Surrender Is Not An Option

As the economy continues to worsen, the old system of get a job → cash your paycheck → live your life is going to become less and less common. And clearly, people are going to have to make a change. Make their own jobs. That sounds hard, but humans have been doing it forever… mostly.

The period between 1945 and 2020 was the golden age of employment. People could reasonably expect the American Dream. Work for someone until you’re 65, retire, enjoy your pension and Social Security. Finally get to live for yourself. Take up a hobby. Travel. Enjoy those golden years.

But recently, that entire paradigm has been changing… rapidly. The expectation is now very different. For many, the American Dream has become the American Nightmare. Retirement is looking more and more like a thing of the past. The future of Social Security is precarious at best. There are barely any pensions left to speak of. And the golden years are starting to look more like the tin-pan years.

As society changes.
As the economy changes.
As the world changes.

We must learn to change with it.

The world has always changed. It’s just that, in living history, it’s never changed this much. This fast.

I once heard someone say something to the effect of: there are decades when weeks happen, and there are weeks when decades happen. The last five years have seen more change than the previous eighty. And even though our internal machinery of adaptation may have gotten a little rusty during the good times, the moment has arrived to break out the WD-40 and the wire brush. To get those wheels turning again. Because adaptability is the name of the game from here on out.

I’ve written a few articles on this subject already. I’ve talked about side hustles. High-agency people. Being the kind of person who can get the job done. Fortitude. Grit. Just about every angle there is. But it’s something that can’t be said too often.

We now find ourselves in a situation where only those who can effectively adapt will survive.

So, back to the original idea.

We must become proficient at creating our own jobs. Creating our own work. Creating our own living. It’s no longer sufficient to depend on others to do these things for us. Creativity, innovation, motivation, and perseverance are no longer “nice to have” traits. They’re critical skills for surviving in this new economic landscape.

When faced with circumstances this overwhelming, it’s easy to become discouraged. To want someone else to step in. To provide. To care for us. But the simple truth is that there just aren’t going to be enough people who can do that anymore. And we no longer have the luxury of surrendering to hopelessness. So, there’s only one option.

We have to dig deep and find the strength, wherever it may be, to pull ourselves up and keep moving forward. Every day will bring new challenges, and every day must bring new solutions.

You can do it.
We can all do it.

We’ve spent our entire lives overcoming challenges and solving problems. The difference now is that the challenges are bigger and they’re coming faster. Still, we must rise to meet the moment. We must not give up simply because things look bleak.

So, follow this simple formula:

Take a deep breath → evaluate the situation → make a plan → execute the plan → reevaluate → make necessary adjustments → keep moving forward.

It looks simple when you see it written out like this. Putting it into practice will be harder.

But what choice do we really have?

Surrender is not an option.

Cheers, friends. Let’s keep discovering together.

Join us in making the world a better place. You’ll be glad that you did.