Soil-less Gardens
THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS
by Linda Wilson
My husband and I never imagined that something was available to assist us so much with our business. For years we've used positive affirmations, meditating, right action, visualizations . . . you know the list. How many of us have for years said, "The universe is there to assist us" or "We can have anything we want" and inside wondered "Where's the help?" We wanted more than saying, "I feel wonderful" after a meditation.
Well, as co-creator of your own business (garden), you do create what you want. Implementing all the nature processes became the bridge we needed to make real that which we could not see.
We were ready to incorporate something in our business to separate us from others in the same field. We decided to try Machaelle's approach. That was a little more than three years ago. I've shared this approach with many and they conclude it's too much work, but it's really just the opposite. We work more from our intuition than ever before and the guesswork has been eliminated because we are able to get nature's input. I thought if I could recreate some of the basic steps we used to get started and share a few examples, some of you might attempt trying it. You can't mess up.
Step 1: We needed a main communicator that would gather all the information and keep notes. That was easy: me. I always have a notepad with me.
Step 2: Basically, I sat down, opened a coning for our business and stated that we had the desire to work with nature in our business. (I had Machaelle's definition of a garden from nature and her list of suggestions on "Establishing Your Partnership.")
Step 3: We created a nature sanctuary just as Machaelle describes in the Perelandra Garden Workbook.
Step 4: I asked for assistance as to how to go about this "team approach" — I had no clue and didn't know where to start. This was also my opportunity to tell my team the pace with which I wanted to incorporate this work.
Step 5: It made sense to me to explain our business, "inside and outside." Inside: details of people involved — i.e., partners, employees, their roles, if they worked with nature or not. So you get a glimpse of us: There are two partners — one uses kinesiology, and one is interested and goes with ideas but no kinesiology to this day. And there are two paid employees — added with nature's input, timing and assistance. Neither do any nature work intentionally. One is aware of the team, but doesn't want to buy in. He whines to the team and if he likes an idea, he wants to know who or where it came from. The other employee is a Ph.D. and as yet doesn't know we have this team, but says our "new" concepts make sense. We also have two volunteers (family members) that do nature work and an unlimited number of nature team members helping maintain our direction, balance and growth. Outside: what we did, wanted to do, our customer base, our suppliers. (To give you a more complete picture, we work within a specialized area of the food industry, competing mainly with three other companies. Two of those are large national companies with hundreds of employees. The other one is local and works just in our state with more than 20 employees. We are second in sales just in our state.) I basically gave our team all the information I could think of. By the way, there was plenty I left out, so I just added it later.
Step 6: We stated our intentions and goals. We chose to do this together. We made lists, compared, added, and eliminated. One person did the final draft and we took it to our nature team. I asked if our intention matched or could be met with the present way our business was set up and running. Our intention is the focal point for our growth. For us, next to our desire to work with nature, it is the most important aspect. Having this focal point serves as a trigger, and our results let us know rather easily if we're matching our intention or not. It gives us a starting place to determine if there is a problem and where it might be. I routinely ask our team if we're matching our intention or if changes need to be made.
Step 7: At this point, I felt I'd given enough information to our team to ask some questions. I had lots, but I took it slow. I started with "Where do I start, inside or outside?" (referring to my previous list). We started with inside. I let nature prioritize. My next question was, "Do any changes need to be made?" I let nature know that I had no money to spend at the time and I requested the most important changes first.
I want to side-step a minute to give you an example of how this can work even when you're doubtful. We go to customers; they don't come to our office. When this work started a little more than three years ago, the business was in one side of our garage — desks, files, typewriter, fax — very basic. Within four months there was enough significant progress and more collective trust with our nature friends that we were willing to make "changes" a priority. About three months later we got a word processor — nature had suggested a computer. Within two weeks we knew why, and three months later we had one. In a year, we had an office trailer in the woods in our backyard and couldn't believe we'd ever existed in the garage.
The end of that year we had a second trailer — nature suggested a permanent building. Resistance grew: "That's not in the budget . . . yeah, we'd love that — next year . . . if you think that's best, you'll have to show us more." Within two months, our trailers were forced off our wooded area because they violated a county regulation. It appeared that paying a fee could work it out, but our team said, "Don't do that." The garage was reopened and we decided to look at our options. Nature said our business location should be on our land. As we sat in that meeting, a fax rolled out, advertising "build your own office the affordable way." Nature had our attention and at this point, what did we have to lose by trusting, believing and allowing? We were getting the picture that removal of the trailers was preparation for moving forward. That was about seven months ago. We now have a 1,200-square-foot, two-story office building in our back wooded area. We did most of the inside work with nature's assistance choosing lay-out, colors, etc. It was truly easier to ask than to figure it out, especially when trying to please everyone. Nature has also created the landscaping surrounding the building.
Step 8: I asked for insight regarding other things that needed to be done as a co-creator with nature.
Some Other Points
We listened to Machaelle's tape series. Any of the information can be adjusted to fit your personal garden. When I get an idea, I ask if that was good for us. I even asked which order I should listen to the tapes.
I used the Troubleshooting List to create our own guide to keep operations running smoothly. I've seen the biggest change in all my testing since adding the Microbial Balancing Program. All the routine environmental processes are now less requested. I rarely get that any testing is required for the energy of the business. I seem to test that only us humans need something. Scheduled meetings that required some balancing in the past no longer seem to require it; the same is true with our equipment — computer, copier, even equipment we install off-site. I learned to clarify my definitions so we were all talking the same language.
Meetings: Needed? How often? Who should participate (since all our crew didn't do nature work)? Purpose of the meetings? How long should they run? It worked best for me to meet alone, gathering and giving our team extra information so we could keep the meetings shorter. We might even at times have an extra "conference call" with our team to touch base with everyone.
When I got unusual information I'd ask if I was clear (routine for me). And I always ask: "Have I missed anything?" That line seems to be a trigger for me like a quick checklist.
As with all the nature work, the relationship develops and grows as one piece of information builds on another. Many times we complain to our team and it still works out. Nature is infinitely flexible and patient. I've found that when I question anything — i.e., do I want to go with that response from nature or the amount of work that might seem to be involved? I will go back and ask myself if I have the same level of desire to work with nature that I had when I first started. Of course, the answer is "yes." That little process helps me to refocus my desire in alignment with my intention. It's like my energy is shifted back into the appropriate balance, order and direction for me to move forward, so I can more clearly make a decision. There are times that we understand what's going on and times that we don't. Our experience is: it doesn't matter. As the main communicator, I continuously challenge myself about clarity and not allowing my personal ideas to interfere. I even state that to the team, if I feel it necessary.
Everyone on our team has a role, and there's a balance within that serving to balance the whole (yes, even our nature flunkies that don't realize they are participating). I can honestly and humorously say that most of our issues in the business have to do with any one of us getting in our own way (a human issue).
I spent more time when I first started with our business team than now. But that's no different than anything I do when it's new until I become comfortable with it. If I have testings or processes scheduled and I'm short on time, I'll tell the team, have them prioritize and reschedule our time. They don't get irritated like clients can. They adjust what needs to be adjusted. I recommend you reschedule processes rather than get frustrated.
Now, most of the time the business is on automatic and I find myself checking to make sure all is well and I haven't missed anything. I get an "all is clear." Then I relax, have another new idea and it's back to the drawing board if we want. Nothing is constant but change.Implementing this nature work within a business is definitely for those who want to be creators, to have fun and play with excitement and be able to transcend the old way of believing that life is a burden, full of responsibility. With nature, you have a supportive team system and you are always riding at least one level above most of society and typical thinking.
I suggest that the best approach is jumping in by expressing your desire to be a co-creator with nature; simply allow it to happen. That's a very powerful intent and our experience shows it takes just those few tools — desire, intent and allowing.
P.S. Our next venture is more balanced in the "fun" department. Nature has assisted us in designing a 700-square-foot game room, two additional bedrooms and a pool-spa-waterfall area. We'll keep you posted.
Perelandra Voices 1997
