There is a common trait among human beings: the belief that our problems have never been worse than today, and that they are insurmountable.<\/p>\n
But let us face it: every decade has had its own challenges.\u00a0 Ask your parents, and they will tell you that the 60s were scary, the 70s even more scary, the 80s also very scary.\u00a0 As for yourself, you will certainly remember how scary the 90s were, as well as the 2000s?<\/p>\n
The problem is compounded by the press and media.\u00a0 Newspapers live from events and sensational announcements, and the end of the world is certainly a good one.\u00a0 So we should all be terrified. And mortified.<\/p>\n
Take our debt: how awful!<\/p>\n
Take unemployment and job off-shoring to India and China: scary!<\/p>\n
Take our lack of growth: very scary!<\/p>\n
Take the American, UK and Spanish property market crashes!\u00a0 Scary!<\/p>\n
Take Greece, Ireland, Island: not less scary!<\/p>\n
The fact is: you should not bother too much.\u00a0 Think about all the traumas and disasters that human beings as a species had to face in the last 1 million years: life has been tough and more than tough, everywhere in the world.\u00a0 But our species is immensely adaptable and resilient.\u00a0 The best proof is the very fact that you are here, well alive, reading this column on a PC, using the Internet.\u00a0 You, your family, your neighbours, we are all winners.\u00a0 Our forefathers have made it across hundreds of centuries and thousands of generations, all the way up to you and me.\u00a0 We are the survivors of all the great troubles that the world has gone through.\u00a0 Our problems today, however great they might seem, are actually nothing unusual.\u00a0 There are challenges.\u00a0 And all challenges have their solutions.<\/p>\n
All countries in trouble are going to recover.\u00a0 How?\u00a0 Nobody knows exactly, but we are going to recover for sure.<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are still huge pockets of growth on earth.\u00a0 Take the so called \u2018BOP\u2019: bottom of the pyramid.\u00a0 These are the 2, 3 or even 4 billions people on earth that live with less than 1000 USD per annum.\u00a0 These guys all have needs, and although their individual income might be low, their combined income is actually huge.\u00a0 Better serving the needs of the poorer in the world and helping them grow and live a better life:\u00a0 addressing and solving this challenge is going to be a source of growth, job creation, wealth creation, as well as human advancement.<\/p>\n
The best thing we can do is to adopt a positive attitude towards the future.\u00a0 We wish that we could all share the following traits of character:<\/p>\n
So none of us should be scared, and certainly not the Americans who have many times over shown their ability to rebound. \u00a0Think about the following companies: IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, eBay, Google, YouTube, Cisco.\u00a0 All American great success stories.<\/p>\n
Yes, many jobs are gone for ever, in the Americas as well as everywhere else on earth. Yes, China has become the manufacture of the world.\u00a0 Yes, India is something like the world software development house.\u00a0 But this is all good news in the medium term.\u00a0 As consumers, this gives us access to products and services at affordable price; and as the Asian middle class becomes larger and larger, this opens up new markets, new business opportunities, new jobs and new companies to be set up.\u00a0 In the next 10-30 years we will also learn how to better address the needs of the poorer people in society. \u00a0This will make our world a better one.\u00a0 And a more peaceful one as well.<\/p>\n
With these thoughts, INVESTAURA Management Consultants closes the last day of the year 2010.\u00a0 We would like to thank all our clients for the trust that they have placed in us in the past year.\u00a0 We also thank our associate companies and other business partners for the positive relationships that we have cultivated in 2010.<\/p>\n
We wish you all a Happy New Year 2011.\u00a0 May the New Year bring you success in your undertakings, and more than anything else, good health.\u00a0 Enjoy the New Year\u00b4s celebrations and let us all have a great 2011!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a common trait among human beings: the belief that our problems have never been worse than today, and that they are insurmountable. But let us face it: every decade has had its own challenges.\u00a0 Ask your parents, and… <\/p>\n