Complete Indifference

There's a great line in one of Dale Carnegie's books that basically states, "except for a tiny number of exceptions, the world is completely indifferent to your existence."

Some people would say this is a little depressing but that's like getting depressed because the sun goes down each night (so far anyway) which is completely pointless.

When I read this line I found it empowering. Why worry about what other people think? Regardless of what it is, it's not about you. You're free to go about your day now. Free to get back to your work.

I think this can also be helpful as we think about how we approach change. Our local DMV just installed a mobile phone-centric ticketing system. It's pretty slick. You enter your phone number and then you can text back for an update at any time allowing you to leave the DMV and come back. Need more time before you finish your errands? No problem, just text for more time. Pretty powerful and it totally frees everyone from sitting around and waiting.

BUT everyone is still sitting around and waiting. Probably about 60 people. They haven't connected the dots. Some are just plain angry, they don't have a mobile phone. You can request a regular ticket, just as before, but the simple action of providing another option is enough to get people huffing and puffing. It's as if the DMV has totally ignored the fact that they're the center of the universe, that we're all here to keep them comfortable, and to protect them from change or having to learn new ways to interact with the world. The world has a problem.

The world is changing faster today than ever before in human history. Adaptability, the ability to learn, and a willingness to embrace change are now critical skills. Obviously they always have been but ignoring these basic facts is becoming more difficult everyday.