Daily Inspiration: “There are very few commodities in the world right now more precious than hope and optimism!”

“There are very few commodities in the world right now more precious than hope and optimism!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Hey, has your world changed? Mine too! So has everyone else’s! Fast and furious does not begin to capture the speed with which our new world is unfolding.

So what do you do about it?

Innovate! Change! Adapt! Realign! Rethink! Redo!

You’ll know that I often point out that one of my key go-to phrases on the stage is this: “Some people see the future and see a threat. Innovators see the same future and see an opportunity!”

That’s a reality in the best of times — it also holds true today, in the … most challenging times?

Your hope defines your future – your optimism defines the attitude that can help you arrive there. When we witness a fast new era of economic uncertainty and potential personal peril, our first reaction is to recoil in fear and shock.

And yet, we really should try to move long in the emotional process. I suspect that I will be talking a lot about my ‘7 Stages of Economic Grief’ process, because I think what many people are finding themselves going through is similar to the process of grieving.

Here’s a thought : you’ll best define your future right now by deciding to move along through the stages. Stop grieving – start accepting!

Oh, and don’t become captive to the daily volatility!

Reading the Wall Street Journal right now, one analyst observed: “Much of the volatility we’re seeing is a product of this to and fro, this push and pull about which forces should have the upper hand, the technical impact from Covid-19 or the feel-good factor from policy stimulus.”

If your attitude during the day is ruled by the market, stop it! The market is NOT a reflection of your future – shift your thinking to the long term transformative trends which will bring opportunity to your world.

Think longer term – not hours and days, but months and years. The fact is, we live in a remarkable time of remarkable opportunity – there is much more yet to come!

Your strength for the journey ahead is your hope, and opportunity is your oxygen.

Focus on that, and breathe deeply.