The bear is gaining ground

Two friends, Bob and John, were out hiking deep into the forest. Suddenly, they come upon a large bear. They scurry up a tree to escape. They are safe, for now. But the bear isn’t going anywhere. After waiting for what seemed like hours, they realize they need to do something.

“I have an idea,” Bob says. “When the bear lays down to rest, let’s make a run for it. Otherwise, we’re never going to get out of here.”

John agrees. After a while, the bear laid down, ready to take a nap.

“Now,” Bob whispered, “let’s go.” So they quietly climbed down from the tree and started tiptoeing away. As they were almost in the clear, the bear suddenly awakes. With a growl, he chases after the two hikers, pursuing his next meal.

The bear is increasingly gaining ground on Bob and John. Looking back, a panting John cried out to Bob, “We’re not going to make it! Don’t you know you can’t outrun a bear!”

“I know that,” Bob yelled back to John as he sped away. “I just have to outrun you!”

There is a bear chasing you and you can’t outrun it. Change is the bear, and the bear is gaining ground in a hurry. Remember when you used be annoyed and made fun of those people constantly checking their smart phones. That was just a few short years ago. Now, it’s us and so commonplace, you pay it little attention. (You may be reading this column on your phone right now.)

A few years ago I bought a new laptop computer. Needing help setting it up, I phoned the help desk. The person who helped this technologically challenged good ol’ boy from Clinton was sitting behind a computer in India. It was amazing back then. But today, it seems more surprising to call a help desk, or service center, and not get someone with a foreign accent.

Even more amazing is when I phoned a couple of weeks ago about renewing a radio subscription. The “person” on the phone identified themselves as artificial intelligence generated. She (Well, she had a woman’s voice.) was very helpful, but also a little scary. Yes, the bear is gaining ground.

It’s hard to outrun the bear because the rate of change is increasing so fast. So-called “generational change” used to be considered around every 40 years. Now it is 10 years or even less. With the advent of AI, change will be occurring even faster. So what do you do to keep from getting eaten by the bear of change?

Well, like the joke, you just have to be faster than others. By the way, that doesn’t mean you have to be faster than everyone. You still might be able to somehow survive the changing landscape, but you will need to be faster than the majority if you want to really prosper. How do I get faster?

Probably most important, to survive and prosper in a rapidly changing world, you must be willing to change. Author Louis Cole wrote, “Change isn’t change until there’s change.” Fighting change is sometimes necessary and needed. But fighting change often only delays that inevitable change, and makes it even more difficult when it does actually happen.

Next, be aware of your surroundings. You need to know where the bear is, how close he is to you, and what is your escape route. You can outrun change by also being aware of your surroundings, by being informed. It may be a news article, a class, a meeting, or a conversation. (I’ve even heard that you might can see some of the changes that are coming and how to deal with them by reading your Bible.)

Because the bear is out there and he is gaining ground. Change is happening fast. Some see the bear and, by innovation, determination, and personal change, will be able to stay ahead of him. But others won’t. And it’s tough when you get caught by the bear of change. If you don’t believe it, just ask someone who used to work at a sewing plant or at a tobacco market.