

THE MAITRAYA PROJECT
I had the privilege to be involved in an extraordinary project which already had a well defined Purpose. A client of mine, another architect, won an international competition to design and build The Maitreya Project. This was a Buddha the size of the Empire State Building, to be built in India and designed to last a thousand years. It was to be the tallest statue in the world, a working building and clad entirely in bronze so that he would glow golden in the sun. His head wou


DOING THE RIGHT THING
Can beer change the world? It already has. Beer was one of the principle reasons humanity changed from being hunter gatherers to settlers. Getting enough food to eat was always a challenge. Hunting was hard work and foraging would only bring in so much. One day someone drank the water where grains had fermented. It fed them and it felt good. People realised that they could live more easily within reach of this foodstuff and eventually learned how to repeat the process, chang


HOW CHOOSING PURPOSE HELPS YOU GROW
7 days before the UK’s Brexit referendum I started working with the European Union. My commitment is to peace. Between people this is cultivated and maintained through connection, communication and symbiosis. The same is true for countries. Europe has enjoyed it’s greatest period of prolonged peace since the inception of the EU. Like everything there are improvements and upgrades that can be made, but the fundamental principles lead to the betterment of society… connection, c


HOW DO WE FIND FULFILMENT AND PURPOSE AT WORK?
Is it acceptable to spend so much time of life disillusioned? According to HR magazine over 60% of employees are unhappy in their work and job satisfaction in Britain is at an all time low and falling (CIPD). Have you ever heard people respond to the question “do you enjoy your work?” with “it’s a job”. Is it acceptable to spend so much of life disillusioned? How did we lose our expectations of true fulfillment and Purpose and start thinking ‘it’s ok to be grey’. You're going


WHY PURPOSE GIVES YOU TIME
"Time is the most precious commodity I have. It is the only thing I cannot buy" Warren Buffet We spend 41-50% of our lives at work. Time is life. Do we value money more than life? There's an ancient story about a king who wanted to see his land. It had been many years since he rode the boundaries of his kingdom and made contact with his people so he gathered is Royal Guard, left instructions for his son to govern affairs while he was away and left. He rode in a white chariot


2 QUESTIONS TO MAKE YOUR MEETINGS MATTER
I have been asking the following questions to middle management and above in organisations, corporations, not-for-profits, government institutions for over 20 years. The results are always the same, regardless of the nationality, social mix, hair colour etc. Me: On average, what percentage of your time would you say you spend in meetings? Standard response: 60-70%. Me: Blimey! Ok…. What percentage of that time would you say is 8,9,10 out of 10 useful? 10 out of 10 means “t


WHAT PURPOSE IS AND ISN'T
What Purpose is.... Your best bit. Purpose is meaning. What then do we find meaning-full? 8,9,10: If you could measure your life experience on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being "fantastic, great, a rollercoaster, I love life" and 1 being "I've got a pulse". Purpose is always above an 8. It's inside us: It can't be anywhere else. What gives meaning to each of us is distinct. It can't be found in the external. It must necessarily be within, in our experience of life. Cars, houses,


PURPOSE AND THE EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS OF N.A.T.O
7 days before the UK’s Brexit referendum I started working with the European Union. My commitment is to peace. In 'The Art of War' Sun Tsu talks about 'divide and conquer' being the surest way to win a battle, war or campaign. Surely then 'unite and prosper' is it's opposite. Peace between people and nations is cultivated through connection, communication and symbiosis not separation. Europe has enjoyed it’s greatest period of prolonged peace since the inception of the EU.