May you live in interesting times!

This saying is said to be a translation of a Chinese aphorism meant to be sarcastic; insinuating that living on stable, predictable, standard times, is better.

There is clearly another interpretation. One that blows the sarcasm out of the water. A view of life that supports the concept that people and societies evolve in times of change and unpredictability. 

That in conjunction with our communities, we evolve in times that force us to re-think, re-value, re-vise our true north. That we innovate in circumstances that prompt us to re-act, to re-design, to re-engineer. That we grow when we take action, adapt and promote. That we mature in times that urge us to take a stance, to take action, to rise to the moment and take chances exploring paths that have not been uncovered before.

A trailblazer mentality that keeps bringing me back to a phrase I’ve loved and used at least since early adulthood.  “We are the architects of our own destiny”. More recently edited during interactions with my team to: “We are the architects and engineers of our own destiny”.

Through the years, I have had the opportunity to enrich my perspective through dialogue with friends, family, mentors, clients, partners and colleagues.  All enlightened by academic backgrounds, professional experience and/or life itself. 

During the last 12 months, prompted by a global pandemic and the accelerated digitalization of our interaction environment, that dialogue and consequent introspection has mostly been focused on the future. The future or our businesses, the future of our interactions, the future of work, the future of our technologies, the future of education, the future of our communications, the future of our company culture, the future of our communities, societies, countries, regions. The future of the world.

All these conversations, with friends and stakeholders, have had a common thread. We all appear to understand that change is in the air. We are all looking forward and working hard in designing, engineering and building these new futures.  

Not absent of degrees uncertainty, angst and some resistance, I find that we are all, ready for the challenge. 

I suppose we have to be. 

There is no reason for stage fright any more. The curtains are up, and the show is well on its way.  It is time to perform!

Although the script has not yet been written, the rising action of the plot is taking shape along some thought provoking elements:

·       Creating new, simpler, better, more responsible businesses and services;

·       Allowing for better quality of life and life integration for our teams and our families;

·       Building more effective health and safety systems and a more conscious public health culture;

·       Allowing for better knowledge building through modern multi-modal educational systems;

·       Enriching diversity of thought and fairness through more equality of gender, age, race, background;

·       Building in more resilience into our societies;

·       Enabling planet friendly changes to our food, energy and other resource production and consumption.

It is our mindset, our core values, personal engagement and our visions of a better future that will be the driving factors determining whether we make this massive business and cultural evolution something of value for humanity… or not.

To do so, we need intention.  We need to pose ourselves in front of these thought-provoking aspirations and hear each other’s voices so that we spring out innovative ideas that challenge our biases, improve our societal thinking, equity, health and fairness.

I believe we are at a cross roads and that history will judge us for what we do, and for what we do not.  

I am certain that I am not the only one that believes this.  I am grateful for the opportunity to find myself alongside my community, my coworkers, my family and my broader network in these challenging and empowering times.

I hope that these paragraphs encourage further dialogue leading to concrete collective action. May we all live in interesting times!

Pablo.