Are You Ready for the World to Change?

Most people are stuck in the past.

How often do you see the 45 year old woman still boldly peacocking her out-of-control 1980’s hairdo? Or the aging hippie who embarrassingly reeks of pachouli and broken dreams? These are two examples of types of people unable to let go of the past; they are everywhere. They haunt every city like monuments to recent history. Or, perhaps more appropriately, like a collective bad memory. Of course, not everyone makes their inability to adapt so visible. Many people look “up to date” yet still harbor a self-concept based on a worn out zeitgeist.

It seems to me that most people don’t focus on where they are and where they’ll be going. Most people focus on where they have been.

THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE

It’s inevitable that the world will go through massive change in our lifetime. Some of us will adapt. We will feel at home in this strange future. Many of us will not. Many of us will cling to who we used to be. Some of us will refuse to give up our American Apparel hoodies. Or our emo haircut. Many of us will continue listening to Vampire Weekend and Lil’ Wayne long after these artists are no longer “relevant.” We will discuss the “good old days” of 2010 and complain about the lack of integrity in our kid’s tripped-out space music.

We can’t let the people afraid of moving forward hold the rest of us back.

The world is changing. Fast. Are you prepared to adapt or are you set in your ways? New and exciting ideas are being thought up everyday. Are you keeping up with the innovators? Are you ready to wear Legos as accessories? That may sound insane, but trendsetters are already doing it. Are you ready to appropriate the eating habits of cavemen? That may sound stupid, but progressive people are doing that too. And it starts to make at least some sense once you consider the type of locally-based sustainable economy the U.S. is (hopefully) moving toward.

These are only examples. The point is that things change everyday. Even big things we assumed would always be the same. And when we don’t adapt, we fall behind. The world in its current state won’t last long. And the world inside your head is probably already gone.

The world doesn’t change on its own; we initiate change. The future is unwritten. If you have dreams now is your opportunity to do something about them. The world and its rules are not hard and unbreakable. They are soft and easy to mold. Any idea or product that makes life simpler, happier and more efficient has a chance to catch on and make a difference. But it’s up to you to get your ideas out there.

But we can’t be afraid to fail, and we can’t be afraid to change.