As the World of Work Turns Upside Down – Where Will You Be?
“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.”
– Author, Nikos Kazantzaki
Transmutation:
“The action of changing or the state of being changed into another form.”
“The alchemical process of changing base metals into gold.”
An extensive recent study called Impacts of Future Technology at the Oxford Martin School indicates that over half of all jobs in the US will be eliminated due to technology within the next 20 years. For those of us who view change as a bad thing, it will be a bad thing. For those of us who’ve learned how to change and pursue growth, this will be an exciting world indeed.
The art of changing ourselves is learnable. I know this is true because I have personally witnessed thousands of our participants do just that. When I began Inspired Work, I had no idea that our curriculum would eventually turn into a model for personal change. When we began in 1990, people were dealing with the loss of “jobs for life.” Now, the average graduates from college will change their careers four to six times.
The key is to not only change, but to change our lives for the better. Transmutation represents the kind of positive personal change that replaces tired old beliefs with a positive understanding of reality. Transmutation turns our flights from change into lives of gold. Transmutation might seem overwhelming but, in fact, it is about awakening and stepping out of a trance imparted by superficial conditioning, the casting of old skin for a world in which we want to be awake and alive.
All of us have the ability to use cynicism to stall change and many times, we look at the beginning of a tidal wave as yet another “fad.” At the very time when we ought to be transforming and redefining ourselves the fad moves the game so far ahead of us that we never catch up.
Many of you have read my example of truck drivers, the number one job for men in America. Perhaps it would be valuable to replace your profession title for truck drivers and walk through the example.
Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernard recently predicted the use of such trucks are only, “two, three years away.” Now, it appears we have begun.
Let’s extend the technology to cars. Google, Apple, Mercedes, General Motors and Toyota, to name a few, are investing billions in the scramble towards driverless cars. Taxi and Uber drivers would do well to start the reinvention process now.
These changes will impact other sectors of work with equal force. The Brookings Institute predicts that a driverless fleet obeying the letter of the law will take billions out of city and state revenue streams. In 2013, smartphone operated parking meters led to a $6 million dollar loss in Washington, D.C.
A predominantly driverless future will reduce the automobile insurance industry by over 60%. As the use of driverless cars grow, Brookings predicts that sharing these cars will lead to an equally big drop in the manufacture of new autos.
Our political candidates pander to an unsettled population by promising to bring back jobs but history has never indicated they are able to deliver that with the exception of building infrastructure for the country or for war. Technology marches forward.
This is not doom and gloom! It is a call to turn growth into good news for all of us. That is a choice. The change around us offers opportunities to rebel against work that is monotonous, stifling and soul deadening. Never has there been a better time to trade-in work within monolithic and crumbling environments for the nimbleness and excitement of entrepreneurship. Never has there been a better time to partner up with the very people we would prefer to work with. For those of us who choose to look the other way, the message will become louder and louder.
Getting there requires a change of mind and heart.
Rather than railing against change, it is time for all of us to exploit it. When I began to work in my early 20’s, I sat in an ugly cubicle in an environment filled with cigarette smoke. Today, I work out of a home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. My colleagues and I Skype, meet as needed and live fulfilling lives. We love and respect each other.
When I began to work, I did it to survive. I was frightened of my own shadow. I found little meaning in the work itself other than “making a living.” Today, over 40,000 changed lives have given me a life unlike anything I could of dreamt up. That journey began with a commitment to transform my life, to let go of the deep mediocrity that comes out of clinging to the past. Today, I know that anyone can change. Anyone can define and find the life he or she is meant to lead.
For much of the world, it is time to rebel, to rebel against the status quo, against our paralysis, against the monotony and to step into the light.
I hope you get there first.
If you have, you also have the strength to inspire a few others to join you.
Upcoming Events
The Inspired Work Program (Los Angeles)
Saturday and Sunday, September 17 & 18
Over 42,000 people have used The Inspired Work Program as a lever to transform their careers, their business and their work. The program represents a comprehensive and sophisticated approach to defining an ideal relationship towards work and breakthroughs in the marriage of work with the rest of your life.
Use the program if:
- You have outgrown your existing work
- You are doing what you love but unhappy with the results
- You’re still pondering what you are going to do when you grow up
- You want to up the entire game
Everyone’s experience is unique and the results are immediately actionable.
For program fees and logistics (click here).
For a program overview (click here).
About your September Leader (click here).
It is almost always valuable to contact us and discuss what is going on with your career, your business or your job. There’s no pressure, we are committed to everyone making an informed decision about this life-changing experience.
Call us at (310) 277-4850
Logistics:
The program is delivered at the beautiful Luxe Summit – Bel Air (Los Angeles).
Shuttles are available from LAX and the hotel provides special rates for out-of-town guests.
Seating is limited to twenty participants.
Inspired Social Networking
Programs begin on:
Thursday, September 1 or
Monday, September 12 (4-6 p.m. pst)
Virtually every business owner that I know remembers what they were doing and where they were standing in October, 2008 when it became clear the financial marketing was collapsing. At the time, we had one individual who engaged in social networking and the results did not compare to business we obtained from referrals and traditional “feet on the ground” business development.
We the economy recovered we realized that social networking has the power to reach large volumes of buying influences in very short periods of time.
The problem?
The approach many people use in social networking feels like impersonal junk mail. Someone sends us a note to connect, we accept and one of two things happen: We never hear from them again or we start receiving volumes of spam.
Social networking rebuilt our company and two years ago, it became our number one source for business.
Inspired Work designed a process that has become our most popular training program.
Inspired Social Networking is a unique and often game changing approach to business development and career success. It takes place in four two-hour virtual sessions. You are “in the process” for four weeks and emerge with a clear digital brand, a wonderful LinkedIn profile, new contacts and in many cases, new business or career opportunities.
Whether you are looking to build your own success or help your employees become far more profitable, we are here to support you and show you a new way of growth.
For a curriculum overview, click here.
From a recent participant:
“I came into the program as a recognized leader in the digital marketing profession. I felt that if I learned one or two things it would be valuable. The program is a surprising and unique take on using social networking to build an actively engaged community. Today, most of my new business comes by using the techniques from Inspired Social Networking.”
Dave Roth – CEO, Emergent Digital
To enroll, call 310-277-4850