. Even in these uncertain times opportunities will come up, mostly unexpected. Take leadership over yourself by creating a mental picture of the future so that you can make the right choices when change occurs.

The world has drastically changed over the last few months. When suppliers cannot provide products and services anymore, consumers run into problems, and almost everybody is a supplier as well as consumer. We realize better than ever before how dependent we are from each other. Now is the time to be creative, come up with new ideas and innovative improvements. Thinking things over is exactly what Stephen Covey means with the 7th habit 'Sharpen the saw', often referred to as Renewal. In the current world-changing situation the 7th habit applies to many things and to all of us. Currently, many people are bounded to stay at home. Despite the fact that our freedom is limited, we can use the time to think in solitude. That is mostly where the spark of creativity comes to live.

The Corona pandemic is a fact, we lost control over the situation. What is left to do for us, is to use our response-ability. Viktor Frankl was prisoner in four concentration camps in World War II where he faced many situations over which he had no control. Then he realized that the only option left is to choose his own attitude and response towards the situation. To date, our challenge is somehow similar. We can also choose our own response at this time, like avoiding crowds of people and being more hygienic. Not to be in control but to minimize possible damage, similar as for Frankl. One day, when the pandemic is history, we will be thankful for the lessons learned. With that knowledge and our creativity we might find solutions to stay in control under similar circumstances in the future.

It is in human nature to strive for freedom. Freedom is the power to do what you want. It requires a mindset of independence and the means to get what you want. In our modern world, the means is often money. It is up to the individual to take responsibility within his or her freedom. Examples of misuse of the freedom are an abuse of alcohol or drugs and irresponsible driving behavior. One can argue that absolute freedom is even unwanted. Look at the many wars we had and have to date. The power of freedom enables a nation or group of people to enforce their believes to other people, often not without violence. For us in daily life, let us enjoy the freedom we have but always take the responsibility towards ourselves and others, and do things for the better.

Everybody’s main reason for existence is to mean something in someone else’s life, that is why other people care about you. At a funeral I asked myself; when would you die too young? The answer I came up with; as long as somebody will miss you it’s too early. Because that means that you contribute to someone else’s happiness. Just image that nobody cries when you pass away. When you set new year’s resolutions, think of what you can do to serve the people around you. Being appreciated for your contributions is most fulfilling. What to do exactly depends on your unique talents. But if you do it wholeheartedly, it brings joy and happiness, unbreakable to you and to others. Let 2020 be the year of your contribution to be proud of.

Learning by taking classes, either by a teacher or self-study, is a passive form of learning. It helps to get and understanding of the subject but all craftsmanship require specific skills. Skills cannot be learned from paper. It requires a lot of practicing to master the activities to get the things done. In the doing, you will also face unexpected issues. Issues that are not mentioned in text books. Text books describe the theory and show general examples. Furthermore, text books contain by definition information from the past, especially in a fast changing world. It is the combination of classes and apply that makes you an expert in a specific field. Knowing is not enough, the real learning is in the doing. The coming ESD workshop is about applying. Interested? Register for the ESD 2019 workshops

When something occupies your mind and you are worried or stressed, other people often give the advise "forget about it, let it go". Out of interest that person might ask what the problem is and likes to understand it in detail. Talking about it can help you to get new insights and might relief but forgetting is impossible. Since your mind can only think about one thing at the time, doing something completely different can help not to think about the issue. This method is also called "the law of substitution" which means that you replace one thought by another. That is why sitting on the couch to relax is less effective that doing something that puts your mind on another topic. It is easier said than done but worth trying. Interested in these and other topics, register for the ESD 2019 workshops

Have you ever experienced that someone says he understands you fully since it is so logical, even trivial, and does almost the opposite a minute later? It seems that common sense, what most people know is right, is not always common practice, what most people do. Why is that? First of all, some habits are so deeply rooted that it is almost part for their nature. Secondly, it seems to be very hard for people to objectively analyze their behavior and see their pitfalls. Thirdly, it requires significant discipline to do things in the right way instead of the easy way. It is so much easier to judge and stay passive than to have the courage to take action, and of course, experience resistance. Common sense is often assumed to be common practice, but it is quite different. This is especially true for 'soft-skills'. Interested in these and other topics, register for the ESD 2019 workshops

Recently, I spoke with a doctor who was seriously ill himself and asked “Can you still take patients serious who complain about little things?” His answer was “Everyone experiences problems in his or her own way, therefore an outsider cannot judge whether a problem is big or small”. If you have a problem it keeps your mind busy. It is very hard to let a problem go before you found somehow a solution. A colleague of mine said “I prefer to work hard towards a solution and then take a rest, because I cannot rest as long as the problem occupies my mind”. Understandable, but there is a risk that you overload yourself. It requires a strong character to avoid that. Knowing your own limits is most likely the number one challenge for people in modern society. To get a better insight in your own values, register for the ESD 2019 workshops

Young people have a future in front of them in which they will get opportunities but will also face difficulties. In today's world the amount of opportunities is incredible but this is also true for peers and competition. As a young person it is not easy to find your way, to be valuable and to ensure a living. Not seldom, young people look up to elderly that might have achieved so much in life. In contrast, many elderly would like to be young, to live life again with their current knowledge. They project themselves back into their youth time and usually forget that the world changed significantly. It is doubtful whether an elderly would even survive in today's modern world when he or she would be young all of a sudden. Where do you want to be, in the process of becoming or having realities in the past? Interested in these and other topics, register for the ESD 2019 workshops