“When the wind of change blows, some people build walls, others build windmills. - Chinese Proverb”
We certainly live in interesting times. We are in the middle of a digital revolution, which is probably as profound as (if not more so) than the shift from an agricultural society to the industrial age. Now, once again the wind of change is blowing, things are changing and they are changing at breakneck speed. Industries are being disrupted by startups, technology is setting the pace and enabling things that previously were only dreamt of, the world is as interconnected and as accessible as never before, new jobs are emerging, old ones are going extinct and the entire face of society is morphing. This new age - as any new age in history did - poses both huge opportunities and considerable threats. Our life as we know it is being re-written, if we realise it yet or not, let alone if we like it or not.
The mindsets and models for work and life that most of us grew up with were sculpted in the late 19th century, and these largely are no longer applicable and nor do they serve us well anymore. So we need to change our thinking, our behaviour, we need to reconsider our previous models and assumptions, and must reinvent our minds, who we are and how we operate - in other words we need to reinvent ourselves. Granted, this is a challenge, but one that can be tackled. Humans are incredibly able and adaptable, we have found means of living in nearly all climate zones of our planet, we are able to engage in life-long learning, we can acquire new skills and capabilities at any age. It takes effort of course, and sometimes support from people who are a few steps ahead on their journey of change that can guide us here and there.
On the flip side, we can embrace many new opportunities, we can find a way of living life more meaningfully, if we align our values with our striving and undertakings. We can place importance on why we do something and not so much on the how, there are many paths to Rome after all. So, I would argue that if change is happening anyway - and make no mistake, it is, and there is no going back - we might as well sculpt the way we want to work and live in this new environment. And yes it is scary, we need to veer off our trodden path and embark on a new and uncertain journey, we need to jump without knowing how and where we might land. We may not have all the knowhow yet, but we can trust in our own ability to learn as we go, and we will have the certainty of knowing why we do what we do. I really believe that we have been given an ideal window of opportunity to sculpt ourselves and our lives to align with our values and hence live more purposefully. So, as the old Chinese proverb states, I want to be the one building windmills, don't you?