No Safety in Safe Strategies due to 3 Reasons

Whether you are in business, employment, student or just a home-maker, you'll probably realize that there is no safety in safe strategies.  In the part, people could just specialize in one skill, work for a good employer for life, save some money, and see their retirement nest egg grows into a level that they can live comfortably for many years.   Today one skill is not sufficient, and your savings may not be enough after paying for your house mortgage, and our Prime Minister said that we have to work till 67.    

In business, even if your product is good and well accepted, your company can lose out to competitors very quickly.  Who would have predicted that Nokia, whose market share was 40% in 2009, can only managed 4% market share today?  In employment, many so-called experienced people are now being replaced by younger people whose drive and wide skills base are much sought after.  Those in leadership positions in 'established' organizations too saw their positions eroded and they have to suffer large pay cuts and report to people younger than them.  

Instead of relying on safe strategies, you need to be aggressive and take pro-active steps.  There are 3 reasons why this is necessary:

1. Impermanence - change is getting faster and nothing is impermanent.  Every thing in the universe is in the process of change, it is just whether you are part of the change or be driven out by the change.  Never cling on anything that appears to be permanent today, as your clinging will only lead you to not being able to change fast. 
2. Empty - everything is empty by itself, the meaning of anything is the meaning we give to it.  So if you think the LV bag is worth $10,000, it is a good investment, even though this bag cannot feed you or ensure your survival.  This concept of 'no concept' means that we are not who we are, but just made up of concepts at a given time.  Since everything is in a flux of change, the meaning that we give to things too will change fast.  Not too long ago it is fashionable to buy DVDs and rent DVDs.  Today TS Video, a large video chain in Singapore, has just closed business on 30 April 2014.  This is because people don't give meaning to DVDs any more as they can easily download high definition videos on the internet for free.  
3. Unsatisfactoriness.  Good today is considered lousy tomorrow, and we are getting unsatisfied for things that we were very satisfied yesterday.  Just look at the high failure rates of new gadgets and you'll realize that people's thirst for better things have just got bigger and faster.  People are unsatisfied because they realize that things are impermanent and are void of meanings by themselves.

By Andy Ng of Asia Trainers, details of courses at here.  Related articles:

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2. Beware of things vanishing right before your eyes
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4. The 5 Traits that People Look for in a Manager
5. Work 2 Extra Hours a Day and Other Ways to Stay Employed
6. PIC has no use for employees: Why and Why Not
7. Make People Work Hard, not Make People's Work Hard