From this moment on – our ability to see change coming, and deal with that change – could be the most important key to our ability to live a life of success and significance. A year later, I’ve been fascinated watching how the Japanese people have responded to the devastating earthquake and tsunami. As they continue rebuilding their shattered and devastated country, the first question we heard from international commentators and reporters was “Where do they start?”
When entire communities have disappeared, significant infrastructure is destroyed, and thousands are dead or missing, where do you begin? What should the first steps be after experiencing overwhelming loss? And around the world, others are facing their own personal meltdowns. It may be dealing with cancer, coping with a horrible divorce, getting fired or laid off, dealing with the death of a loved one, or a million other crisis events you or those you love may be going through.
During these times of crushing loss, how do we begin to climb out of the hole? After any devastating loss or failure, taking that first step is incredibly daunting. Change is big. And knowing how to deal with it can literally determine or destroy your future. That’s probably the single biggest reason I wrote my book “Jolt!”
In Hollywood I’ve discovered that a blockbuster movie is a movie that dominates the competition, influences the culture, generates incredible income, sets records, and jolts the industry. A blockbuster life is a life that does all that and more. From this moment on, view every person and every situation you encounter through the eyes of change. Commit your life to embracing disruption and chaos as it happens and igniting change where it is needed.
Change is about intervention. Rosa Parks sat in the back of a bus a hundred times in Montgomery, Alabama, before she made the decision to move up. That decision ignited a change that jolted a nation. Change is something that happens one person at a time, in unexpected moments, and often has far greater impact than anyone could dream. As Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
The world is changing whether you like it or not, and whether you’re ready or not. That’s why I encourage leaders to embrace change, make change happen, and never look back.
