Thank you, goodbye, and good luck

For when you come to think of it, the only way to love a person is not, as the stereotyped Christian notion is, to coddle them and bring them soup when they are sick, but by listening to them, and seeing and believeing in the god, in the poet, in them. For by doing this, you keep the god and the poet alive and make it flourish

Brenda Ueland


Well this it. It's clear to me that it is time to put Addicted To The Hustle to bed. It had to happen at some point, and being that I haven't posted anything for over two months, I think I should be honest with myself and recognise that I am all out of juice as far as Addicted To The Hustle is concerned.

It has been an incredible experience writing this blog. Particularly because I have learnt so much about myself and the world. I have used this blog to figure out what I think and believe, to connect with some amazing writers and thinkers, to make friends, and to contribute to the rich and various conversations that are always going on around us.

I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who dropped by to read, and especially those who took the time to comment, argue, criticise and generally be productive to the conversation. I am a better writer, thinker and general hardcase because of you all.

Of course, an extra special thank you is due to my co-conspirators Kishawi and Daniel. I appreciate greatly the time you took to help me along on this journey. And so, like tag team, "whoomph there it is"

You'll see me soon elsewhere, talking about other things. But for now, I'm off to somewhere warm where there are no mosquitos.

Please be fearless, and say what's on your mind. Write a book, write a blog, write a song, paint a picture, or make a film. Just say what's on your mind.

UPDATE: I 'm already up and running, here. Good times.

Race and Sex don't matter....kind of, in a way,

I have been involved in advocacy issues on diversity for many years. During that time, I had a niggling thought that was constantly playing in the back of mind. While we were worried about promotion prospects for ethnic minorities and women, perhaps this was the wrong thing to be worried about. Perhaps the world had moved on.

I raised this thought with a senior leader at Shell one morning and in response he said, "The world has changed dramatically. You guys are not going to have the same experiences that your parents did" (as far progress for ethnic minorities is concerned). And I think he is right of course. Things don't stay the same. They change and they develop. Mostly for the better.

So where does this leave the "diversity movement". Well if it is to remain relevant, I think that at its most fundamental it needs to come to terms with the fact that the world has moved on. It then has to adapt itself to this new world. I think diversity needs to be less about blacks and women getting on, and more about allowing individuals to model their careers according to their fundamental needs and interests, rather than according to the demands of the traditional hierarchy.

That is, some people would like to be on the fast track to CEO, others would like to see more of their families and children, and others still would like to entertain interests beyond work(chess, kung-fu) while still being a key part of the work organisation. Diversity therefore should (will?) be about recognising all these diverse objectives as valid to a working life.

Penelope Trunk has captured these thoughts in her writing here and I think she is absolutely spot on. And it's nice to see an organisation that is experimenting with what this brave new world will look like.

Curious?

The amazing Seth Godin discusses Curiosity. Watch it. Now! Ask your boss to let you miss that meeting if you have to. This is much more important. Indeed, your boss must watch this too. The video was created by Nic Askew.

The new saviours

One of the consequences of the subprime crisis/credit crunch has been increasing activity from sovereign wealth funds. Banks like Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and UBS have resorted to raising capital from investment agencies representing the likes of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and China. The interesting irony is that for decades, American institutions are the ones that have been riding to the rescue of foreign institutions in trouble. And now, it is the American institutions that are seeking help from - read this list again - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, China.

It is a refrain I repeat again and again. This is not your father's world.

And for Christmas I want a.....functioning market

I am reading a delightful book titled Reinventing the Bazaar. It is by economist John McMillan and seeks to explain the mysteries, the wonder and the workings of markets. In one passage, McMillan quotes the Czech playwright and dissident (who went on to become president) Vlaclav Havel.

"Though my heart may be left of center I have always known that the only economic system that works is a market economy. This is the only natural economy, the only kind that makes sense, the only one that leads to prosperity, because it is the only one that reflects the nature of life itself. The essence of life is infinitely and mysteriously multiform, and therefore it cannot be contained or planned for, in its fullness and variability , by any central intelligence."

Think on this...

It is a great mind that lives in moderation in the midst of great prosperity.
- Seneca

A Building for Peace

Imagine if instead of the billions of dollars we spend on weapons of war, the west were to build a mosque on the site of Ground Zero. It would be a remarkable symbol of our openness to understanding the Islamic point of view, and would go a long way to world peace.

- Paul Arden

There are many believers...of course

In response to this post, an anonymous poster sent me a link to a magazine called Kitu Kizuri. Loosely translated, it is swahili for "something nice". Check it out here.

Thank you anonymous. Let we who believe never be silent.

[Update] Always remember what Hugh McLeod says. The market for something to believe in is infinite.

It's not worth it

Dearly beloved, today's reading comes from the gospel of Seth. And it was written, "when a propsect tells you that they can't afford what you're selling, they really mean it's not worth it to them."

Read the rest of this truth here, for it shall set you free.

Invest in Africa, get rich, repeat...

This post is going to be full of numbers. I'm excited by them because they tell a tale of incredible opportunity for investment in Africa.

Stock exchange returns

Egypt - in 2005, the Egyptian stock exchange enjoyed returns of 145%
Kenya - in 2006. the Nairobi stock exchange enjoyed returns of 60%
Nigeria- in 2006, the Nigerian stock exchange returned 40%

Inflation between 2004 and 2006

Zambian inflation has fallen from 18% to 9%
Egyptian inflation has fallen from 16% to 8.4%
Nigerian inflation has fallen from 16% to 8%

And for the non-geeks among us, otherwise known as those who are not particularly excited by percentages, I invite you to consider the following:

• Goldman Sachs predicts that by 2020, Nigeria will be among the top ten world economies.
• Sixteen countries have been granted sovereign ratings by the likes of Standard and Poors and Moody's. Why? Because the ratings agencies expect an investment boom in Africa.
• CNBC has launched CNBC Africa. Why? See immediately above.
• Only ten percent of Nigeria's population have a bank account. Some will call this a problem, I call it an opportunity. Remember, Nigeria is on its way to becoming a top ten world economy.

I sincerely apologise to my english teacher for ignoring all rules of aesthetic and narrative form in writing this post. I also confess that I have no idea what aesthetic and narrative form means.

[Update] The Financial Times today reports that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is to acquire a 20% stake in South Africa's Standard Bank. Invest in Africa, get rich...