Daily Inspiration: “It’s only when you face your fear that you will discover your courage!”

“It’s only when you face your fear that you will discover your courage!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Always listen carefully to what others around you have to say – it’s guaranteed that you will snatch a glimpse of the motivation that drives them forward and allows them to reinvent their future. Think about it in the context of their circumstances, and you can find your own motivation.

And so this phrase – I heard it during a Zoom meeting yesterday, and it immediately resonated with me – I wrote it down right away! It was offered up in a personal context, but for me – I’m the ‘phrase hunter!’ -I found a broader story in it, in that also found some future-oriented inspiration within it.

It’s been a crazy job to talk to people about the future because many fear what it represents. And in fact, I’ve discovered along the way that many people simply don’t like the future – because it represents change and disruption, and will almost certainly cause havoc and upheaval in their life. The result is that they treat it with a negative or dismissive attitude, which never works out well – they fall behind.

Or worse yet, in these modern times, they make up a wild, insane conspiracy theory to try to do away with it. Corporate HR departments today will have their hands full with a new sort of aptitude-test: are you crazy, or not?

And yet, when it comes to this quixotic battle against the future, there aren’t much these naysayers can do to stop it – they can only align to it and work within the context of what it represents. Jobs are going to change, careers are going to transform, skills are going to evolve, business models are going to disrupt, companies are going to evolve – and tomorrow is going to be a different day. Your choice is whether you want to be a part of it.

You can try to choose to battle against what comes next – or you can choose to accept it, work with it, shape it – turn it to your advantage.

Remember – some people see the future and see a threat. Innovators see the same future and see an opportunity!