Core Confidence: The Dismantling of Cubicle Nation

Confidence is key to navigating our changing times. I once read a quote by President Barack Obama:

 “You can’t stop change from coming, you can only usher it in and work out the terms; and if you are smart and a little lucky, you can make it your friend”.

I personally see our changing times as an adventure and I am glad to be here.  Sometimes we can become so complacent in our lives that we stop growing.  Challenges come to hopefully inspire us to look deeper into ourselves and take action upon some of the many gifts and talents that are latent within us. 

We were all born to grow and to shine on some level.  If you only stay stuck where you are, you will live and die with your gifts within you.  I have never read a deathbed story where the person leaving here said they wished that they spent more time working and doing things that they did not love or enjoy. 

In fact, it is too often that people look back and realize just how short life is and how they squandered their time here by playing it “safe” and living in fear and stress.  This week’s issue of Time Magazine (May 25, 2009) has a cover story entitled “The Future of Work”.  In it Seth Godin, a best-selling author is quoted as saying:

“The job of the future will have very little to do with processing words or numbers (the Internet can do that now).  Nor will we need many people to act as placeholders, errand runners or receptionists.  Instead, there’s going to be a huge focus on finding the essential people and outsourcing the rest”.

In other words, get ready for CHANGE. You are only as valuable to the workplace as what you have to offer as a unique skill set.  You will also need good emotional intelligence, meaning, people skills.  The days of mediocrity and victim hood are coming to their end, that is for those who want to thrive instead of merely survive. 

You can do it if you make the decision to be proactive and stop weakening yourself by focusing on fear and blame.  You can never become empowered as long as you blame forces outside of yourself for where you are in life.  We all have “response ability”.  You are where you are.  Now, what are you going to do about it? 

Core confidence begins from the inside out.  Look within to find the courage to change.  You can make change your friend!

Comments

[Philippa Kennealy]

One guide to getting out of Cubicle Nation is Pam Slim's excellent and brand new book "Escape from Cubicle Nation". This book has the makings of a bible for all cubicle refugees!