For 90% of the population, it is probably already too late for the coming shit-storm

Michel A. de Kemmeter - Kairos -Extrapreneurs CofB

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4 min read

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Apr 25, 2024

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Whilst changes are accelerating, with pressure, stress, high uncertainty, anxiety, lots of people cannot catch up and stay healthy…

2024. We are facing a confluence of unprecedented challenges: escalating conflicts, persistent poverty, an aging population, misinformation, in a climate of massive fear and anger. This confluence fuels collective anxiety, overwhelming our reptilian brains which struggle to adapt to rapid change. Processing major disruptions takes years, but we often have only months between crises. The mental, emotional, and physical toll is rising dramatically — with a health system based on “illness business”, already overwhelmed, in collective burnout. I see lots of people around me totally lost, confused, ill, sad, depressive, going mad and/or agressive.

We juggle job transitions, lifestyle changes, personal struggles, all within a society brimming with noise and confusion. Pharmaceutical, abuse, alcohol and illicit drug use are at record highs. Our addiction to smartphones and their apps contributes to a sense of collective “lobotomization,” eroding our identity, joy, purpose, IQ, EQ, and overall well-being and health.

Our leaders seem oblivious and incompetent to the hypercomplexity of these challenges, offering no vision for the future, with close to zero capacity to engage the population. They remain focused on re-election for a job, with little to no anticipation. Business leaders too, grapple with protecting existing models while simultaneously having to reinvent them. However, they often lack the agile teams, vision, skills, or understanding to do so effectively.

Those who began a personal journey of healing and self-development years ago are now reaping the benefits of a new resilience, inner strenghth, healthy habits, and an expanded perspective on life. This is a “must-have” starting point for meaningful conversations about the future.

For those facing a personal upheaval — an accident, illness, job loss, or bereavement — the road to awareness and preparedness can take 3–10 years. This timeframe may prove insufficient as before 2030–2035, we could be facing a dramatically different world, following multiple shocks and crises. Shifting a business model takes at least 10 years (when it works). Oups.

Those clinging to “business-as-usual”, ego, unhealed trauma, limiting beliefs, and personal imbalances will struggle to adapt, both personally and organizationally. Change requires a drastic shift in mindset.

As rescue services state, in case of drama (bomb, terrorist, cataclism), the 10/80/10% rule is observed: three distinct groups can be observed.

1. The hero’s: those who kept their cold bloodedness. They will help the people who can, and thus can save people who are willing and capable to go to a safe space. They represent around +/- 10%.
2. The worse: they will panic, do worse, lose their cold bloodedness, and will become maffia’s, looters, thieves, predators, corruption, and also, create more panic and problems than solutions. Also around 10%.
3. The shocked: will be unable to act, decide, move, even to think. They represent, in case of shocks, around 80% of the population. The hero’s can maybe help a few out of them, but that’s all.

Our experience of two decades of traiçnings, workshops, residentials, programs, co-entrepreneurship, in close to 30 countries on 4 continents, is that, well yes, only a small % of the population is useful for a serious work on next level business models. Most are stuck into old systems and beliefs, in fear, and cannot act upon things. It just doesn’t work. And, as pressure is rizing, its not going to get any better.

Knowing that, to catalize change, or better, to chose with whom we want to proceed in transition, we need to focus on individuals who:

• Are committed to personal growth and healing.
• Seek to contribute their best selves to their communities and the greater good.
• Giving a little more than receiving.
• Have transcended, healed, most ego attachments and past traumas.
• Can sharply discern truth by looking beyond appearances.
• Choose joy, self-reliance, autonomy and excellence over fear, dependence, and mediocrity.
• For younger individuals the path is easier, while older individuals will require extra humility, learning, and dedication to navigate the coming decade.
• Value what truly matters: knowledge, solidarity, common thricing of communities, groups, families and teams.
• Have aligned their skills, nature, goals, and purpose with a credible and pragmatic vision for their future.
• Are dedicated, engaged, and already walking the talk with courage, openness, and curiosity.
• Take real-world action.
• Care deeply about themselves and others.
• They act from the heart, from guts, with pragmatism.

This may seem like a tall order, but these qualities should be essential for mere survival. The initial estimate of 90% may be optimistic, and perhaps closer to 97% in reality. Perhaps a massive shocks and upheaval will awaken more people. Lets hope so. Only time will tell. But as I can see around me, only a minority will make it.

But nobody is alone when engaged on a path of personal truth. Join us. “Planet B” is being built, as we speak.

Michel de Kemmeter

(This is a personal opinion piece and does not represent the views of others.)