Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo EmersonToday about six billion people woke up and started their day. Some are rich but most are poor. Some are educated but more are not. Some are full but more are hungry. Some believe that tomorrow will be better but many have given up hope. From a biological standpoint, the human race is thriving. On a more individual basis we are surprisingly unsuccessful at using our knowledge and technology to create an improved life.
Meanwhile we continue to raid the Earth’s bounty at an alarming rate. The rain forests are disappearing. The oceans are being emptied. Rare animals are being hunted to extinction. To the best of our knowledge this little blue spinning jewel is the only life-supporting planet in a million miles. What are we doing?
Sitting here on the leading edge of our millennium we have greater technologies than our grandparents could have dreamed about. We are poised to make significant changes in how we live our lives and affect our planet. But first we have to understand that if we keep doing what we’ve done, we’ll keep getting what we’ve got.
At this point you may be thinking, “What does the state of the world have to do with creating a business?” Well, everything. The word business dates back to the 14th century and its original meaning was “purposeful activity.” What is the purpose of your activity? The best business people realize that they are part of a community first. They realize that their profits are dependent on the health and wealth of those around them. They realize that there is a reason economics and ecology share the same root word. A business is part of a greater whole, an interactive part of the social and economic environment that it both moves and is moved by. And because it is a method of wielding great power, that power must be used carefully and gently.
