We live in turbulent times. After 15 years of economic calm much is changing. The economy has collapsed and we can only guess how low it will go. We’ve learnt the limits of the petro-economy and we’re learning increasingly about the impact of pollution on our health and lives.

 

On an individual level, many people will be losing their jobs and may be even their homes. This brings horrible stress and great challenges to those who are effected. It means they will be forced to change their lives in one way or another.

 

Yet there is also an upside to everything that has happened. The very fact that we’re in an economic recession means that a new period of growth will be coming with the opportunities that this brings. There is also the new Obama administration in the White House that is bringing with it an emphasis of green thinking above George W. Bush’s “black” oil based thinking. Over the past ten years there has been a real increase in population’s awareness of the health benefits of a clean environment and organic food production and consumption.

 

Most people in society now accept that we need a green shift and that we are going to have to pay for it. The population at large in the United States, for example, has changed the face of the car industry by moving away from gas guzzlers to more fuel efficient vehicles. This has shown in one sense the power of consumers and in another sense how our market structures can work to produce a more Zen world.

 

Our workplaces are changing, the demand for more flexibility by employees is growing, where we work and how we work are changing too. The last vestiges of the “job for life” culture are falling away as generation Y joins the workforce introducing new ways of working.

 

Old ways of marketing goods and services are showing themselves to be less and less effective as tribes group around the products they want to champion. Social networking and web 2.0 are changing the way we learn about new concepts and products. Thought leaders blog their ideas so you can keep up-to-date quickly and easily. You have the power too to become a leader in your domain of expertise, using blogging, twitter and other tools to spread your message.

 

Education will feel the need to change. More and more voices are calling for a shift towards creativity in our schools. The next generation will assure our and their economic well being through their innovation and creativity. In the same breath they will lead more fulfilled professional careers as they live their passion.

 

There is a lot to look forward to as the world becomes more and more Zen and we can live our new lives and new experiences.

 

Join the community at ConnectionZen and share your experiences on your voice towards a balanced Zen life.