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Watching the “Apocalypse 2012” it’s hard to believe there still is a future! But even Nostradamus believed that “Choice determines our fate.” So forget gloom-and-doom. With two years to go till the “Great Turning” that our ancient wisdom-keepers foresaw, we are being forced to re-examine, reorder and reorient ourselves -- both personally and professionally-- in ways we never imagined.

Let’s face it: if you are in your 50’s or 60’s, lost your job or business and/or your home to foreclosure, the future looks bleak. If you are younger it will be difficult, but doable because you have time on your side. If inflation doesn’t come roaring back, most of us will land fully on our feet. Some will even make fortunes.

Keep On Keepin’ On

For so many of us, the last few years have been personally and collectively challenging. Calling forth all our strength, demanding we dip/g deep into our spiritual well and hone our emergency tool kits so that no matter what chaos touches us, we can return to center. It’s not easy. But mandatory. (I know. I’ve been there too.)

This downturn is different than past recessions: most of the jobs lost will not come back. Instead of the usual cyclical contraction of jobs, this time the change is structural… leaving us with permanent shrinkage or total loss of industries and markets. If we haven’t stayed ahead of the curve of change, we may find ourselves with outmoded skill sets, markets evaporating before our eyes and clients slipping through our grasp. At some point each of us wondering if we have what it takes to keep on keepin’ on.

But let me remind you that this is the time to Rock On!

In nature where ever there is a vacuum, something new rushes in to fill the space. In the wake of volcanic destruction, new life flowers in hardened lava. The creative process takes over. It is in this sacred emptiness where creative inspiration ignites and new opportunities emerge. This is where we will transform the dross of left over dreams into the gold of new promise and possibility.

Yes it will be far tougher than you or any of us envisioned. But stop there! Things change in a moment! Lest we forget, we are here one moment, then gone. Change isn’t stopping for any of us. In fact, its not slowing down one bit.

Born a 1&1/2 lb. preemie, my folks were told that I wouldn’t survive. So I learned early on that the future is not predictable. My mother taught me that our destiny was “written” — But “somehow” I knew that the future is not predetermined. Our Soul’s purpose and reason for being may be scribed in the Akashic Records, but it is our free will to make choices in the present that influence future outcomes.

What a relief, albeit years later, to find out I was spot on all along! I received confirmation from a source I would never have guessed. I met and studied with the great Dr. W. Edwards Deming, (Godfather of Continuous Quality Improvement). As an elder he had already reached a point of integration with his teachings and his deepening appreciation of the interconnectedness of everything. Deming gave me the concrete science and mathematical tools to legitimatize my inner knowing. Yes our choices today do profoundly influence our future.

Questions come first. Answers later.

Every time I speak on reinvention and re-careering, I find that everyone is asking the same questions and having similar concerns about how to reinvent their careers or their firm, their personal lives…and our world. We all want quick resolution. But transition is never without its thorny detours and dead-ends. Questions come first. Answers later.

There’s a mind-shift taking place. Our conversation is changing. Of course we all want security and freedom no matter our age or economic status. But what I’m hearing these days are that meaningful connections and a life that matters tops the list of “Must Haves” for everyone.

The underlying conversation doesn’t change whether I’m with a group of high-powered sales professionals, a mixed group of experienced career changers, new retirees or professionals wanting to rise to the top of where they are. Its the same yearning for a forty-six year old world traveler just deciding to settle down -- even if it means changing careers to do so -- as it is for a 40 yr old new Mom who opts out off the fast track so she can balance work and a new baby, or for a 50-something experienced empty-nester giving back after taking early retirement.

The good news is that this “Great Recession” is turning us upside down and inside out. What used to addictively drive us no longer does, or at least not in the same way. The upside of downsizing is that we are considering changing venues in record numbers. Many careerists long to make voluntary career moves but are staying put, while forced-out job seekers are starting all over. Boomers and Matures (over 60) are realizing the future is here and we is “it”. Gen X’ers and Millennials want life with purpose and greater connection. The over 50 crowd are just realizing this!”

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:

Like Lemmings going over the cliff in droves, each of us starts the New Year with great resolutions. Me included:) But few of us take the time to set our grand intentions for our future in motion. Not surprising since most of us have a hard time seeing the future when the present is pushing us forward at breakneck speed. With time seemingly slipping through our hands, its easy to act hastily making choices on-the-run in hopes of satisfying our unrelenting Inner Tyrants shouting "I want it. I want it NOW!"

We’ve all been rewarded to produce, produce, produce. So most of us jump first to “What do I have to do?” or “How many more clients can I get?” When what would serve us the best is to ask the right deeper questions, even if we haven’t a clue what the answers will be. I’ve seen so many really savvy high functioning achievers skip this most important phase in leading or making change to a preferred future.

TIME OUT FOR SELF-DISCOVERY

With radical social and economic breakdowns becoming the new norm, massive structural shifts are being put into motion. These epoch changes are forcing more and more of us to seek the profound knowledge and critical skill sets needed to move through change and to create sustainable success in our careers and personal futures.

Living with uncertainty requires us to follow the Lexus RX and the Cadillac’s SRX 60 selection of ad copy which reflects our growing conversation about our personal futures: Repurpose, Reimagine, Redesign, Reintegrate, Reconnect, Reposition. These all add up to what I call Reinventing Sustainable Success.

Whenever we find ourselves in the “middle of the muddle” just remember that this involuntary shakeup of what was is a signal that we’ve been given a “time out”. Just like our kids we all need permission to disengage so we can regroup and get back in sync. It’s a perfect time to re-examine the life you’ve lived and career path you are on. Take time to rediscover what your strengths and values are as well as your value-added assets. (Do this about your firm or workplace too.)

Discover your personal brand of success

Before you attempt to gain an edge in the current crowded and highly competitive marketplace, it is mandatory that you take time out to redefine success^SM. If you don’t what to measure, how will you know when you’ve “arrived”? This is the starting point for all creative reinvention and transformation.

If you truly want to work on the Soul-level to create a sustainable future that matters, begin by asking yourself the deeper questions and waiting for your SoulSpeak^SM to emerge and messengers to arrive. Stay out of your head, get back down into your body where your Soul, your inner sacred feminine, resides. Trust your inner knowing to lead you to discover new success criteria so you can create a clear vision of the future you want.

Be sure to take a big picture systems view to evaluate your new key Success Criteria^SM in all the new choices you make.

While the future is unpredictable, understanding the forces of change and embracing all the possible ways in which we can influence the future, we can ready ourselves to meet the future with confidence and soulfulness.

© 2010 Karen Sands/Future Works Institute, Ltd. All rights reserved. May not be duplicated, retransmitted or reproduced without permission. Future Works® is the registered trademark of Future Works Institute, Ltd.

WANT TO USE THESE ARTICLES IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include the following text in its entirety: Online entrepreneur Karen Sands,MCC, Your Ultimate Guide to the Future^SM", is the publisher of the complimentary monthly ezine, Future Works® Gazette and FutureWorksBlog.com. To sign up for our complimentary ezine and blog and to learn more about our tools for positively transforming yourself and your world, visit www.FutureWorksInstitute.com on your journey on the way to a greater future.