Current and/or past roles in the area of work and career include designer of experiments in research psychology, advertising and corporate assignment photographer in San Francisco, Director Of Operations in start-up ventures, skydive instructor, patent holder and product developer, start-up venture helmsman. William now remains active in invention and product development, marketing and vision-setting. His approach is not reiteration of conventional wisdom but rather unifying entities into wholes. This includes, amongst other things, the application of metaphysical principles in all facets of life, business or otherwise. In addition, Willaim writes on matters of consciousness, perceptions of that referred to as God and perceptions of reality.

William's career experiences brought him to understanding how some of us are meant to be specialists (experts in one area) and others, synthesizers (or generalists) who see the overview and the parts working as a whole. The latter tend to be skilled problem solvers. As his background might suggest, William was cut from that cloth. Alas, this tendency toward too many interests, rather than focusing upon a specialty, is all too often viewed more as a shortcoming than anything. Not surprisingly, the specialist is more highly valued and sought after--especially in the world of big business. As most overview / generalist types know from experience, while businesses claim an immense desire for problem solvers, they don't really know how to fit them into the organizational scheme. Corporations are segmented into departments of specialists. While this is the way of conventional wisdom, the parts don't necessarily function as a whole.

Seeing the interrelationships of many disciplines is a key ingredient in innovation and vision work. It provides the perspective necessary to bringing coherency to an organization as well as a project. Leaders who are synthesizers recognize this and can bring organizations to work as a whole.

William eventually came to understand that there is an immense need and important role for both the synthesizer and the specialist and has spent no small effort over the years advancing that truth. The effort to showing others the value of the overview perspective was essential to the unfolding of his own individual abilities. He conveys how each of us have a unique array of talents and abilities that we are to use for the advancement of good in our world. And that in so doing, we will find great joy in our lives and experience success and abundance. Alas, discovering our talents, who we are and finding the place where we can best contribute, often is the challenge for many of us. But as he also purports, from a cosmic perspective, the pursuit of discovering ourselves is simply part of the larger scheme of life.

Over twenty years ago I began a journey of self-discovery. As with most who do so, it was motivated by dissatisfaction with some elements of my life. Some parts were fine; others not so good. I wanted to know why ease and happiness seemed to come so easily to some people or in some areas of life and not for others. Was it a matter of luck; if so, I wanted to know how luck operates? So my research began with that subject. Soon I was led books and newsletters about self-actualization and the creative power of the mind. References in one book would lead to others--many others. Soon, I began to see a common idea expressed over and over--that the human mind has access to powers far beyond those we ordinarily credit it with. It seemed these powers of the mind that I was beginning to learn about, were beyond the physical and material. I found the implications of this, quite frankly, astounding. It seemed to be saying that our minds had access to "infinite" powers that could be utilized to create our lives according to our desires-- just by thinking.

The resource tree began to expand incredibly. All of this knowledge however, did not mean that my life became any better. The powers may have existed but my understanding of the laws by which they worked was something else again. I often noticed that others who discovered these same ideas were able to utilize them and apply them more effectively than I seemed able to.

During this time, I began to discover who I was in the world, i.e., what my personal abilities were. I began to find opportunities to apply my unique problem solving abilities. I was interested in business and by becoming involved in various start-up ventures, I found my skills applicable to most facets of business. In start-ups, there often is not the money available to hire various departmental specialists; so someone who has a good grasp of many areas and is a quick study (able to get a working grasp of previously unfamiliar areas rather quickly) is of value. Where I did not have the particular skill needed, I fortunately had the insight to determine what sort of specialist could best fill the job, find the right person and hire him / her per assignment. It was clear to me that the overview perspective was a worthy attribute.

I began to see that this process of discovering who I was "in the world" is also related to discovering who we are within the larger context of the universe. That, not surprisingly, fueled my desire to know more about who we really are, beyond our personalities and physical bodies. What is this eternal part of ourselves and how is it related to our being in the world?

What I have discovered goes way beyond what I have written here. It is the basis for a book in progress, the focus of which is consciousness as the fundamenal ground of all that is, and reality, and how consciousness and perceptions of reality are related. The book will hopefully assist others who are awakening and embarking upon their own journey to understanding.

Copyright ©, 2001-2006, William Gunderson,
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