Shifting Realities

This moment is real. Oops! There it goes, to be replaced by this moment. Now, this second, not the last second, this one, now the next! You’ve got to be quick to keep up. What was just a moment ago is no longer. Now. We have only now. And of course what we do with it so we can enjoy future nows.

I was in a business meeting the other day and surprise, surprise, the client realized the business plan needed to be changed to reflect reality. What had been expected didn’t materialize; something totally unexpected did. Then the wonder why? And puzzlement as well because how did we get this so wrong?

The short answer is: because life doesn’t follow exact rules. Change happens and the trick is to know it is occurring. Quickly thereafter it helps to examine why it is happening and try to understand it as best one can. Then apply that knowledge.

Movement is the constant. It has a trajectory – a path – and it is best to be alert to this.

I’ve said this in the past: life is a bundled experience of nows that interact with other bundles of nows. Think gestalt. The whole is made up of many, many parts, all working as a unified whole, but independently causing myriad responses. Understanding the gestalt of a situation is important. It is of instance, however, and likely changes quickly into something else. Reacting to one gestalt may lead to unexpected results because we may have guessed the wrong direction of the gestalt’s movement or morphing.

Change happens. Swing with it. Be agile. Do not remain locked in place.

An investment yesterday may need to be sold tomorrow so the funds can be used to buy something better as an investment. Hanging on to the investment to prove your initial instincts were impeccably right will only lead to breast beating and sorrow. The Buggy Whip Industry of yesteryear has no relevance or presence in the market of space ships and computers.

I know this is obvious. But ask the owners of typewriter stocks for their reaction before you judge my statement. Or washing machine stock, for that matter!

The future lies ahead of us and it belongs to the visionaries among us who can imagine it and prepare for it.

And old building today may have value if its location is in the path of development or re-development that makes sense. Otherwise it doesn’t – have value. It will likely remain unused and neglected for years until it becomes dangerous and must be razed for public safety. But then a surprise is in store: the vacant land has a new value that opens up even more opportunities and the market interest soars even more. The old building had been an obstacle to the future. Now gone new possibilities exist.

The stove is age old in a thousand formats. Making a stove over the years has changed dramatically. New technology has revolutionized the stove. But what is the future payback to manufacture more stoves of any kind? What is the return on investment of such transactions? Probably very little. Attention is on new matters of significance.

Making electrical energy has been with us now for well over 100 years. The power grid is in place and being expanded and replaced, and repaired and maintained. But we are on the cusp of new energy sources and electricity will likely be part of that but not all of it. What then does the power industry do?

One thing it doesn’t do is prepare to remain static for another decade. No; it must re-invent its self and future to be sustainable. New energy sources beckon and will morph into a huge new industry center. How to be part of it and capture the most return on investment? Be a leader in the industry. Be a researcher in the industry. Be there as it happens and unfolds. Be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities as they open up to view.

Visionaries see the opportunities well before they come into being. That is the nature of risk taking and investing long term.

The old Protestant Theology of ‘be of use’ remains potent today. Only now it is transformed into business language as ‘make something useful happen.’ If that isn’t happening then you are not a leader but a follower. And your rewards will be much smaller, maybe miniscule, or not at all.

Have you ever missed a train? Feels lonely doesn’t it?

Let’s hope we have visionaries and leaders coming up through the ranks of our fellows so our tomorrows will be brighter than the days of 2016.

We have much to do. And we can either be leaders or followers. Oh, and we could miss the train entirely.

Which will you be?

February 1, 2016