| Experts say that there are societal trends in play | | | | India. |
| that are precipitating a return to pre-industrial era | | | | DON'T SLEEP |
| ways of survival. In the face of changing | | | | As a potential entrepreneur, indeed as a nation, |
| economic realities and disillusionment, many people | | | | the opportunity exists to predict, anticipate, |
| are questioning the ways they currently make | | | | prepare for and position oneself for the effects |
| money and are seeking alternate means of | | | | of these trends. Don't wait for mainstream news |
| income. But, instead of simply getting another job, | | | | broadcasts to confirm this. Don't expect politicians |
| or opening a fast-food franchise, many are | | | | to make it part of their agendas in time. They are |
| instead asking, "What am I good at?" "What's my | | | | operating from a different agenda. Those who |
| passion?" | | | | seek to rule the world are by nature unlike those |
| Today's trends are all pointing to a move back to | | | | of the world they seek to rule. |
| the way things were. At the very least, as the | | | | THE CHALLENGE |
| economic landscape becomes more uncertain, | | | | As I said, there is always either a lesson or a |
| people need to look at options for increasing their | | | | challenge. |
| streams of income. It may be only way to | | | | Within the context of these trends, the economic |
| survive. | | | | condition, and by extension, your unique situation |
| However, there is also a new awareness | | | | is a catalyst that provides an opportunity for you |
| developing among those who are seeking to flex | | | | to respond in search of a lesson or a challenge. |
| their entrepreneurial muscles. The question this | | | | As potential entrepreneurs, if we choose to rise |
| time is: What sort of business does it make sense | | | | to the challenge, using what we know about |
| to start in these times of global change? | | | | predicting the future, the question becomes first: |
| To lay the foundation for my response, I'd like to | | | | What's going to happen as these trends and |
| introduce you to a term with which you're | | | | catalysts continue? And then more importantly, |
| probably already familiar. The term is "catalyst." | | | | what shall I do in response to these happenings? |
| As you may remember from high school | | | | Where should I look for the opportunity? What |
| chemistry class, a catalyst is a substance that | | | | sort of business would I start? And finally which |
| ignites, sets in motion, or speeds up a reaction | | | | business path offers the most opportunity for |
| without itself being affected. In life as well, every | | | | service to others? |
| experience is a potential catalyst. Your flat tire, | | | | Now there are those who would ask, 'which path |
| the argument with your spouse, your unhappiness | | | | offers the most profit?', but that's a |
| at your job--all are potential catalysts. Because of | | | | service-to-self orientation. We need a new |
| the free will inherent in our experience here on | | | | paradigm. I suggest, as motivational speaker Zig |
| the planet (we have the freedom to choose our | | | | Ziglar is credited with saying: that if you help |
| responses), the reaction that a catalyst can spark | | | | enough people get what they want, you |
| is entirely under your control. | | | | automatically get what you want. |
| THE PURPOSE OF CATALYSTS | | | | MY THOUGHTS ON A COMING SHIFT |
| All catalysts are designed to offer a challenge or | | | | There's another important trend that I believe is |
| lesson. | | | | important to factor into this equation, and it is this: |
| There are only two possible paths one can | | | | The continued growth upon which the current |
| choose from in response to a catalyst: It can be | | | | economic model is based cannot be sustained |
| accepted or it can be controlled. The path you | | | | indefinitely. Infinite growth based on finite |
| choose will be determined by your orientation. If | | | | resources is unsustainable. Growth based on the |
| you are oriented towards service to self (your | | | | exploitation of others is unethical and untenable. |
| own comfort), you will make one set of choices. | | | | Yes, China and India are both ideal sources of |
| If you are oriented towards service to others, | | | | labor as well as the next great frontier for |
| you will see and choose from a different set of | | | | consumerism. The rest of the world's |
| choices. | | | | industrialized, market-driven, capitalist, |
| When faced with a catalyst it is important to | | | | consumer-oriented companies and entrepreneurs |
| understand that we are here to evolve in the | | | | know this as well, and are rushing to position |
| direction of our orientation, and without life's | | | | themselves. |
| catalysts, the desire to evolve and the faith in the | | | | However, the gold watch-sporting, cola-drinking, |
| process do not normally manifest and thus | | | | junk food-eating, luxury car-driving, soap |
| evolution does not occur. So don't rail against the | | | | opera-watching, video game-playing lifestyle upon |
| changes and situations. Accept them as a natural | | | | which these companies rely to support their |
| part of the experience designed to help you grow. | | | | spiritually vapid, environmentally-depleting and |
| Life is really that simple. Things happen. You | | | | mindless products, while exploiting the poor as the |
| choose your response based on your orientation. | | | | labor source, is on an inevitable decline. Global |
| You evolve in the direction of your choice. | | | | consciousness of a more serious nature is actually |
| When neither path is chosen, the catalyst fails in | | | | on the rise (it's just not being reported). |
| its design and you proceed through life until some | | | | So if as a result, you see, as I do, the potential |
| other catalyst appears which causes you to | | | | crash of the entire economic system upon which |
| choose again towards acceptance and love or | | | | this model hinges, then you might agree that |
| toward separation and control. | | | | basing a new industry or business idea on such |
| HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE | | | | shifting sand, while perpetuating a soon-to-be |
| It's a basic law of this dynamic, ever-changing | | | | outdated business model that separates and |
| universe that there's no such thing as something | | | | destroys the family structure, enslaves |
| "staying the same." Things are either expanding or | | | | communities, while perpetuating indentured |
| contracting, increasing or decreasing, getting | | | | servitude is not a desirable course. So, here is the |
| better or getting worse. Even the metal or hard | | | | challenge in a nutshell. The current model is |
| plastic computer or sheet of paper on which you | | | | unsustainable. We need to survive. However, our |
| are reading these words, as solid and as stable as | | | | survival is based on buying into a definition of |
| they seem are all slowly decaying and | | | | success which perpetuates the very model which |
| deteriorating. Come back in a few dozen years, | | | | is threatening our survival. What then, should be |
| and you'll see the effects of decay over time. If | | | | our best course of action? |
| you know this, then you can look at everything | | | | THE ETHICAL PARADOX OF SELLING |
| from business phenomena to romantic | | | | SURVIVAL |
| relationships a little bit differently, and can perform | | | | How do you survive in an economic system that |
| what some might consider fortune-telling simply | | | | is threatening your and its own survival. Answer: |
| by asking, "where is this heading?" | | | | You sell survival. That's right, the game is changing |
| Every business, every situation, every relationship | | | | to one of selling survival. |
| is either getting better or getting worse, growing | | | | Right now others in the know are mobilizing to |
| or shrinking, going up or heading downhill. | | | | prepare to offer you their solutions. But what |
| Therefore, as long as you can honestly assess | | | | they offer won't be real solutions. They will offer |
| what you observe or experience over a given | | | | products, services and a paradigm which |
| time frame, you can "predict" where something is | | | | perpetuates their control and their individual |
| heading and take any evasive or remedial actions | | | | survival. In some parts of the world, companies |
| as necessary. | | | | are already charging the population for access to |
| Now having said that, let's examine some | | | | clean water, and some are selling seeds which |
| observable facts and trends that are catalysts | | | | have been genetically altered to produce |
| occurring right now and that will affect the future, | | | | single-generation crops forcing farmers into a |
| and to which we have a choice of response. 1. | | | | cycle of having to purchase new seeds every |
| The earth is going through changes. Global | | | | season just to survive. |
| warming is a reality. Temperature fluctuations are | | | | But how do you survive in good conscience by |
| affecting access to water, arable land and other | | | | profiting from what others need to survive. |
| resources for a growing segment of the world's | | | | Therein lies the paradox of selling survival. |
| population. These and other physical, climatic, and | | | | But that sort of response is not the best option. |
| cataclysmic changes are observable. | | | | Selling altered seeds or clean water is not the |
| 2. "Peak Oil" is a reality. The term "peak oil" refers | | | | survival I wish to sell. If I were starting a |
| to the peak in the world's oil production. The | | | | business, I would follow the experts who predict |
| amount of oil available on the planet is finite. There | | | | that the stated trends will favor business models |
| is a point in oil production whether within a single | | | | that: |
| oil field or the entire planet, when a maximum is | | | | 1. anticipate coming global shifts in social interaction |
| reached. Once that maximum rate of production | | | | and lifestyles (i.e. tribal living in larger social families |
| is reached, the rate of oil production (as well as | | | | that are self-supporting; ones that engage in more |
| the profitability of extracting it) on Earth will enter | | | | efficient means of creating energy, obtaining food, |
| a terminal decline. The challenge this presents is | | | | and supporting the common welfare) |
| that while the SUPPLY is declining, the DEMAND | | | | 2. offer people the means of survival given the |
| for oil (and the plastics, electricity, etc, which are | | | | "peak oil" phenomenon (i.e. alternative fuel sources, |
| oil-dependent) continue to increase as population | | | | power generation capacities, solar, wind, insulating |
| and industrialization continue to grow. It' said that | | | | technologies) |
| US oil production peaked in 1970. World oil | | | | 3. utilize technology in ways that empower and |
| production, it is said by some, peaked in 2005. | | | | free the exploited from the manual labor which |
| After a peak, production slows, profits decrease, | | | | keeps them at the lower rungs of the totem pole |
| and prices rise. You can already see the effects | | | | Why not start your own brainstorm session to |
| of this as gas prices start creeping upwards. | | | | come up with some unique business ideas based |
| 3. Corporate downsizing persists More and more | | | | on the suggestions above? |
| companies are outsourcing, downsizing and | | | | Wouldn't it be nice to jump ahead of the |
| offshoring in an effort to cut costs. Companies, | | | | entrepreneurial curve and start or join an industry, |
| particularly public corporations, are bound by their | | | | or launch a new business idea that helps the most |
| charters and by law to seek first the profitability | | | | people, prepares for coming earth changes, |
| of their shareholders. That's why the decisions | | | | empowers rather than exploits the labor pool, |
| these companies make often seem less | | | | reduces dependence on diminishing energy |
| humanitarian and more profit-inspired. That's | | | | resources, offers the consumer real alternatives, |
| because they have to be. | | | | while at the same time offers the world a new |
| 4. Global power and focus is shifting China and | | | | paradigm and consciousness as it relates to |
| India are growing economic forces. They | | | | survivability, sustainability, adding our voice and |
| represent sources of labor, consumers, as well as | | | | actions to the very change in consciousness and |
| increased oil and energy demand. Companies the | | | | alternate paradigm that our very survival |
| world over in Europe, (Romania and Poland most | | | | necessitates? |
| recently made news) and the US, are importing | | | | Yep, that would be pretty cool. And that's what I |
| laborers from China, or outsourcing skilled jobs to | | | | would do if I were starting a business. |