If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem

This is a post about making the world a slightly better place.

There is no doubt about it, the current economic conditions are challenging for many people. As of this week, we are being told not to spend too much money, refrain from giving staff pay rises and having a spendthrift Christmas. All amidst a backdrop of high inflation, a cost of living crisis, and rising interest rates.

I have spoken to people in the construction industry this week, and I keep hearing about how busy it is, with long pipelines of work keeping the industry moving along. This continues to surprise me. I wonder who is paying for all this construction, and will they be able to pay for it in the end? What will a mass default do to the economy, and to employment? Once the pipeline dries up, what happens next?

There are 5,000 staff shortages in nursing. We have a Covid wave. We have a Crime wave.

On the coalface of real estate transacting, we are seeing wealth being rapidly wiped off people’s assets. I am not the only one who is saying that the monthly performance statistics from the likes of REINZ are somehow not providing an entirely accurate picture of what is going on out there. There are some areas of the market that to me look like they need to be priced below pre-Covid levels to start getting any buyer interest.

It is very unstable, and while some people thrive in unstable times, the majority don’t.

I have written in the past about how to incrementally make improvements, and how they compound over time to make large and noticeable gains. If you want to lose 10 kilograms of weight, you need to start by losing 1kg of weight. If you want to run a marathon, you need to be able to run 5 kilometers first. If you want to be able to run 5 kilometers then you had better be able to run 1. You get the point! (See my previous post here).

However, this week my thoughts were turned to the perpetuation of negativity. We may well be around people facing all kinds of trouble – it might start with financial trouble, and it might soon move on to other areas. I got to thinking how things like rumour, gossip or slander might build and grow, and how enough of it can tear down individuals, families and businesses. Taken to the extreme we have seen it enflame protests and occupations, influence elections and create conflicts and wars.

So much of our communication is around gossip. Harmless stuff for the most part, however it really struck me how we can actually contribute to, or not, the chaos of the world. It’s those quiet comments that we make to friends and colleagues, relishing in someone’s demise, misfortune or poor decisions. These comments that get passed on again and again, true or not, often unverified, surely add to the burden of the world.

We have the choice in small ways on a daily basis whether we are going to add to the chaos of the world, or make the world a better place. It’s pretty simple really. Be part of the solution, or you’re going to be part of the problem.

I encourage you, in these times of uncertainty, to strive to be part of the solution.

Parts of my writing today have been inspired by a sentence or two I read in M. Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Travelled, which found its way into my hands recently. This is the third book written by a psychoanalyst that I have read this year, I am sure that is significant somehow.

The quote “Be part of the solution, or you’re going to be part of the problem” was a 60’s slogan that has been attributed to many people, and even appears in some form in the Bible as ‘Those who are not for us are against us’. Our quote was probably made famous by Black Panther activist Eldridge Cleaver.

You can also make the world a better place by donating to Movember for men’s health on my sponsorship page here. As of today, I have 27 km to run by the month’s end – and a bit of cash to raise… so check that out here:

So on that note, I’m off into the wind and rain to knock off another 5k’s.