Improvisations On Growth

Re-creating the 'normal' before the crisis doesn't seem a possibility anymore, just how it is not possible to turn back time. Are we pressured now though, to embrace a 'new normal' that everyone is talking about? Is this even possible when maybe we are still in the process of grieving, even if some of us are not even aware that grieving is taking place? Listen to Madhu’s podcast and identify where you stand as it relates to our current state.

The intense sense of uncertainty brought by the coronavirus has forced us to take things day-by-day. Can we even consider long-term planning at this time? What if once we recognize that making a plan is futile right now, we will also make room for other changes in our lives? Follow us on this journey and reflect with us.

Have you ever stopped to wonder where you are getting your inner sense of psychological security from? Before the crisis planning was a part of our lives, something to guide us and to move with through the days, months, years. Long-term planning doesn’t seem constructive anymore. And do we even know what to plan for? How many times have you found yourself not knowing what you want, and planning for something futile, or maybe miswanting from the start? Listen to our podcast and construct your own answers.

On the background of the current crisis, in the United States recent events have been focusing on anti-racial movements, spread throughout the country. Mankind is in its 21st century yet we are still addressing issues like racism. Are we so used to living within a system that doesn't foster real change, and structures that keep people in their place socially and educationally? What do we need to do for permanent change to happen? Listen to Madhu’s podcast and reflect with us.

We are continuing our explorations on the matter of racism, as recent events have shaken the United States with people getting together in the fight against discrimination in all forms and shapes. The simple fact that racism is still part of our vocabulary may mean that our core beliefs haven’t changed as much as we have thought. What do we need to do in order to rewire our brains and put a stop to structural racism? How can we teach each other that it is more constructive to cooperate instead of competing? Listen to this episode and explore with us.

What we have been referring to as a crisis, now it has become a 'new normal'. Thus, we are concluding our Covid-19 Crisis Log and we are wrapping-up about 100 days of Covid. The new normal experience is still perceived quite differently for Madhu, in Vienna, Austria and this podcast’s hostess Adina Arhire, based in South Florida. If Austria is opening up for tourism, South Florida is registering all-time daily highs of new Covid cases. Is the coronavirus experience and the possibility of our own death acting as a magnifying glass? Is this new reality allowing us to be more open, more truthful and candid, and somehow pushing us to be more real? Listen and decide with us.

We are shifting from a crisis situation to a 'new normal' and invite you to reflect with us, as we observe 100 days of Covid crisis. Why do we need to face death in order to embrace our true selves, to see more clearly and understand what matters? Could it be that the harsh reality brought by Covid has forced us to confront with the essence, in a way that we can’t look away? And have you ever asked yourself, what is the essence of our life? Explore these questions and more in this episode.

We have lived through about 100 days of Covid experience, with differences between Austria and South Florida. Although the rules enforced in each country may have been different, the essence of our discussions applies to each and every one of us. In this episode we look at our need to acquire material things, and their purpose. Are material things just a distraction? Have you thought that maybe when we put material things before humans we are actually turning humans into objects? The virus reality has forced us to live more in the here and now, teaching us to take it day-by-day. Listen to our podcast and find out how this crisis has prompted you to grow.

We have come full circle marking 100 days of covid-19 experience, an unprecedented situation that has opened up the doors for various discussions and reflections. Has this crisis created a context to grow, not just to learn? The cerebral thinking that orders us to get out of the shock and just start learning can actually prevent us from growing. And speaking of growing, is this a female thing? Are men more geared at feeling entitled to push their own agenda? Listen to our podcast and find your own answers.

As we enter a ‘new normal’ or the next covid-19 stage, we look at the direction our society seems to be taking, in a way 'forcing' to see the good, or solver linings in a still-blurry picture. A recent Bloomberg article, for example, reveals how start-up businesses in the US are on the rise, compared to last year. What can this mean? Are people truly innovating during these tough times? Is this an indication that we still seem to stick to material gains instead of focusing on personal growth? Listen and draw your own conclusions.

Although on paper we can agree that we are coming out of the crisis, recent developments in the US may show that challenges are still ahead. In lots of ways, we haven’t quite been able to process what has happened in the first half of the year and yet most of us are eager to move forward, to embrace this new normal, to look for silver linings and even speak of innovation. In this podcast, we question though, how come we long so much for the "old normal", that we don’t make room for true innovation? And what can this ‘true innovation’ be? Are we embracing change or simply running back to our old selves? I invite you to listen and to explore with us how our need for psychological security may keep us from true innovation.

We are continuing our discussion on the possibility of entrepreneurial innovation brought by the Covid-19 crisis. How can we open a space where this Covid-19 experience can lead to true innovation - and not only be turned into material gains? Do you feel that this crisis has scared us so much that we now glorify the old normal, feeling eager to rush back and clinging to a pre-crisis life? What if we have to deal with these scary feelings in order to open a space where we can grow? Listen and find out what opens up for you.

Just when we think we have a definition of a ‘new normal’ we face ongoing challenges and a persistent tough situation in South Florida, as the threat of the virus continues to place ‘normal life’ on hold. This year’s events have emphasized the need to care for each other, watch for one another and share. But, what is sharing? Do we have to abide by certain unwritten rules about sharing that keep us from helping one another? Are these rules so ingrained that they shape how we act without us even noticing? Listen and explore what sharing means to you.

Sharing seems like such an easy concept, yet, does it happen as often as it should? How can sharing work? Do we share more easily from a surplus or from less? Is the ability to share connected to the amount of wealth? And, are wealthy people more detached from the concept of poverty, thus, involuntarily sharing less? Could it be that neocapitalsm, the free market, prevent true innovation because it fosters bubbles and thus blocking diverse experiences? Listen and see where our discussions take you.

As we look back at a rather challenging year, we are exploring the silver lining in the form of true innovation. With everything changing and people undergoing new experiences, this novel environment can become the foundation for innovation, if we let it. Yet, we cannot help but notice, still, a lack of diversity on various levels, a financial gap and unequal opportunities. How much talent are we wasting because of restricted access to education? How can innovation and growth happen when we condition this access to education, mostly for financial reasons? Listen and reflect with us at the possibilities of a new system that can foster true innovation.

Are there clear steps that can lead us to true innovation? What would we even call ‘a true innovative world’? Can it be ‘true’ in the sense of a better world, where everyone matters? So, what if this improved world can start with something as simple as seeing someone at eye level, showing respect and consideration? What if we made the decision to approach every new or existing relationship by assuming that as I do my best, the other person tries to do their best too, and as I try to avoid pain, the other person also wants to avoid pain; and while I strive to achieve happiness, the other person tries to achieve happiness too. Listen and explore true innovation with us.

Do each and every one of us play an important role in bringing true innovation to our world? By simply letting go of a psychological security that prompts us to prove how we are better than others in various ways, we can rise above our egos and treat each other as equals. And what would this improve, you may ask? How about equal chances for everyone? Or understanding that being born in a certain place, at a certain time, having certain parents and skin color, is not something that we can control? Do you see how we still derive self-value and self-worth from chance? Yet only by chance someone is born poor or wealthy, green-eyed or blue-eyed, north or south of a region. I invite you to listen to this podcast, keep an open mind and even be ready to rewire your brain a bit (or more).

What does survival mean in our current times? As we take a step back, we notice how the survival instincts developed thousands of years ago are still driving our workplace behavior and leadership. Today there are no mammoths and wild beasts to fight - yet we very much still feel like every day is a survival game. So, if we need to survive these days, then who are our enemies? Listen to this first episode and see what opens up for you.

Many years ago, survival meant mainly food and shelter. Today, survival means paying bills, 'making it into the world,' buying the big house, getting the corner office with the view. Do our lives truly depend on these 'achievements'? Is our current system fostering an environment where people can create freely, or is it solely targeting performance and profit? It seems like we are still under the impression that we can either focus on performance OR on creativity - but one thing does not have to exclude the other - or does it? Listen to this episode and explore these questions further, with us.

In this third episode dedicated to the topic of survival we are discussing real-life companies that have made the leap into a more humane organizational form, placing profits second on the priority list and focusing first on the well-being of customers and of their employees. It may still seem like a small step; some may say such structures are utopian and will disappear fast, some may learn and invest in similar initiatives - what angle would you take? One thing becomes pretty clear: it may be worth in the long run to continue taking even bigger steps toward a world of creativity and innovation. So, listen and see the role you can play in this shift.

A special edition and addition to my series of podcasts, as my hostess, Adina Arhire and I welcome guest speaker Karima Kadaoui, Co-founder and Executive President of Tamkeen Community Foundation for Human Development. "Tamkeen" has various translations, such as "empowerment," "potential" or "possibility." As in, empowering co-creation, exploring our unlimited potential to create and embracing the possibility of co-creation in all aspects of our lives, including our professional ones. Intrigued? Start listening.

Do you believe that being a great professional overrides being a great person? Being successful somehow has gained a reputation of being cold or rigid - but why not strive being both? Are we so focused on our careers, and on being professionals that we forgot how to be humans? I invite you to listen and to find your own answers.

We find ourselves in an unprecedented crisis situation, and you might have noticed family members, co-workers, and even yourself, reacting in certain ways. Have you stopped to ask yourself why? What is prompting the fear, or the desire to control, or maybe the indifference? I invite you to listen and learn more about your own self and ask this very important question with us: What can I do during a crisis?

We all know panicking doesn't contribute to our wellbeing, yet involuntarily we find ourselves in a panic mode, also influencing others. (or we panic easily seeing someone else panicking). Are there mechanisms to regain control in a healthy way, in case of extreme fear? What constructive tools should we rely on to stay on track emotionally? Listen to my podcast and get to the root of human behavior in time of crisis.

As millions of people are bound to their homes and professionals forced to work from home, we are starting to gain different perspectives on the changes brought by the coronavirus, at a personal and professional level. Do we finally notice that people are more important than businesses? Do we see a possibility of running successful businesses while still placing people first? Listen to my podcast and improvise your own answers with us.

We are encouraged and asked to do things differently for the greater good and, as far as we know, for a somewhat limited period of time. Is this enough to generate a permanent shift in all of us? Are we already learning new things, noticing new behaviors and re-arranging priorities? Listen to the fourth episode of my Covid-19 Crisis Log and evaluate possibilities for the future with us.

After 3 weeks of isolation in Austria and 2 (officially) in South Florida, we notice on both sides of the ocean-pond an overload of tips and suggestions on how to 'embrace' the incontrollable. Is it really working? Do we need yet 10 million things that we 'should' do, or maybe we should let go and simply accept the fact that we are going through a tough situation, without knowing when or if we will ever back to the way things were before. Listen and decide with us what works for you, or what doesn't, right now.

For as long as we strive to continue being efficient, working from home (for those who have the opportunity), relying on the technologies, holding on so tightly to a normality that seems to slip through our fingers, and we might be just avoiding the reality of our current lives. Are we in an acceptance mode yet? Are we aware that we are and we aren't in 'normality' at the same time? Maybe the facts of what we are facing won't sink in for a little while; and perhaps we will understand more in months to come. Right now, we are still asking, questioning: what is happening to us, to the humankind? I invite you to seek your own answers while exploring with us.

Our Covid-19 Crisis Log journey continues as we face another week of social distancing in Vienna, Austria and in South Florida. Join our dialogue and ask yourself questions such as, what is it that I miss most from my normal life? Is technology enough to keep in touch with loved ones? Are we fighting the coronavirus, or something else? Listen and explore with us.

It is undeniable that the Internet and all the technology that we have today has made the isolation more bearable; we are grateful for that. Yet, when launching a video conference with a family member or a co-worker you may have that feeling that there is a third (cold) entity in the room, maybe keeping you from being 100% open? What do you think it is that we're missing from our in-person human closeness? Listen and construct your own answers.

As we advance our lifestyle of isolation, time may pass by differently for each of us; you may feel going through the day in slow motion, or with heavy feet. The social media seem to bombard us with strong motivational quotes that maybe fail to inspire us, considering the uncertainty of our near future? Aside from all the uneasiness of our present, can the crisis represent an opportunity to grow? Explore all of these questions and more, when you listen to this episode.

The expression 'growing pains' is something that we hear from a young age. Have we stopped to wonder though why we turn to pain for growth? What if there is so much more out there that we can become, if we choose the path of love, compassion and understanding, rather than embrace suffering as a key to unleash the 'human' in us. What does suffering really mean to you? Listen and explore with us.

As the lockdown is approaching a soft end in Vienna, and continues in South Florida, Madhu and her discussion companion got together virtually once again to share unexpected effects and increased feelings of restlessness due to these uncertain times. These effects raised question about the meaning of happiness, noticing how some people prefer to choose the pain, which they know, over a happiness that is unknown to them. Why is it easier to turn to pain? Does growth have to stem from pain only? Listen and explore with us.

Should we even discuss happiness in times like this? Is happiness an achievable goal, or maybe the longing is what we enjoy most? We are all conditioned to think that we know what makes us happy, yet how many times you have obtained something only to find that it is not what you wanted? Listen to Madhu's podcast to gain a better understanding of what you really want from life, if you are prepared to chase it, embrace it, be happy with it.

The Covid-19 Crisis prompted authorities to enforce high-impact measures that are still affecting us all, in various ways. World-wide unemployment is high and economic uncertainty lingers. While businesses start to open in Austria, South Florida is still under lockdown. Are we even prepared to come out of isolation? How will life feel after weeks of lockdown? As we listen to different sources and news, our minds try to come up with clear, logical explanations to what has been happening, yet as many times in life questions are left unanswered. Listen to this episode and start building your own answers.

After weeks of isolation in Austria, the country is making preparations to open cautiously, while South Florida is still under stay-at-home orders. Madhu and her discussion companion have started wondering if there is more to life than having shelter, food, and basic healthcare provided. Do we need community, culture and art, the same way we need food and water? Or is it enough to have the essentials in life in order to feel human? Listen and explore with us.

As Madhu is getting ready to resume work and activities in Vienna, in South Florida the stay-at-home order continues. Have you ever noticed how a piece of art and its audience need each other? Art without a viewer doesn’t exist, while the viewer needs art to find himself or herself in it. Maybe this crisis is showing us that we have taken for granted activities like festivals, sporting events, concerts, that used to bring us together. Do you understand now how important all of these are for our growth and happiness? Listen to this new podcast and don't forget to share your impressions with Madhu.

As Austria and South Florida are undergoing a slow re-opening process, allowing only certain businesses to open at a low capacity, we ponder at the high unemployment rate and raise the question of a basic income. Is it a good initiative to give people the space and time to decide what to do with their lives? Can we do more for our society and for each other if we had a choice? Some would argue that the next step to our growth as humankind and economical is such basic income. Do you agree? Listen and find out.

We are very slowly emerging out of isolation and lockdown and going back to normal seems like a faraway dream. As people were forced to take a leave of absence or to file for unemployment, a big percentage most likely will not go back to the same jobs. In this episode we notice how our current professional system promotes individualism, as opposed to accepting that we all make valuable contributions in our society. What is it that has been conditioning us to believe that a person who manages other people has more value in the work place? I invite you to listen and draw your own conclusions.

Although we have started witnessing a timid re-opening, we cannot help but wonder if things will ever be the same. What major changes will the crisis bring? We already notice a high unemployment rate, and as some will go back to work, some not, it is becoming clearer and clearer that we will need to help each other more and more. What if eliminating competition and an intense focus on individualism will help us grow as a society? I encourage you to listen and maybe think of your own little steps you can take toward a better world.

A slow re-opening process has made us think of our life before the coronavirus . Can we start talking about a new normality or semi-normality? Should we make peace with the fact that ‘back to normal’ may not exist and that the changes brought by the coronavirus will be felt for years to come. As many times in history, the Coronavirus shift may become a part of our lives, seamlessly blending with a new way of doing things. Listen to this new episode and ask yourself what is your idea of this new normal.

The Covid-19 Crisis has forced people to take a couple of steps back from their usual consumer patterns. And to make up for that, we are witnessing people finding new ways to experience life. Has cooking become a tradition in your home? Or maybe you have created game night to spice things up and have decided to make this an ongoing activity in your home? Are there other satisfying ways to enjoy life other than consuming? Listen to Madhu’s podcast and explore with us.

Have you wondered what happiness means to you? Have you ever noticed how you might be conditioned, or influenced to believe that certain things and achievements are the key to your happiness? More than once we have seen how obtaining such things did not bring the expected level of happiness. And why would that be? I invite you to listen and explore the possibility that what you have learned about happiness is wrong or simply doesn’t apply to you.

After weeks of quarantine we are faced with a 'new normal' that looks different from person to person, and from region to region, like Austria and South Florida. If a few weeks ago we were discussing deep changes and shifts, including in our own consumer behavior, data show that people have been purchasing online quite a bit, and are eager to go back to the heavy consumer behavior. Explore these, and other topics in this new episode of Madhu’s Covid-19 Crisis Log.

When someone suffers from burnout, those around that person are affected too. If a working professional is worn out and works many hours per day, his/her family may feel the consequences. So, is burnout just about us? How about its effects on us, as a society? Listen to my podcast, ask your own questions and feel free to share your thoughts with me.

There may be different techniques to identifying and becoming aware of burnout. Maintaining balance and not losing sight of the things that make you happy, stable, fulfilled make for a good start. Yet, each of us responds differently to burnout and may have unique paths to prevent or remove it. Listen to the fourth podcast of the "Burnout"-series and draw your own opinions. Make sure you share them with me too!

Have you ever wondered what does it mean being right? And why do humans love when they are right? Why does it mean so much to us? Is being right constructive? You may have heard the saying, ‘would you rather be right, or happy?” I invite you to explore this topic with us during the first podcast of this four-part series on being right.

Every day we are faced with situations that leave us wanting to be right! Some of us let it go easily, some…maybe not. But do we ever wonder why? Humans have an innate fear of being wrong. What if someone told you that it is ok being wrong too? Listen to my second podcast of this series and explore more.

Being right can emerge on different levels. When we move from the personal to the broader, impersonal, or corporate level, how does ‘being right’ change? Is the company that you work for, ‘always right’, for example, when aiming for profits at the expense of objectifying workers? Listen my third podcast and reflect at your own pace.

Should the word ‘right’ even be a part of our vocabulary? How about the words, wrong, or perfect? Are we conditioned to think in certain ways? Should we assume that certain things are right or wrong by default? We welcome you to join us while we explore some of these questions, and encourage you to come up with your own answers.