Three ways to ride the rapids of change
Have you ever noticed that the pace of life seems to be getting faster each year? There have been times when I felt like I was white-water rafting through rapids—going fast, not always in control, and unsure of which twist or turn was next.
It turns out there’s a reason for this increased pace.
In his book, Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Acceleration, Thomas Friedman says we live in the age of acceleration. It’s an age where technology, globalisation and climate change are accelerating exponentially.
Humans are finding it difficult to grasp and adapt to this pace of change.
Friedman offers several strategies to thrive in this era of accelerated change, highlighting these three key approaches.
Recognise the power of pausing
The book starts with a story about pausing. One morning, Friedman’s breakfast guest was 15 minutes late. The guest came in flustered and apologised. Friedman said, “No, thank you for being late.”
Friedman was grateful for the few minutes he “found” to just sit and think. To take time to reflect, connect ideas, rethink assumptions and reconnect with core beliefs.
Pausing helps humans better understand and engage with the world.
“When you press the pause button on a machine, it stops. But when you press the pause button on human beings they start,” says Friedman’s friend and teacher, Dov Seidman
Embrace Lifelong Learning
One of the best ways to steer a white water raft through change is to keep paddling. Paddle as fast or faster than the pace of change.
You gain momentum by being self-motivated and increasing your knowledge.
“You have to know more, you have to update what you know more often and you have to do more creative things with it,” advises, Zach Sims the founder of Codecademy in the book.
Companies also need to offer more training and coaching to keep the edge in competitive markets.
Healthy communities
Trust is one of the key ingredients for adapting to change. It happens in a community when people feel respected, protected and connected. When there is trust, people are more open to new people. New ideas. And new thinking.
Healthy communities can occur in various settings, from workplaces to educational institutions and neighbourhoods to digital platforms.
“The more the world demands that we branch out, the more we each need to be anchored in a topsoil of trust that is the foundation of all healthy communities. We must be enriched by the topsoil and we must enrich it in turn,” advises Friedman.
In these moments of uncertainty, it can be difficult to recognise the opportunities for growth and self-discovery available to us. But we need to ride the rapids and take advantage of the currents so we can confidently paddle ourselves and our communities forward.
