Ethics Theories, "Learned Through The Monkeys?"
At the Sanctuary, we make a large fresh bowl of popcorn each day. This is used as a healthy low calorie snack for the monkeys. We also use it to distract the Capuchin monkeys when they get to teasing one another and squealing too loudly. This tends to happen at least once per day (monkeys are smart—methinks they could be staging this?!).Johnny
Capuchins make when they are alarmed or stressed out (or being mercilessly teased). Johnny waves a nice soft piece of fleece bedding with arm extended as far as he can through the bars of his enclosure, over to Willie, who is in the neighboring enclosure. Johnny has that look on his face that says, “Come on Willie, you want this? You know you want this. Trust me, I won’t pull it away this time.” Willie falls for it every time. As he goes to grab it, Johnny pulls it away. Come on, you know you did this to your little brother or cousin!
Willie
So, when I heard the squealing, I stopped what I was working on and grabbed the bowl of popcorn. Always two steps behind the monkeys, I was working on the honor system (figuring each monkey would take just one handful) and I held the entire bowl up to Johnny. Johnny grabbed the bowl with one hand and used his entire free arm as a scoop to get out as much popcorn as he could! “Hey, you little….” “Now there won’t be enough for everyone else,” I said (like he cared!).
There I was that day, thinking in terms of lack. I think we tend to do this in business as well, believing that anyone else doing the same work as us might take away all our business. But an interview that appeared in The Hindu Business Line with Mr. Arun Agarwal, Chief Executive of Cholamandalam MS General Insurance, there is another possibility. Here is a line from the interview:
Has being the last player to come into the general insurance industry been a disadvantage? Companies that you could have otherwise approached may have already tied up their insurance with the others, for instance.
“It hasn’t hurt us. On the contrary, it has helped us. We prepared our business plans, our systems and our products, after taking into account the collective experience of both the public and the private sector entrants. The market is big enough for everyone.”
David Owen Ritz teaches an advanced course in prosperity consciousness building. From the course manual, The Keys to the Kingdom, Ritz says, “Your beliefs about your own highest potential are among the most important in determining how much prosperity and abundance you allow into your life. They are like the paper on which your inner road map is printed. Naturally you will find it difficult to move beyond the limitations placed on your life by your own beliefs, just as you would have trouble navigating beyond the edges of a road map. You cannot easily venture into territory that you do not know exists. These fundamental beliefs hold within themselves the key to all your personal possibilities and life potentials. They can either bind you or set you free.”
The only lack that exists is the lack that you believe in. By eliminating your belief in lack, you eliminate lack from showing up in your life. Suddenly, there is enough. Your belief is what blocks unlimited good from flowing into your life and business. The market is big enough for everyone. You have unlimited sources of good.
I like what clothing designer Oluyinka Alawode has to say. ” A business person should not feel threatened by bigger players, there is room for everyone. The sky is big enough for every bird to flap its wings and soar.” (www.businessdayonline.com)
Johnny knows “there is no lack of popcorn in the Universe.” Besides, I almost forgot. We have 40 more bags in the kitchen.
Heather is a Certified Laughter Leader with the World Laughter Tour and is the CEO of her own company.
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