A Change Can Go A Long Way

"Know thyself." - Gnothi Seuton

In ancient Greece people would flock to the temple of Apollo at Delphi in the hopes that the Oracle would show them their destiny.  The thought was that if their destiny did not look appealing that they could change it to a more favorable outcome.  Obviously wealth and happiness were high on their agenda just as they are today.  What a lot of them missed was that inscribed above the entrance were the words "Know thyself".  These words really ring true today and I believe it is more important than ever to reflect on this.

Consider what is going on in the global economy right now; Europe is a complete disaster, the United States is mired in an economy that is slowly grinding forward, credit is hard if not impossible to come by, people are loosing their houses and their livelihood, the world has lost faith in their leaders and everywhere there are grim signs pointing to more of the same (if not worse) for years to come.  It is very easy to become completely wrapped up and consumed with fear and believe me everywhere I look people are fearful.  Worse still stress is written on every one's faces.  This can lead to serious health problems.  The body begins to creak and groan which adds to the problems we face.  In the sports world it is well known that the body hurts when you are losing but the aches vanish as if by magic when you win.  So too when your finances are in a wreck.  It certainly is not easy to be positive.

But that is just what is needed.  Think about it, there is nothing that you can really do about the mess that the world is in (unless you are a president or high ranking official in your country).  Getting consumed by things that are completely out of your control is completely ludicrous.  Not that you should not consider them and strategise, but it is clear to me that most people are overly panicked by the potential outcomes.  Focus on what you can control and, in all reality, that is just yourself.

A great story that I am sure a lot of you have heard springs to mind.  Two shoe salesmen arrive in a small town in Africa where no-one wears shoes.  The first salesman sends a message back to head office saying this is a complete bust as no-one wears shoes while the second sends a message back saying it is the best opportunity he has ever seen as no-one has a pair of shoes!  Same town, different attitude.

Changing your outlook from negative to positive can start to turn the tide for you personally.  Once you are a happier person to be around it is amazing how things will follow.  Your family becomes happier, colleagues become friendlier and people open up more.  Helping others is also a great endeavour that can lead to opportunities that you thought were out of your reach.  It is far easier to ask for that referral once you have helped the referring person with their problem.  People want to do business with positive people so look at how you are projecting yourself.

The quote above goes deeper than this though.  To know yourself is to know what really makes you tick, what it is that you love to do, what it takes to make you feel at peace within your soul.  That is the best part of a poor economy -  the ashes of despair clear the way for the seeds of innovation.  The boundaries that used to exist melt away causing some consternation for those entrenched in the old societal realms, but for those who know themselves the fear evaporates and they retool themselves and take advantage of the void created.  I have seen this first hand living in South Africa during the time when foreign businesses were divesting of their holdings.  It was a time of fear and gloom in the country, but for a few nimble entrepreneurs it was the greatest opportunity ever presented to them as they filled the void and made huge profits.  Those that sat with their head in their hands lost their way while those that saw the great opportunity reaped the rewards.

Fixing all the mess in the world will not be easy but you can start with yourself.  Make a change this weekend and reap the rewards.  If we can all do this then guess what, the small change that you make will go a long way.