Let’s face it, many on this planet are currently fighting the fight for the obsolete.
Challenging times call for drastic measures, but sometimes more than a call it’s a full knock-out. That’s what is happening worldwide to systems, structures, models, economies, etcetera.
Let’s talk about some of our current struggles and how they portray this fight for the obsolete.
1. Oil
For the first time in our history, the demand of this precious fuel has gone down. And you know what? That would make it the perfect time to finally switch out of something that we all know should be gone. Why? Well… it pollutes. It drains the planet. And yes, I know, some industries still use it for the production of other materials. So it’s not about turning oil into the devil. It’s time to acknowledge that fighting for it is obsolete. (Not to mention building economies around it or investing in infrastructure related to its exploitation).
It really is time to acknowledge that there are many other options to move our cars, planes, and boats around. Cleaner, more efficient resources are being discovered and used every day. That means that those with high stakes in the oil industry can move NOW into those industries. Even if we all go green and solar, we will always need a nice tech guy to install the panels. (By the way, you can add coal to this one too.)
2. The 9 to 5
As thousands of people and industries discover the benefits of home-office, tele-commuting, and collaborative economies, it becomes clear. The good old, “Dolly Parton”-infused, 9 to 5 is now obsolete. (Although, still a great song). The structure of the work place HAS TO change. A virus may have sent us all home. But it is us who have made traffic jams, confining office-spaces, and anxiety/stress packed hours a constant. Yes, we did this, even when it wasn’t needed anymore. Yes, we did this, even when it wasn’t needed anymore.
Let’s be honest, we are using the same apps and platforms that existed before the health crisis. They were around before we all decided to jump onboard. The only difference, is that we were forced to reimagine, schedule and strategize our business and its functioning.
3. The healthcare “industry”
Now let’s just all take a deep breath. It is NOT working. All over, in almost every country, we are falling short. How else can we explain that we have not been able to figure out if we’re working to find a cure, a vaccine, an accurate test, or a system to make things more effective and efficient? Our healthcare industry is obsolete because it is focused on curing sickness and not promoting health. Yes, Marianne Williamson famously used this on her campaign. Of course, not every country runs its system as the United States does. However, most countries are facing the same struggle these days. And don’t get me wrong, when things went crazy, the best option was really to send everyone home. Nothing else would have been as simple and effective for everyone.
But now, as we have gone months into lockdown, we need to look ahead. What is going on in our environment, systems, and economies that made us so vulnerable? Can we hold laboratories and pharmaceutical companies accountable? How about we make sure that they adhere to “do no harm”? Can we trust the research? Never before have we been more communicated and informed. Yet, the epidemic of misinformation and gossip is surreal. We have access to ancient wisdom, scientific studies on energy and emotions, technological innovation and worldwide communications. And yet, we are still unable to provide healthcare for everyone on this planet. We distrust doctors and conventional medicine because it has become synonym with greed. Why? When did we allow for this to happen?
4. Profit over people
Nothing is more of a fight for the obsolete than fighting over profits. According to the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2019, the richest 1% own 44% of the World’s wealth. And this is not a fight for socialism or giving away money as world’s populist leaders would like to promote. This is a fight for humanity. Poverty and hunger cannot continue this trend. We are talking about company owners and shareholders that have more money than they can spend in a lifetime. While many of their own employees are struggling to pay for food, healthcare, and basic means of survival.
This is not about advocating free food and medicines for everyone. This is about making sure that when people work, they provide value, and get enough income to survive in return. It does not mean that we should take away from the wealthy. What it really means, is that we need to move beyond “making money” and into causing good effects in our local, national, and international communities. Guess what? It’s not that hard. It takes a little more collaboration. Maybe, a little more research and interdisciplinary structures. But it is not utopic or impossible.
What other obsolete fights can you think of?
While we have focused on technological innovation, with faster and cheaper everything… We forgot to make sure that we allow humanity to innovate its mindset, its approach, and its humanity itself. As we move forward, let’s not continue fighting for the obsolete, but unify our paths towards: BETTER, CLEANER, WISER, and more LOVING ways to do so.