Labor Day in the Age of Abundance requires us to rethink what we know. Our historical perspective of living with a scarcity mindset is no longer the only valid option. Having recently attended the Singularity University Global Summit, I went in with an open mindset to unlearn what I know and to embrace a different way to think.
The subject of "unlearning" was prevalent throughout the three days. What exactly did that mean? I must admit, at 57, with a birthday coming soon - I was perplexed by how to do that exactly. Albeit, this year, I made sweeping bold moves to push myself beyond my comfort zone and shift my world view. We sold our house. Moved to a new city. Changed "no" to "yes" and started to adopt "beginners mind" as a new way to exist.
I immersed myself in a program called 52 Weeks Momentum, curated by Benjamin Hardy that started on January 1st. Thus far I have read over 12 books associated with changing one's mindset and behaviors. I have been challenged to mediate, create my own personal narrative and reset my routines.
In February, I had the good fortune of attending the Modern Elder Academy in Baja Mexico, that Chip Conley created for Modern Elders. The idea being to rewire your thinking as a 50+ individual. To think about becoming both a mentor and intern as we share our wisdom, while learning from the next generations. There are now 350 Modern Elders who have embarked on the lessons learned from this newly minted approach.
In July and August, I had the pleasure of working on Singularity University's narrative at a corporate, enterprise and venture level leading up to the Global Summit mentioned above. I learned about "exponential thinking", "10x scaling", "10x leadership" and "10x strategy". And, more importantly, how to apply that thinking by shifting my reference from linear to exponential application via a Mark Boncheck session on Narrative.
The Global Summit introduced the idea that you have to be ambidextrous in your mindset - you have to live in both linear and spatial modes to compete in today's modern marketplace. A new switch that will need to be mastered in order to remain relevant in an era dominated by AI and Abundance.
As I ramp up for the blast off normally associated with Labor Day, Seth Godin was also thinking the same thing. He is always good for centering our thinking and encouraging us to see differently. When I combine his wisdom, with my new found desire to "unlearn and relearn", I am finding new mental models, frameworks and approaches to improve my craft. Because in the Age of Abundance, it won't be business as usual.