a growing belief that we can indeed wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil-fuel . And , most importantly , global environmental activism , especially from the youth , is becoming a force like never before .
The youth is finding its voice , and the message is clear : “ We cannot carry on like this !”
Trend 5 : Moderation is a conceivable style . We have learned to live the slogan that more is necessary – and much is better . We suffer from ‘ GDP-obsession ’ and associated living-standard parameters . Objectively , we live in the best of times , yet people work harder than ever – showing the scars of stress and fatigue .
This anxiety-plagued doctrine that everything is about growth , has resulted in a production process that had been smothering the planet for decades . Then suddenly our economic model is forced into hiatus . Pollution in pandemic epicentres fell by more than 50 % during the first month of lockdown . It almost feels as though the planet said : “ You humans are not going to change your behaviour in time , let me do it for you – by giving you an idea of my respiratory battle to survive your gluttony .” May we all , but especially lawmakers and business leaders , get the message .
A crisis is a gateway from one world to the next . The transition is tough , and the economic fallout can be taxing , but during and after the destruction comes a second chance at life , and a burst in creativity .
We can choose to code these five trend shifts into our lives as reminders – or ignore them and be confronted with yet another brutal wake-up call in future . The return of confidence may take longer than we wish , but I daresay that the constructive fundamental shifts that could come from this crisis are likely to be more pronounced and profound than even optimists may anticipate at this point .
Louis Fourie is a mentor to a wide range of South African business leaders , through the Regarding my Life programme .
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