Here is your Seven-Bullet Monday
1. A quote I am pondering:
“Growth and comfort do not coexist.” - Ginni Rometty
If comfort and personal growth are mutually exclusive, we must choose one or the other. If you, as I hope, are in the growth camp, then push yourself well beyond your comfort zone so the growth can happen.
2. A question I am asking myself:
How do I start fast and finish strong?
This question is a good one to ask because it helps me punch through procrastination to get started, and once I’m underway, to aim for a finish that exceeds my expectations when I started.
3. A book I am reading:
Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender - David Hawkins,
“Letting Go” is a book where David Hawkins brings together science and sprituality to teach readers how to let go and shows what happens to them physiologically when they do. I enjoyed the book, but it is probably not for everyone, as it is part science and part spirituality. It is also a good companion book to “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer.
4. What I learnt this week
Green bonds raised more money in H1 2023 than fossil fuels for the first time.
Green bond sales and loans raised almost $350 billion in H1 2023 compared with $235 billion for fossil fuels. This should be positive for global warming, as investment in renewable energy continues to crank up – two-thirds of energy investment globally is now renewable. After several scandals in the last few years, the transparency and legitimacy of “green finance” is slowly improving, so I hope the $350 billion is truly a green expenditure.
5. The highlight of my week
Participating in the Leading an Equitable and Respectful Workplace training this week
We held three courses this week in Chetwynd NEBC, training on what an equitable and respectful workplace should look like at Conuma. The training highlighted the importance of treating others with dignity, understanding and managing unconscious bias, and it provided six traits of inclusive and equitable leaders. It is a much-needed and sometimes emotive topic in business, and it was powerful to see the depth of discussion and vulnerabilities shared and embraced daily.
6. Hugh-tips
Consider global macro forces at work in making your investment choices.
Over the last three years, we have seen several major global events that have unexpectedly shifted investment returns. These include COVID-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US-Chinese tensions, decarbonisation, rising interest rates, and the rise of AI. These events, individually and collectively, are shifting markets and producing new winners and losers. Considering the changes unfolding, It is important to consider our investments and how they will fare over the next few years. What the best investors do at times like this is look for less obvious beneficiaries of these changes and make their investments there. As the saying goes, the people that made the most from the gold rushes of old were those selling picks and shovels.
7. My challenge for you for this week
Ask for some constructive criticism from those that know you the best.
It can be as simple as, “Hey, can you give me one area where you think I can do better in my job/relationships/habits?”. Those you ask might be reluctant at first, and typically they will preface it by saying some nice things about you before they deliver an area in which they think you can improve. So, there you go, you can get some constructive criticism and collect a few compliments along the way 😊.
Have a great week.