People ask me: "You are dealing with change, why focus on getting people jobs, or missions even? Why do this now?"
Because I know from my own experience how painful it can be when you feel that the rug has been pulled from under you by an external circumstance that you have no control over. I have been there, not just once. If you have no technique, no system yet on how to approach this situation, it can be a grueling experience.
There are some fantastic courses on how to become a successful entrepreneur out there, everything from courses to change mindset, to specific instructions for certain areas of entrepreneurship. But not everyone wants to become an entrepreneur, some people treasure the security of employment. Not everybody is cut out to be an entrepreneur either, to deal with the statistic that only 4% of businesses make it long-term.
There are also some fantastic courses for specific jobs out there, once you know what you want to do. But have you learned how to navigate the space in between jobs, careers and missions?
Few people teach this, and if they do, it is aimed mostly at young people, because for most people, especially in Europe, dealing with the insecurity of the space-in-between only used to be necessary in the beginning of the career, just before leaving school. Then people were expected to do the same job and rise up the career ladder for all their life. Most people never learned how to deal with that space-in-between, the uncertainty of the situation, and that one time when they had to, some or most just did what somebody else suggested, or what they thought was expected from them - by their parents, their family, or society. For a few more, it became necessary to make a change once thereafter, during mid-life, but few people, certainly in Europe, expect to have several careers in their lives. However, in future, it is predicted that people will need to navigate this space again and again and again, and if there is no technique, no plan on how to do that, people may well get lost on the way.
This is not a joke, a temporary hick-up for most people. The prospect of potentially becoming insignificant, of declining, of never making it back into the position they were once in, sends quite a few people into deep depressions. According to a 2012 report by the Samaritans suicide prevention group, the suicide rate for middle-aged men is higher than that of any other demographic group. According to "Men's Health", out of all suicide deaths worldwide, the researchers estimated that 1 in 5 are tied to unemployment. That adds up to an estimated 45,000 suicides each year. And both men and women—no matter their age—are at an increased risk when they find themselves out of work. The suicide risk of young men is also rising.
Given these statistics, the predictions that digitization, globalization, and automation could potentially put 30 - 50% out of their jobs, while those who will keep their jobs will find that their jobs keep changing rapidly, are worrying.
However, that does not mean it has to become as bad as it sounds? In fact, with a shift in focus, could it become the very opposite, the force that makes society grow and reshapes for a better future? Sometimes, a problem is just the flip side of the coin to greatness.
How could that positive future happen?
Well, let's analyze the problem, what makes a job loss so devastating? In my experience, it is both - the uncertainty about the future of where the next paycheck for your rent/mortgage/meal will come from, the money you need so you can take care of your family and those you love, as well as the feeling that something has been done to you that you had no control over, and now you are at the mercy of external circumstances. But what if both, the feeling of uncertainty, and the loss of control could be addressed? What if we could get back control over our situation, and be in the position to be able to do something to shape our future? What if we had a tool to use, to guide us from where we are to where we want and need to be?
If we have a technique, a system on how to approach this situation, it gives us back the feeling of control, and we can take charge, so that the external event that we had no control over, that lost us our job, can actually become a stepping stone to something greater. There are no guarantees, and we have to put in the work, but with a map, the very external circumstances that could destroy our income and our future, could also turn our 9-5 job into a mission, something to get excited about, something we would never have achieved if that external circumstance had not provided the need for us to find a way! This future can become something men and women can fight to break through to, a challenge, a game, a dance, and with that challenge, the circumstance that made us feel like victims can become the impetus for growth and acceleration, and no matter where we end up in the end - that positive outlook alone makes the journey far more enjoyable, and the chances of finding a way to the top of the mountain much higher. And if we manage to help others along the way, all the better!
Life is what we make it - sometimes it helps to have some tools that are already developed, rather than re-invent the wheel. We want to provide that tool, that system, that makes the space-in-between navigable! Our mission is to help people find their way to the other side, our vision is to break the association of change to fear and replace it with possibility!
The future is bright, if we make it so!
