As a business we pride ourselves on being ethical, environmentally conscious, engaging, and knowledgeable.

Ethical: Our associates come from a wide range of backgrounds; historically, socially and politically, so our business view is as broad-minded as possible. We strive to use these differing views to grow and strengthen our company, and provide the best and most balanced service possible to our equally diverse clients.

Environmentally Conscious: With a range of people working from their own homes throughout the Lothians and Borders, only travelling when necessary, our carbon footprint is minimal. My main office is at home in Berwickshire, set in our mature forest garden, which we regularly feed our clients and associates from at lunchtime meetings (to great acclaim!). All our paper waste is recycled in one way or another, as are plastics and ink cartridges, and we are very conscious of the energy usage of our information systems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engaging: You get more than just a sound-bite when you talk to Graham Bell Associates. Our passion for business and enterprise (particularly in Scotland), comes through in our work, but we know that the average media consumer isn’t quite so fascinated, so we leave the jargon-heavy mumbo-jumbo to some other PR outfit and concentrate on getting our point across. We always use plain English, and we hope you find us a joy to work with – check out our testimonials to see what our satisfied clients say on the subject.

Knowledgeable: With 25 years business experience, either our own or assisting with others’ ventures; and in a wide variety of fields, ranging from sole trading to international companies; we are placed perfectly to deal with all kinds of business issues. We will never march blindly into a project. We know what we know; we take the time to learn anything new before taking a project on. If that’s not feasible, we suggest to the client someone we know has more expert knowledge. We’d rather have the job done right by someone else, than try without the proper means and not live up to expectations.

 

 

Read on for some more philosophical notions…

Every Business needs a philosophy. And if you haven’t thought about what yours is, rest assured you have one anyway.

From enthusiasm to indifference, profit driven to social welfare we all make choices about where in the spectrum of ethics, style and motivation we place our businesses…

The Ziggurat Principle  

A ziggurat (Akkadian ziqqurrat, D-stem of zaqâru “to build on a raised area”) is a temple tower of the ancient Mesopotamian valley and Iran, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Well why would you need one of those?

Reality is myth, math, and metaphor.

Built on seven levels, the ziggurat represented seven heavens, seven planes of existence, the seven planets, the seven metals associated with them, and their corresponding colours. (Seven is a very important number in many ancient societies and systems, such as Numerology, myths such as the Seven Dwarves/Brothers/Sisters, and the seven Chakras of the body.)
Spirals reference the movement of consciousness or the Golden Ratio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The polar equation for a golden spiral is the same as for other logarithmic spirals, (a Scottish discovery, see: Napier) but with a special value of b:
One soul played many roles.

Even though Hans Jenny did pioneer cymatics in modern times, the study of geometric relationships to wave interaction (sound) obviously has much older roots (Pythagoras). A work that shows ancient peoples’ understanding of sacred geometry can be found in Scotland. In the Rosslyn Chapel, Thomas J. Mitchell, found what he calls “frozen music”. Apparently, there are 213 cubes with different symbols that are believed to have musical significance. After 27 years of study and research, Mitchell has found the correct pitches and tonality that matches each symbol on each cube, revealing harmonic and melodic progressions. He has fully discovered the “frozen music”, which he has named the Rosslyn Motet, and was performed in the chapel on May 18, 2007, and June 1, 2007.

See the video of this amazing phenomenon being tested out here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/HCBXP6QQpUA 

 

 
Symmetry, Myth, Numbers, Belief

At the end of the day the Ziggurat Principle says all these matter:

Your arguments need to be elegantly symmetrical; the numbers have to work; the stories you tell have to build a coherent myth (spiritual truth); …which people can believe in.

But the absolute point is; the broader your base, the higher you can build, and then the farther from which you can be seen.

That’s what we do. We build Ziggurats.

 

 

In my personal life, I share many of my business principles – fair trade, equal rights, education and lifelong learning, environmental awareness, politeness and non-judgementalism, loyalty, honesty and committing to your word. Read on for some of my favourite lessons of life. I also value many Permaculture principles to leading an easier, low-stress lifestyle which you can read more about here.

 

Human Beings

Precious few of us are happy with being.  Yet we call ourselves Human Beings. Really we are only happy when we are doing, and too often we judge others by what they do, not what they are.  So maybe we should be Human Doings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will caught in a moment of Being

I am very grateful to the lovely Sylvia Eagle for introducing me to this idea.

So when we’re all doing (and I’m as trapped as the next person) let’s not forget that our evolution as a species actually depends on being, my fellow Human Beings…

A favourite poem of mine is of W.B. Yeats, which I have known for thirty five years; and first saw the island in 2006!  So from memory (excusing any mistakes…)

Lake Isle of Innisfree 

I will arise and go now
And go to Innisfree
And a small cabin build there
Of clay and wattles made
Nine bean rows shall I have there
And a hive for the honey-bee
And live alone in the bee-loud glade

And I shall have some peace there
For peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of morning
To where the cricket sings
There Midnight’s all a glimmer
And Noon a purple glow
And the Evening full of linnets’ wings

I will arise and go now
For always night and day
I hear lake waters lapping
With low sounds, by the shore
Whilst I stand on the roadway
Or on the pavements grey
I hear it in my deep heart’s core

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Innisfree through the trees from Yeats’ famous Hazelwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving on the banks of the Lough Gill to see Innisfree for the first time!