The many faces of change

Change is a much commonly spoken about term, especially when there are problems on hand. Change is now looked at as the new management mantra on the block, even seen as solving the world's pain. The online and print media seem to love gloomy stories so much, because the 'depicted' far-reaching effects of it catches the eye much more than reality does. But, when looked at closely, Change is not only about gloom and doom; it really isn't all that bad!

I had a pleasant surprise happen to me this past week: It was one of those rare times when the in-flight reading material provided by the airline ended up relevant and up to date! I had recently heard someone talk about the advancements in the field of medical surgery, and this article delved into the modus operandi (I make it sound like daytime robbery, but I didn't bring any names or occupations!) of alternative ways for treating complicated illnesses, which required a major surgery of some form. The beauty of the innovation spoken about here was that it did not involve any incisions using advanced technology of sorts, but rather making use of the advancements in genetic engineering. These gene-focused innovations would then be utilized to alter the genes in the human body via oral medications. Imagine someone undergoing a major bypass surgery, without the "surgery" being a part of it! This isn't a science fiction anymore, so wake up – the scientific community already has a basic understanding of the various pieces to the genetic foundation that make up the human body. The remaining aspect of this true innovation is finding the right strains to alter the inherent genes to an "ideal" form.

Lest this turns into an article about the complicated machinery the human body is, let me back off to say that this is just an example to illustrate the positive transformation, the society at large is undergoing. With this advancement, the medical professionals and the associated experts worldwide predict life expectancy to rapidly improve to the 130's (age) instead of the current 70's / 80's / 90's (depending on which part of the world one is in). In the Western culture of today, where it is about being independent and taking care of oneself in retirement, we have folks that work their entire prime years with the sole aim of building up their wealth portfolio so that "they can retire in peace". For some, this might mean buying a beach condo in ever-sunny Florida, a lodge in the vast lands of the Aussie wilderness, or a Mediterranean-style villa in the beautiful south coast of France (especially the Nice region of the French Riviera - yeah, how I would love to retire there!)

With the current expectancy levels, most people save up enough to last them 20-25 years of comfortable living in retirement without any additional external support. If the expectancy levels rise to a level where people find the need to support themselves for another 60+ years after retirement, what do you think is going to happen? Make no mistake; people will no longer retire at 60. What does this mean? No slam dunk answer; it's much more than that! Put simply: one cannot continue down the rat hole of the so-called specialization. There is going to be a "generalization of the specialists" at some level. I am not saying being good at something doesn't count for anything; people will be expected to bring in more than one area of expertise. People will be forced to look at reinventing themselves, be multi-faceted. The upside – one has multiple opportunities, to make it big in life. Think about it – if one career doesn't cut it for you (note I didn't say fail because you still learn from that experience), how nice would it be if you have 25 years of it to look back on for experience, and start afresh? Yes, beginning a second career at the second stage of your life might look daunting and even be too big a hurdle for some, but those who embrace the change quickly will thrive.

Change is good; we need more of it coming our way, and quickly at that…after all, isn't change the only constant in life??