This past Memorial Day weekend I decided to revisit my bookshelf to poke around and reminisce with books I'd read over the last decade. You see, I not only like to collect great books, I also date each one to remind me of when I read it. My 'invisible finger' guided me toward a book I read seven years ago titled, "Wealth and Freedom" by David Levin. Wealth and Freedom (I know?sounds boring) is a great read on political economy for non-economists?like me.
In the second chapter titled "Capitalism", Levine dedicates a segment to a phrase made popular by the Economist Joseph Schumpeter; that phrase being 'Creative Destruction' which describes the chaotic changes that occur when a new product (i.e., technology) or service is introduced into the market. For example, remember when the Compact Disc was introduced ushering in the dramatic decline of the use of audio tapes. The most current example is how Digital Video Discs (DVDs) are now ousting VHS tapes from our local video stores. Soon, even DVDs will be replaced by high-speed internet downloads.
What happens to the old products? Gone. What happens to the people that use to work for the audio or VHS tape companies? They eventually move to another position or go to work for these new digital companies. In the end, the consumer wins because a new and more efficient product has been created making our lives more convenient (e.g., no more fast forward, less shelf space for CDs and DVDs, etc.).
Change is the ongoing cycle of capitalism. Introduce a new product. It then creates an upheaval in the marketplace. The upheaval settles into normality until the next creative destruction (new technology) comes along.
As I reread Levine's description of creative destruction, my mind wandered onto the topic of success. I began to think about the many people who are so comfortable with their lives that they don't want anything to change. Yet, many of them live quiet lives of desperation; who deep down inside want change. They want something exciting to happen to their existence. But when something new is introduced into their normal daily life, they're quick to reject it. Herein lay one of the greatest conundrums of success. We want our lives to change, but we don't want anything to change that would cause us to have to make changes. Huh?!
In the marketplace, change is forced upon us by the creative minds of individuals with new ideas and visions. But in our personal space, who will force change upon us? Who will force us to change our habits of failure into habits of success? Who will force us to try something we've never done before? Who will coerce us to move beyond our comfort zone? Who? You, that's who!
Many of us are waiting for a 'change agent', a creative destructive force that will make our lives, in the end, better. Unfortunately, the majority of people wait all their lives for such a creative force of change that never shows up.
I don't need to tell you that you can't wait for a creative destructive force to make you do what needs to be done. No 'great power' is going to intercede in your change until you consciously decide to make it happen. Nothing will happen until you creatively destroy the old patterns that haven't been working over the years.
Creative destruction for you is a commitment to stop, evaluate and redirect your energies toward your aspirations regardless of the unintended consequences. You can't predict what may come when you start to reconstruct your live. You can't prognosticate every outcome. You can't always assuage your fear of failure. What you can do is convince yourself that your present life is not enough and that if something is to dramatically change, you must make a dramatic change in your approach.
So here's what I want you to do. Introduce the cycle of success (creative destruction) into your life. Start a new activity or good habit today. That habit will create some upheaval (i.e., change) in your life which will eventually settle into normality until you introduce the next creatively destructive habit.
Where do you begin? You begin by doing things you've always feared doing. Read a book that will inspire you. Begin by doing little things you've always put off for tomorrow. Begin by taking small risks and a few leaps of faith so you can begin to reformulate, reconstitute, reconstruct the new you while at the same time creatively destroying the old you.
Like anything in life that's worth pursing, change comes with a cost. You will have moments when you are uncertain of the direction your headed. There will be moments when you'll want to revert to the old you because it seems easier. There will be times when you wish you could just go back to your old life. Don't do it! Although these tendencies are a natural reaction to change, you must resist the urge to regress back to mediocrity.
The outcome of creative destruction will not be immediately evident. Only as time passes and as you begin to redefine your life will you be able to appreciate the benefits of your self-inflicted upheaval. New patterns bring new thoughts which lead to even newer patterns of success.
Albert Einstein defined the definition of insanity as doing the same thing, the same way over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Both Einstein and Schumpeter understood that a new YOU will only emerge as a result of a change in YOU.
Victor Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of "The LOGIC of Success". For more info go to: www.thelogicofsuccess.com or by email www.thelogicofsuccess.com
weekly home cleaning Lake Forest ..Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is... Read More
It was one of the worst periods of time in... Read More
If it comes to the question what we really want... Read More
Use birthdays and other gift-giving holidays to help reach your... Read More
Be weary and leery when it comes to standardized tests... Read More
If you ask most people whether they would like to... Read More
Give back Once you've achieved success, use your skills, talents,... Read More
I would like to use this medium to introduce my... Read More
Your personal image: It's the most important YOU asset you... Read More
If you help yourself, God and humans will help you... Read More
There is one big "secret" to success that can help... Read More
I see it happen all too often on the internet... Read More
What if I told you that you could be more... Read More
You will have the greatest success if you read the... Read More
He was pencil thin and walked with a limp. A... Read More
Champions expect pain, endure pain, and never complain. ---UnknownAfter so... Read More
Think back to a time in your life when you... Read More
With the long-term trend of protecting employees' individual self esteem... Read More
Unexpected life changes. Anticipated transitions. Long, sleepless nights. What do... Read More
You've tried and failed. You've watched others fall. You're wiped... Read More
One of the most common refrains I hear from people... Read More
Jim Rohn, the success guru and mentor, said, "Failure is... Read More
"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather... Read More
The recent mission of the space shuttle Discovery is NASA's... Read More
Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but... Read More
best cleaning company Arlington Heights ..What do Sam Walton, Ray Kroc, Hilton, Marriot, Firestone, Elvis... Read More
Do you want to achieve your most important goals in... Read More
Here are a few suggestions that I try to put... Read More
Nobody becomes a success alone, period. There is no such... Read More
IntroductionSuccess - we all read about it, hear it on... Read More
What is a champion really? Sure, all success oriented people... Read More
(Excepted from the book The Five Major Pieces to the... Read More
No matter how young or old you are, you must... Read More
I thought this was unbelievable, but it's true.On average, security... Read More
Commit yourself to spending time only with people who are... Read More
Unexpected life changes. Anticipated transitions. Long, sleepless nights. What do... Read More
Your Head, think about what you want and move towards... Read More
You have probably heard the term "IQ" many times, and... Read More
When my neighbor's child was about 8, he decided that... Read More
Please repeat these four words out loud: "Maximum Impact....Minimal Touch"... Read More
If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?Becoming a millionaire... Read More
What does a sharp saw have to do with lifelong... Read More
So many of us want success, but how many of... Read More
The Winner's Walk is a key strategy in the sport... Read More
Greatness is all around us. From Oprah to Bill Gates... Read More
Want to be successful in whatever it is you choose... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Are you consistently chasing success? Once you achieve it, do... Read More
There are so many internet marketing schemes out there so... Read More
Give yourself a gold star Remember how rewarding it was... Read More
Success |