As humans we are inextricably-tied to the outdoors. Of course, this makes absolute sense as we began life outside, in the forests, on the savannahs. We used to entirely subscribe to, and be ruled by, the laws of nature. In fact, at the turn of the century, nature was our livelihood as an agricultural society. However, as humankind entered into the Industrial Revolution and has progressed techonologically in the Information Age, we've begun to drift in our connection with the natural world. Most recently, our increasing dependency on "all things digital" has caused many of us to nearly un-plug from nature altogether.

The Ammonista Report - Fall 2014

A powerful question for brands to answer in 2015: what are you prepared to sacrifice to gain meaning and loyalty with your customer?

The hardest word to say in business, especially sales, is ‘NO’. In a world of ‘we can do it’, who’s asking the critical questions of whether we ‘should’? Or if the increased sales and delivery distracts our resources away from our core purpose? Truth is, brands can’t be all things to all people – and those that try to be basically stand for nothing.

Sounds of Street View

Launched in August 2014, Sounds of Street View is a project from UK-based hearing aid specialist Amplifon. Combining Google Maps with audio footage, the free online experience automatically adds site-specific sounds to different locations, with three available at launch; France, Hawaii and California.

It Happens Only Once A Year – What’s Next Leadership Retreat accepting reservations for 2014

What’s Next Leadership Retreat accepting reservations for 2014

When Vicky and I first conspired on an executive leadership retreat, our intention was to help senior managers and business owners create a ‘lighthouse’ brand for themselves – one based authentically upon their personal purpose – and one that reflects the values, philosophies and thought leadership they wish to express to the world.

We also knew that our ‘place’ should also be special – one that promotes the deconstruction of that which no longer serves us...

The Importance of Elsewhere

One of the most important appetites my now departed mother transferred to me was that of travel. Being of Chinese origin, she always placed the highest value on education - and unbeknownst to me at the time – our annual trips became global courses in history, culture, humanity and compassion. Throughout various times of my life, travel became my insurance policy...

Making Every Day Thanksgiving - A personal story

While cleaning out a closet the other day, I stumbled upon a familiarly frayed journal that had been a close confidant during my bout with cancer over fifteen years ago.

Thumbing through the pages, it felt like a different time and space – almost like I was reading about someone else rather than myself – yet the memories and references are a bit too familiar to ignore. And while viscerally impossible for emotions not to swell up as I peruse my most intimate thoughts, I noticed a definite pattern to each entry - albeit long or short, each entry ended with a 1-2-3-4-5 of what I was grateful for that day.

Each day’s list told me much about the state of mind I was in. ...

Communicator or Catalyst?

Every presentation worth doing has just one purpose

I love this 'call to meaning' from Seth's latest post. It's about being 'mindful' with the work we do. I could just as easily insert 'email' or 'proposal' for 'presentation'. How are we making change happen on a daily basis? As leaders, how are we focusing efforts? Inspiring? Teaching? Growing? Are we 'going through the motion' and choosing the expected path versus the right one? How much time do we spend saying 'yes' to every distraction or request versus focusing on what's right for the health of our organization? What would we do differently if we woke up every morning believing 'Change happens with me today'. How would that prioritize your actions?

10 Big Companies That Promote Employee Meditation

Work can be a stressful place, and with companies trying to keep an eye on the bottom line while simultaneously improving productivity, many workers may find themselves with more responsibilities than ever before. While there is no way to totally eliminate stress from the workplace, some companies are doing what they can to help employees relax, and many, like those that we feature here, are doing that through on-site meditation.

Making Personal Health Happen

An extremely personal and compelling story from a leading medical tech specialist suggesting bold ideas to reinvent the health care system – starting with taking our health into our own hands and migrating towards a ‘personal health network’ model of care.

According to Eric Dishman, with 80% of medical errors being communications and coordination issues amongst medical team members, we need to go ‘”beyond the paradigm of isolated specialists doing ‘parts’ care to multi-disciplinary teams doing ‘person’ care.”

ammonista

a collection of ammonista stimuli

The Missing Link for Future Generations

The Ammonista Report - Fall 2014

Exercise as Muse