I’m sharing with you today a few snippets from one of my recent keynote speeches, delivered at the Global Digital Marketing Summit in Jamaica #GDMS2019.
I won’t share the entire speech, but I think this captures one of the primary thesis’, simply asked as; If not now, when?
Let me take a step back for a moment. The subject I was asked to speak about is “The Future”. I wasn’t about to look into a crystal ball and make bold predictions of what’s to come in 10-20 years. In my opinion, things are moving far too fast to be able to predict 20 years out with much certainty, and even 5-year predictions would be prone to mistakes… and I want to still be working in 5 years!
But here is one prediction; The future is about meaningfulness. The future will afford a greater number of opportunities to a greater number of people around the world to pursue purposeful, meaningful and rewarding lives. It will allow more people to identify personal strengths and passions and then fulfill them. The future will be about the pursuit of enlightenment. This by no means is intended to imply that I am an enlightened man or that I ever expect to become one. But I have committed myself to that path and that pursuit.
Why? Because if not now, when?
Why encourage others down this path? Fair question. An argument could be made that the majority of people today are working harder than ever and still struggling to earn an adequate income. For me, this just raises a series of questions that lead me back to this one fundamental and simple rhetorical one: If that’s the way things are right now, why are they that way? Should they be that way? If things should be different, what needs to be done to change them? … Then do that now, and if not now, when?!?
How advanced does the technology have to become? How many apps are enough for you to be able to do something you are good at and love to do and earn a decent living doing it? How fast do computers need to be for you to be able to do things more efficiently? In a connected and global village, how hard is it to find someone who’s strengths, skills, and interests are complementary to yours?
Here’s a good one: How many sacrifices to your quality of living would you have to make to save enough money over the period of a few years to launch your dream project? And would those sacrifices reduce your quality of living below that of an 18th century King or Queen? I doubt it!
So what are you waiting for? Just do it!
If not now, when??