Find True Success
Never Work A Day In Your Life!
By Liz Sterling

Stuart Avery Gold is the epitome of an oxymoron. No, he's not a big shrimp; he is a gentle passionate soul. His demeanor is soft, amiable and courteous. When he entered the interview room, a calm presence was exuded from every fiber of his being, and yet when he began speaking, a fire, a passion and a fuse of determination was ignited. I invited Stuart to a public forum in which a dozen or so friends were present for the interview. We drank a variety of tea, The Republic of Tea, of course and enjoyed the philosophy and the experience of taking life sip by sip. "At the Republic of Tea," Stuart explains, "we sell the experience you have while drinking tea. It is an affordable luxury. Tea is a drink of civility. Once you have the experience, you develop a tea mind and you come into your own beginning. Then, you can move through your own silence to question what your place is in the world and what you bring into the world and your life. Successful people in business and life attract others based on their experience, so then it can be shared."

Gold is clear, sharp and focused. He begins his day at 4 AM and works to 9 PM. He loves it--he loves what he does. "I work for a California company and I live in Boca Raton," he reports, "so anyone who writes a book has to have a routine. I write from 4:30 AM to 7:30 AM. Then I prepare for my day job. But I will tell you, if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. It's an interesting experience.”

A Tea Revolution!
It sure is an interesting story. Stuart Avery Gold and Ron Rubin are the Ministers of The Republic of Tea, a unique socially conscious company that was co-founded in 1992 by the creators of the Banana Republic. In 1994 entrepreneur Ron Rubin bought and took charge of the fledgling company and shortly after that Stuart Avery Gold, a marketing veteran, joined him in creating a Tea Revolution. "The whimsy of the Republic of Tea is a state of being. We are all called Ministers, not CEO's, the Minister of Propaganda handles our PR, I am the Minister of Travel, we have many ambassadors, the people who work with us, and our stores are embassies. Everyone who drinks the tea becomes a citizen."

The greatest part of the revolution is the creation of the term Zentrepreneur. Stuart tells us that, "A Zentrepreneur creates a business and a life and there's more to life than living for your credit card payments. We think it's important to slow down and take life sip by sip because it's all about change. The basis for Zen is change and the basis for the new heroes of business, are those who are willing to change. Once we open ourselves to change, we can grow. To be a Zentrepreneur, you have to get started--now! Ultimately a Zentrepreneur can work for someone else, for themselves or be at a cubicle, but have to remember that you are the CEO of YOU, Inc. Take advantage of the building blocks to create the foundation of your life and then, take it where you want it to go. Begin now!  No matter what time it is, when you look at your watch, it is now. It's not a quarter past yesterday or halfway to tomorrow. It is always now. Be willing to take action. Break the word down...A C T I O N. I Act On (that something I desire) now! You have to take some action everyday that moves you closer to your dream.

Business people are moving into new awarenesses that change is necessary, that action is necessary. No one at Maxwell House would believe what is happing at Starbucks. They didn't change, Starbucks did. But we are about the tea revolution that creates a tea mind where you can determine what you want to do with your life, not what others wanted for you. We found out that most people are not living their life dreams. We believe it is important to discover your passion and to set goals, to face risk, to find a mentor and to learn how to move beyond fearing failure. Fear of failure and the fear of going forward is really the fear of what others may think of you. When you were a baby learning to walk, if you fell down, you got right back up. As we get older, our fear is that others will see us negatively. The people who succeed don't worry about how others will perceive them, they are willing to color outside the box and to be and bring forth creative ideas. Our Zentrepreneur guidebooks (Success @ Life, Dragon Spirit, Tiger Heart, Tiger Mind and the newly released, The Zentrepreneurs Idea Log & Workbook, all published by Newmarket Press) offer our readers the ability to live their own lives; to get into life and move beyond being a bystander. Too many of us know what we truly love to do, but aren't doing it for a variety of reasons."

Personal Philosophy Integrated
Stuart Avery Gold has a personal and professional philosophy and both are intertwined. Who he is...is what he is. That is the essence of his work. He wants us to integrate passion, vision, empowerment and dedication to our lives. "We are all special and we are here for a reason," he reminds us. "Happiness is not something we go out and look for; it's here for us if we make time to look for it. Happiness is an organic part of us, it already exists. When you take the time to understand what you're here for, (and it may be during that two or three minutes while brewing your tea) opportunities, new directions and new perspectives open too. Once you have achieved a certain kind of centering, your natural abilities come forth. Ron and I are not authors, we are businesspeople yet, suddenly, it's about what's in the book. Well, it's not; it's what is inside you...these books just point out that which already exists inside. It's like having amnesia; you aren't a different person, you have just forgotten who you are. Too many people think they have it all figured out but the reality is, one day you find out that life has you figured out."

"It is so important to empower your dreams, to determine your direction, to develop your courage and we talk about the vow of WOW. It's like surround sound...you keep your dream and visions first to yourself, to avoid dream killers and people who would deter you. Rather than placing yourself in a defensive position taking energy away for the dynamic you are building, this vow of WOW helps your creation. Then, you share it with people who will surround you with sounds of like-minded people. Don't associate with people who want to stand behind you, find people who will stand beside you and help you face the fire. We say, may the 'Force be with you'. Not the Star Wars force, but the force of commitment. Commit yourself to making your dreams come true."

May this New Year be filled with bold ideas and small leaps to living the life of a Zentrepreneur.

Liz Sterling - Southeast Feature Editor
liz@balancemagazine.com

Inspiration from the book

"Wowisms: Words of Wisdom for Dreamers and Doers"
by Ron Rubin and Stuart Avery Gold.

You must be the relentless architect of your own unique possibilities.
Do not let others block your light.
Failure is the lubricant of success.
Mastering your inner world allows you to master the outer world.
While the entrepreneur pretends to know what is next, a Zentrepreneur imagines what is next.  And believes in it deeply.
Others may change the way you live, but only you can change your life.
Success is not man-made.  It is mind-made.
The path to success reveals itself to those who have the wisdom to see it.
While some follow a rainbow, others create it.
When you seek your dream, you seek yourself.
Surrender yourself to awareness.

© 2005 Balance Magazine