Living (or Dying) in a Changing World
For a very long time I have been a student of self improvement. My days go back to that of cassettes. I have listened to many of the greats including Napoleon Hill, Dr. Norman Cousins, Wayne Dyer, Dennis Waitley and Earl Nightingale. I have read books from Jim Rohn, James Allen and many, many others. I had the opportunity to meet Zig Ziglar and Tom Hopkins, both exceptional people. I have also been to a Tony Robbins Seminar.
One of the stories Tony Robbins spoke about was that of a man who was a knife sharpener. I don’t recall who the person was in Tony’s life, but do recall the story. It was about a man who made his living going from home to home sharpening knives for people. At some point the technology changed and this man was no longer able to provide for his family. This story has stuck with me since I heard it and for me, has profound meaning.
Zig Ziglar would talk about the times when he got into sales. He would go door to door selling products for the kitchen. Today many live in gated communities, putting a barrier between door-to-door sales people and those they intend to talk to. Others have “No Soliciting” signs on prominent display. Door-to-door sales looks like it is headed for extinction.
I recall many years ago when a salesman from the World Book Encyclopedia came to talk with my parents about investing in a set of encyclopedias. Not only have those jobs been eliminated, the amount of data currently available far exceeds what could be contained in hard bound books which would be able to be stored on a bookcase in a home.
In the 90’s my wife and I decided to take a family vacation in Disney. We went to a camera store at our local mall to purchase a new point and shoot camera. Though Disney is still around, point and shoot cameras and the stores which sold them are not.
It was once thought that most white collar type jobs were a worthy pursuit and the knowledge they gained would be valuable in the workplace. Hundreds of thousands of people bought into this theory. How many of these jobs are still viable?
Traditional home building methods using wood and nails, while still being employed is being superseded by newer technologies. Whether that is from prefab concrete walls or actually printing homes, the industry is changing.
We are about to embark on a path which will forever change the landscape of the world. Its effect is so broad that no one really knows where it will lead. I am talking about AI, artificial intelligence. Earlier this morning (as of the date I originally wrote this article) I read an article that AI has outpaced the top predictors of the stock market, this includes systems and people. And this was done without having all the current information available to the AI system.
John F. Kennedy once stated “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” How true!
Zig Ziglar took the skills he honed as a cookware salesman and used them to propel himself to becoming a world renowned motivational speaker. LG started in the 40’s selling cosmetics and household items and has transformed itself into a technological powerhouse. Amazon went from a company selling books to a behemoth generating over a half a trillion dollars annually.
What none of us know is what exactly tomorrow will bring. It is imperative to acknowledge that change is always upon us and whether we like it or not, must interpret and utilize the change as best as possible.
What is not growing is dying!
Godspeed!