Marshall Ramsey

An old Crowded House song ( Never Be the Same ) came on while I was running this morning. It’s lyrics grabbed me and caused me to stop in the middle of the dark neighborhood street. I stood there as the wisdom of its lyrics washed over me:

Don’t stand around 
Like friends at a funeral 
Eyes to the ground 
It could’ve been you 

Why do you weep 
For the passing of ages 
You slip with the back of your hand 
You’re taking it out on the one you love 
I couldn’t believe it 

But we might still survive 
And rise up through the maze 
If you could change your life 
And never be the same

Read the power of those words again.  Don’t stand around like friends at a funeral; eyes to the ground — it could have been you.  Why do you weep for the passing of ages? We might still survive and rise up those the maze —  If you can change your life and never be the same.

Neil Finn wrote these lyrics a quarter of a century ago, but they could easily be the anthem for the revolution we’re facing.  Technology has blown up everything we’ve known.  The rate of change we’re living through is occurring at a mind-boggling pace. We’re asked to evolve faster than ever.  While we’re focused on the Kardashians and Honey Boo Boo, our worlds are changing.

Never be the same.

The time of going to our 9 to 5 job is over.

The time of waiting for our boss to give us instruction is over.

The time of incremental raises is over.

The time of “job security” is over.

The time of fearing change is over.

The time of hanging on to the “good ol’ days” is over.

Thanks to technology, we are competing on a national and international scale. Not saying it is good or bad — it just is. We have to experiment. We have to teach our kids to learn and relearn. We have to show them by example.  We have to react.

We have the talent. We have the ability. We can do this.

I have been in the newspaper industry for nearly three decades.  I am very good at what I do.  But I know that’s not enough anymore.  Things outside of my control have destroyed to old paradigm I used to thrive in.  I have two choices: Whine or change.

I choose the way of life. I choose change.

I accept the fact that life is different. What I don’t accept is that it means that my life is worse off. To me, it means I’ve been given more opportunity.

As I ran back to the house, I listened to the song again.

Don’t stand around, like friends at a funeral. Eyes to the ground — it could have been you.

Change is here.  Join me and making it awesome.

And never be the same.