February, 2006

In this issue:
1. Welcome
2. Why Family?
3. The Changing Face of Family
4. Family and Business
5. Announcements

1. Welcome
Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope your life is bringing you much love and abundance! This newsletter focuses on the power of “family” relationships to make or break our sense of well-being as we go about living our lives.

2. Why Family?
Let’s face it! We all are stuck with family, whether good or bad! Our families are the people with whom we have to get along. We are all born into a particular family as well being part of the human family. Family can be a tremendous source of comfort during difficult times or can plunge us into our deepest HELL! A healthy family provides nurturance, acceptance, and protection and is a critical source of support in times of stress.

Why focus on “family” when the divorce rate in America is 50%, and an increasing emphasis is being placed on individual pursuits? The concept of “Family” has endured over the centuries. Individuals will go to great lengths to protect their families, despite great personal hardship, time, labor, and distance. I feel that “family” is not declining, but rather is changing form.

3. The Changing Face of Family
In the past, family was defined solely by bloodline and genetic lineage. The purpose of family was to promote the survival of the species through abundant procreation. Barbara Marx Hubbard (2001) argues that our civilization is shifting from an emphasis on PRO-creation to CO-creation. At the present time, pro-creation may have reached its limit. There are now over six billion people on planet Earth! One more doubling of the population may deplete the earth’s ability to sustain its resources. This means that people no longer NEED to procreate in order to sustain life.

Today, family may be defined not only by bloodline and genetic lineage, but also by those with whom we choose to include in our lives. They may be those with whom we are spiritually aligned; they may be our work family, and/or any other group with whom we experience affinity on some level. Jay Hughes, author of "Family Wealth," defines “family” as those to whom we are connected by bloodline, affinity, and/or emotional bonds. The tremendous energy that in the past, was put into survival, is now becoming available to support the needs of the larger human community. In present day America, because our blood families may be scattered all over the country and/or the world, we are beginning to expand our sense of family to include a family orientation to those we value in our lives. This is particularly important for business.

4. Families and Business
In the past, existing family wealth defined the upper class. The upper class looked down on those who had to work to sustain themselves. The middle class was the working class. During the industrial age, there was a stigma on family related businesses because of the widespread perception that they were too informal and unprofessional. Making a profit defined business and family success. Once basic survival needs were met, however, further increases in income and material success did not necessarily relate to increased life satisfaction. Conversely, Diener and Seligman (2004) found that while economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, life satisfaction has not. Instead, there has been a substantial increase in dissatisfaction, depression, and distrust.

Petzinger (1999), in his book, “The New Pioneers,” noted that successful businesses today are built on relationships, rather than on bureaucratic values and rules. Over 90% of businesses in North America are family-owned. They account for 78% of all new jobs, 60% of the nation’s employment, and 50% of our gross domestic product.

Interpersonal relationships are at the heart of present day business and family success. The emphasis has shifted from personal monetary gain alone, to work that is satisfying and meaningful, and contributes to the well being of others. The benefit to business, established by research (Diener & Seligman, 2004), includes increased productivity and profit, satisfaction with leadership, enhanced engagement, reduced turnover, and improved team performance.

This is the first of a series of e-newsletters that will focus on family-related business issues and how Positive Psychology can enhance our relationships at home and in the workplace.

Warm Regards,
Dr. Alice

Resources:

Diener, E. & Seligman, M. (2004) Beyond Money: Toward an economy of well being: Toward an economy of well-being. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol. 5 (1).

Hubbard, B. M. (2001) Emergence: The shift from ego to essence. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Books.

Hughes, Jay. (2004) Family Wealth. Princeton, N.J.: Bloomberg Press.

Petzinger, T. (1999) The New Pioneers: The men and women who are transforming the workplace and the market place. NY: Simon & Schuster.

5. Announcements
The ongoing workshop, “Leadership for Evolutionary Change.” has been very successful. It is very gratifying to hear the collective wisdom that emerges as we engage in inclusive dialog.

The next workshop in this series will be on “Empowerment.” This workshop will be held at the Soul Esteem Center, Mondays, 7:00-9:30 PM, April 3 through April 24, 2006. Email me for a description and flyer.

To subscribe: E-mail alice@successfulrelating.com and put subscribe in the subject line. To unsubscribe: e-mail alice@successfulrelating.com and put unsubscribe in the subject line.

Alice Vlietstra, Ph.D.
12131 Dorsett Road, Ste. 220
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
314-729-2855
alice@successfulrelating.com