A phenomenon is taking place that is unique to our time. We are in an age of space time compression with shorter life cycles and the simultaneity of opposite forces creating an increasingly polarised world. What does it mean to hold the centre ground in the midst of such volatility? What does stability and sustainability mean in such a fast changing environment? Globalisation and new technologies are both symptomatic and causative of the changes. Yet we are not keeping pace and developing the skills and attitudes necessary to meet the challenge.
I believe an overhaul of what we value is long overdue. What is the role of the human being in a future world of robotics? How sustainable is massive wealth generation alongside increasing paucity. How do we seriously engage environmental degradation? We need to establish a new operational paradigm for the 21st century that redraws the map and brings into relief human value in greater proportion to other values.
Ask people what is most important to them and they will usually say their personal relationships. This loving, caring, relatedness should be used to recalibrate global priorities and help us establish a sustainable future. It is a tough love and hard work to change old habits, but it is worth making sacrifices for the richness of good relationships. The new paradigm will require us to manage the flux of ambiguity, uncertainty and diversity while holding the centre ground and being true to each other and the earth. We have to raise our game if we are going to shape our future rather than let is shape us.