How Motivated are We?

At a recent conference in Singapore, I had the opportunity to listen to several speakers from Asia. A common theme in all of their presentations was the tremendous "hunger" that their people have to shape their future, grow their economy, and enhance their standard of living. This "hunger" for a better future is a major factor driving growth throughout Asia today.

As I listened, I asked myself, "How hard are Americans willing to work to learn new things, change and grow to secure a better tomorrow for themselves and the nation?" The majority of Americans have always enjoyed the amazing opportunities that freedom and democracy bring. As a result, all too often we spend our time defending and protecting the status quo instead of leading change from the inside out. History has shown that it is only after we can clearly see opportunity on a personal level that we develop the "hunger" and drive to shape the future. Often, it takes a tragic event - such as 9/11 or massive layoffs - to mobilize us.

The good news is that we don't have to wait. We can cultivate a "hunger" for something better by giving people a clearer picture of the tremendous personal opportunity the future has to offer. Yes, I said personal. We should strive to create a vision that individuals can relate and aspire to. Then change will be viewed as positive, and the result will be action!