Let me tell you my story. Not so long ago I was fed up with the way we do business, that focus on career and our western notion of wealth. The idea that this notion contributes anything to our happiness. I was fed up by the superficial discussions within business. Not touching the essence of things. There must be something more? A question that kept lingering on in my head.
When on top of that my relationship ended, I put one and one together, decided to quit my job and followed my dream. Off to find some answers, see what our planet could teach me more. It became a terrific and humbling journey that brought me from funny little chinstrap penguins on the Antarctic, to the Moai on Easter Island and the Inca Culture in Peru. A travel that allowed me to gaze at the same blue footed boobies (the birds, indeed) Darwin pondered on in 1835 at the Galapagos Archipelago. That gave me the oppportunity to visit the Mayan sites in Guatemala and to submerge in the ancient knowledge and worldviews of indigenous Amazonian shamans.
I came back with two insights: firstly, that we all face the choice of conforming to the existing system or contributing to change. My choice? I’m here to change the world. Great or small. And secondly, if I’d strip everything from all the distractions, down to the very essence, giving remains. Which ultimately comes down to our ability to give life. My essence. Our essence. Finally.
So I came back and intuitively, yet unconditionally gave away my ticket to Lowlands Festival to a random person. A ticket that I had bought at some reseller for twice the price. I just couldn’t keep the ticket anymore after this shift in mindset. From there on, things went completely crazy as you can read here
And as I reflect on the past couple of months, the effect of this small gesture never ceases to amaze me. All the companies and press with whom I speak. The inspiring people I meet. And now I am doing everything within my powers to get this world to experience this contagious power of giving. Starting at our businesses. Because I firmly believe giving is the perfect antidote for some of the major 21st Century challenges we face.
Giving is All we Have is the platform where you can find all my ideas on our 21st Century Society, major paradigm shifts in our thinking and a complete new perspective on the way we do business. Just to give you an idea, the majority of these ideas are intertwined in the speeches, presentations & workshops I give for companies. Maybe for yours soon. I hope they will inspire you…;-)
Yours Truly,
Jeroen Timmers
The Netherlands
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