Photo Credit: Guide to Iceland
It is always fascinating to have discussions with those who believe that “the real” world consists of only 3 dimensions. Time as the 4th dimension does not get much push back, however when I suggest that Digital is the 5th dimension or the nth dimension depending on the digital platform that is employed for the creation, I get really interesting looks. Please bear with me, yes, this Internet thing is real. The fact that we have been able to convert a physical object ie. atoms to bits and create multiple dimension to create is in itself a miracle. It is what is called recursion. I believe there are some of us who really take the time to understand the creative process and the people behind this. The people behind this are full of talent, persistence, patience and love. It is a miracle that they have the will to extend themselves to create works of art. Yes, IMHO, building a company like Google or Apple or Amazon or Facebook or Twitter is a work of art. It takes energy and a lot of work.
I am trying to learn and along the way educate those who are stuck in the past with the thinking that this Digital dimension is not going to change our lives. On the contrary, this digital dimension has already changed our lives. We are always looking for the parting sea or the burning bush to see the miracles in our lives, but it is usually the simple things that are miraculous. I believe our individual and collective capacity to create and grow is itself a miracle. Our thinking and the ability to create miracles that we call technology is something to be recognized and cherished. The more and more I go into the rabbit hole of the creative enterprise (I believe a startup is a creative enterprise and the founder/entrepreneur the creative force), it is amazing that so many startups survive the onslaught of the creative process. I am never discouraged by the odds because the odds don’t matter. Creation is all that matters.
Do I believe this the best of times to be creative, absolutely. Do you need to take the time to understand how the digital dimension works, without a doubt. Do I believe it does not matter what your company does to understand this digital dimension, well your company’s survival and existence depends on it. The digital dimension is the democratization platform, anyone who is willing to commit the time to learn, understand and create in this dimension has the opportunity to win and win big. If what I have been writing about sounds abstract, it shouldn’t be. The digital divide everyone has been talking about is not in the access to technology, it is in our minds, our consciousness. We need to have the ability to silence the familiar and open our minds to the unfamiliar. It pains me to see smart, intelligent people being dogmatic about what they know. It always leads to hubris. I think when we open our thinking, we are usually amazed at what our consciousness is capable of absorbing, like children do. The will to silence what we know and to open our minds to listen to the unknown is at the cutting edge of personal growth. I see many people who wither away at not making this leap, I guess this is what is called senility.
My call to action for those reading this post and I presume that you have made that leap otherwise you would not have read this far, is to drag one of those stuck in the past to make the leap. Encourage them, educate them, love them to make the painful journey to let go of the past and look into the future, because the future is here and it is changing everything we know to be true. The only truth that remains is our capacity to look at the stars and nature with awe and the fact that many of us do is what makes me optimistic about the future.
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