The fundamental principle behind our blogs
We each face times of security and insecurity, durations of wealth and of poverty, and periods of extreme happiness and deep sadness: And it has been the same for me! Paying It Forward is about making a difference.
(updated 02/01/2023)
Dealing with insecurity
I know now that: "Life is not destined to be a constant".
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller.
Helen Keller was an inspirational leader despite being deaf and blind and is an example to us all of human potential.
It is important to remember that most of the ups and downs in our life are subjective, which means that they are based on current personal feelings or opinions. They may be relative to something else, maybe to another period in your life or even to somebody else’s life.
In good times, and in difficult times, it is great to have someone to be there to share the moments, to listen to you, to celebrate and cry with you, and possibly to guide you on your journey by challenging your thought process.
Yes, I am talking from experience: For the last 30+ years I have been a full-time Entrepreneur and part-time policy maker, journalist, speaker and author of my own book: Madi No Excuses!
Then, 3 months ago, I found myself without any work – “Fabulous”, I thought, I will just retire early.
Seriously, I am ready to retire, I am tired of chasing new business (although I love being an Entrepreneur), I am going through menopause, which has made me less confident, plus I have fallen in love with my garden, especially since Covid.
However, I was then reminded that I would have no income and I don’t have a pension or savings! Yes, stupid I know, but that’s for a later debate!
We all need some form of income, no matter what our age or social background, because we all have bills to pay, and because financial independence gives us choices, and most importantly, an income is one example of our value.
So, “Here I go again”, I thought, “Another one of life’s hurdles I must jump over!” – I swear I could qualify as an Olympian for the Hurdle Race because I have overcome so many barriers!
Managing Change
The question is, how are we supposed to manage these ups and downs?
Spirituality is one way - Or is that just passing the blame to a higher power?
Meditation is another way - but isn’t that just shutting off and leaving the challenges for later? (I meditate every morning before the problems appear so I can better deal with them)
Mentoring, coaching, getting a psychologist? – Come on, everyone is a one of those “experts” these days, (including me) and their problems are bigger than yours and mine, believe me….
No! I am not being mean - I just know that there is so much you can do for yourself, “if” you really want to.
The big question is “Do you really want to achieve your success?”
Shall we go on this journey of self-discovery together?
Be aware, there is not a single answer to our questions, although there are many trying to sell us the “one simple solution”! Unfortunately, life is more complex than the many internet “millionaires” are trying to portray, and there is no "get rich quick" solution either!
The truth: You need to deal with the challenges, and the opportunities, head on. Additionally, there is not one answer, but multiple ways to approach each task depending on the current influencing circumstances.
For your personal development, this means that your ‘problem’ today, may need a different response tomorrow – So, you need to keep thinking of making continual adjustments to achieve the balance you are seeking. It often helps to learn from those who have been where you are now.
And most importantly – Your focus must be on YOU!
So, the challenge I have set myself is to share with you as much knowledge, know-how and experience as I can from my “University of Life” as I call it. I want to share my learning from numerous challenges, successes and failures, and opportunities from which I have gained valuable insight. I would also like to introduce you to many of the people I have learned from, or who have inspired me. I am hoping my learning will help you in your life’s journey, or in your organisation’s development.
Together, no matter what your circumstances, we will create an ecosystem which will enable you to thrive, to create, to innovate and to rejuvenate: To live each day as if it were your last knowing that when tomorrow comes, you are already one step ahead.
My learning is not from books nor training - In fact, I don’t even have a degree. My learning has been achieved by doing, and of course, by experiencing the pain and the celebrations.
Pay It Forward
Listen... When you get to my age, the chance to go back and make changes isn’t there anymore. So, if YOU can get it right today, think how much more successful YOU can be tomorrow.
There is just one thing I ask of you – Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward means that what we learn together during our interactions, you share with others within your network or with someone who may ask you for help now or in the future.
Paying It Forward is leaving behind the ego to create an anonymous legacy.
We have put a lot of thought into how we can best support you. We would like to bring the personal touch back to humanity.
Please remember however that I am just a normal human being (as well as being a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, gardener, journalist, author and entrepreneur) and my team also have their other lives.
Yes, there was a change from “me” to “we”. I have a small team and we have been together for 20 years and we plan to stay together in sharing our journeys. Each of us has a different skill set. This means we will identify the best person/people in the team to guide you through your journey and answer your questions, making sure you have the most relevant and timely information as you need it.
All this is for FREE! So, you have nothing to lose.
You will become a member of our Madinaut Community.
Our website and blog will keep you updated and informed with relevant guidance to support your development.
We will also provide you with templates, e-books and downloadables that we have created to add momentum to your quest – Meaning: You will achieve your ambitions faster, overcome any challenges, and be ready to grasp new opportunities as they appear before you.
I am attaching here your first FREE downloadable – THIS IS ME! – It’s a sheet for you to complete about yourself for yourself. Hopefully it will make you think about your journey. Take time to think seriously about the answers.
Then, pin it somewhere you see it every day to remind you of where you are now and where you are going.
Holding our hand out
So, who are we? And what can we offer you?
My name is Madi, and it stands for Make A Difference Ideas.
I am not a coach, nor a consultant, nor someone who is trying to drag you down a funnel of “get rich quick” incentives. I am an in-kind-investor in people and their ideas.
I am an Entrepreneur and each of the individuals on my team are also Entrepreneurs. We are living the dream of being in control of our own lives, but that doesn’t mean it is easy now, or that it has been easy in the past for any of us.
We believe we have experiences to share, from which we hope you can learn and prosper. Equally, you may have things to share with us, from which we can benefit and share with others.
As a team, we have worked on human capital for optimum performance, productivity and profitability within organisations. We understand people and we listen, and as a result have created proven models for individual empowerment and organisational development.
We have worked with a range of governments on decision-making, policy development and with civil society engagement. We understand advocacy, lobbying and communication. We also operate within the social enterprise and NGO sectors, alongside the business community to implement and value corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Our strengths are in policy development, gender equality, trade, geo-politics, branding and social development.
Our teams and affiliates are international, and we are proud of our cultural intelligence, but we never forget that we are always learning.
In a nutshell, we would like to invest in you, if you would be happy to invest your time with us, and in turn, you will hopefully invest in someone else in the future.
That’s what Paying It Forward is all about. I hope you will join us.
You can engage further with us when you are ready.
Seed for the Week!
Every Friday, come rain or shine, I will write a post which should give you something to think about for the weekend and through the week. We all have busy lives, so I have no intention of bombarding you with information, but I hope to plant a “Seed for the Week” which will start to germinate in your fertile mind, even whilst you active doing other things.
Your Ecosystem for Growth
The post with contain some questions for you to consider; “Your Ecosystem for Growth”. We each determine our own rate of development by the way in which we think, and act. By asking some questions which only you can answer about yourself, I hope to stimulate your mindset to focus on your success, on reaching and surpassing the goals you have set for yourself.
Not set any goals yet? - We will cover that also!
Women's Wednesdays
Wednesdays are our women blog post days – topics with a specific focus for women and girls. The fight for gender equality has yet to be won, and the objective of Wednesday’s blogs are to strengthen the momentum for parity, equality and equity between women and men.
The cost of success?
In short – FREE
Friday blog posts are for FREE! The newsletters are for FREE. Wednesday blog posts are FREE... and there is so much more on the pages that will be for FREE.
So, you have nothing to lose.
But just reading a blog post won’t bring you success – You have to ACT!
And you can ACT for FREE also!
We have free, and paid, services to offer you, but you choose how you want to engage with me and the team. There is no pressure from our side to do anything - and definitely no “last chance to ...” to be pushed into a decision.
Nevertheless, IT IS UP TO YOU - TO DO!
When you carry out many of the free exercises we suggest to you, you should start to see immediate benefits which will support you in achieving your goals.
Only YOU can ever be in control of your life; I cannot make you do anything – In fact, NO ONE can make you do anything YOU don’t want to do. – I know you want to argue with me on this, so I will add it as a future blog spot ….to be discussed!
I am putting my hand out to support you through your journey, where I can, by sharing my experiences and learning in the hope that it may stop you from making some of the same errors I made on my way to my success, and thus help your reach your success faster.
… Oh yes, success has a different definition for each one of us!
Me and my team have to put food on the table, deal with inflation and pay the rising energy costs like everyone else, and so there are some aspects of business around what we are doing - But that’s where those who want specific guidance, or to go faster, can approach us for 1-1 or group sessions and pay for the services that best fit their needs.
We are transparent and you only pay for what you want to pay for, the rest if for free.
It’s about me Paying It Forward.
If you want to enjoy reading and working through my book, it’s called: “Madi No Excuses”. The objective of the book is to turn 7 Billion Ideas to Action - Including YOURS!
A final point of clarity:
We do not sell nor share your name with any of our contacts, nor do we share their names with you. Confidentiality and trust have been core values of our work and of our success and we will continue to honour those founding principles.
Gandhi said, “You must be the change YOU want to see”
Madi says, “You must be the change YOU want to see – NO EXCUSES!”
Founder Madi Group www.madisharma.org
Founder Women’s Eco-nomic & Social Think Tank www.westtworld.com Author Madi No Excuses! www.madinoexcuses.com Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Freelance Journalist Listed as 1 of apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in 2018
@MadiSharma1
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