Be the water

 Be the water

Be the water

By Said Ul Amin | Submitted on October, 17. 2022

A few weeks ago, I was reading an article about how Uber has basically almost wiped out the New York City taxi industry.

If you talk to any cabbie these days, you'll know they think their days are numbered. And, even Uber drivers understand that they will lose their jobs once the government and private industry get a chance to make driverless cars scalable.

Every day there is an article about artificial intelligence and advancements in technology.

There is fear, especially among older workers, who wonder if they will have the opportunity to retire before the business landscape changes so significantly that they will not have a job and need to retrain.

will be considered too old. Some countries have already begun to examine the idea of ​​a basic living income as they look ahead to the displacement of significant amounts of the population from the workforce.

Be the water.

Change can be very scary for some people, especially as you get older and more set in your ways. However, it doesn't have to be.

In Eastern traditions, there is an idea of ​​bamboo being like a tree, which can bend with the winds, unlike a brittle tree branch.

There is also a famous video of Bruce Lee who was a master martial artist and somewhat of a philosopher who said, you have to be water. Still, change isn't always easy, and it's more obvious and important now.

The future is now.

In today's world, it is important for everyone to evaluate what they can do now and in the future.

The reality is that in many ways, the future is now. Let's take, for example, artificial intelligence. Not long after, I called a company for service, and lo and behold, I realized I was in the process of engaging with a bot.

The experience was, frankly, frustrating because I wanted to quickly talk to a live person but the bot wouldn't let me proceed and because I didn't want to play with it, it eventually hung up on me.

I was a client, so this is not the right way to treat your clients. But, artificial intelligence today teaches itself.

Artificial intelligence is learning.

Despite the experience, I know that artificial intelligence is infinitely smarter and faster than humans and I expect that maybe early this year when I call this company again, the bot will focus more on customer service.

Will and I will have smooth service. Experience never talked to a human. As much as we debate about immigrants taking jobs, there is a lot of reality that technology is driving business productivity as evidenced in the auto, energy, and retail industries. This is also happening in traditionally white-collar jobs such as medicine and law.

Embrace change.

Now one of the essential skills that all humans possess is to adapt quickly to change. So, how can you develop these skills so you can thrive in the digital age?

Keep learning: There is a lot to learn. Keep learning. Immerse yourself in tech. The excuse that you are too old to learn technology is not enough in the digital age.

You have no choice but to learn it. So stay ahead of your peers, especially in business, and learn as much as you can about technology.

Be confident: Play "connect the dots" a bit and see how far you've been able to overcome in the past. Trust that you can successfully grow and adapt to change.

The most important part of change comes from your attitude and how you think about your abilities.

See the future: Knowledge is power. Make it a point to read a lot about the social changes that are happening, including your career.

If you know, for example, that you work in a field that is rapidly losing jobs due to technology, start thinking about how you can retrain or learn new skills— -And then do it.

Get out of your comfort zone: People who have a fear of flying are encouraged to get on a plane as often as possible.

The more you face your fears, the less important they become. If you want to develop your capacity for change, put yourself in situations that constantly push you out of your comfort zone.

Never give up: Challenges are a part of life and reinventing in the digital age is part of it.

Keep moving forward one small step at a time. And, even when the chips are down, don't give up. Stay away and see how you can overcome the obstacles.