# From the Stage: Change Your Future Before It Changes You
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## Article Content
From the stage It's the line I've used more than any other, and here it is in its shortest form. After describing a world where companies that don't yet exist will build products not yet conceived, I imagined what the audience was thinking: "You're all going, whoa, this guy's freaking me out. What do I do Monday morning?" My answer was a choice: "Change your future before it changes you. The future is going to happen whether you like it or not." Why it matters The future doesn't wait for permission. Industries, careers and organizations will change whether we participate or not. The only real decision is whether you shape the change or have it shaped for you. That's a personal choice as much as an organizational one. The takeaway Pick one area where the future is clearly coming, and get involved now. Don't wait for the full plan. Make the first move. Ask yourself every Monday: am I watching it happen, or making it happen? Related: Earlier: Daily Inspiration: "If the only thing set in stone is your attitude then you still have a fighting chance!" (2022) · Earlier: Daily Inspiration: "Nothing changes if you don't care to change it:~ so maybe you should be doing something you care about!" (2022) · Media & Technology From the Stage is a weekday series of short clips from more than 30 years of keynotes, and the leadership lessons that still matter.

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Source: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/10/from-the-stage-change-your-future-before-it-changes-you/