I’m angry.

Not at any particular person, but at a system. A system that’s trained us all to believe that unless we’re always pushing the boundaries, always walking the line, always bumping up against the the thing that could be possible, barely possible, or even barely reasonable, unless we’re always taking the risk, all the risks all the time, then we’re not living and we’re not growing.

I’m angry at a system that has left us all in a place where there’s no back-up plan, no plan B, no contingency, nothing to catch us. In this system, the only acceptable way to live is to be in hyper mode constantly, not just moving, but speeding, rushing. If the speed limit is 65, we go 70, if it’s 75, we go 80. The people we admire and emulate are the people who are always pushing the boundaries, doing the unimaginable, driving their bodies and their minds to the edge. Just think about the last time you watched a show or a movie about someone who didn’t do something extreme or wasn’t some sort of superhero, superhuman, supermom.

Our entire world economic system is based on risk. We hear constantly, “the bigger the risk, the bigger the return”. So our markets live on the edge, our businesses live on the edge, if you’re not in debt as a business it means you’re not growing, and by extension, we all live on the edge. No wonder we’re collectively just a little bit crazy. 

Because of all of this living on the edge and valuing risk over contingency and planning, we are now in a situation where everyone is frantically scrambling for a plan B. No matter the size of the business or corporation, even the giant ones with tons of money, they still have nothing to fall back on, they can’t survive a month of upheaval because they have no backup plan. We’ve been forced into a structure that can’t sustain us, even when we really need it, especially when we really need it.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like to take risks, people dismiss you, they overlook you, they tell you there’s no way you’re gonna get ahead in life. If you’re cautious, you always hear, “aww, come on, live a little.” If you like to look before you leap, “where’s your sense of adventure”? 

I don’t have a message, or any kind of conclusion in this post, I just have to say that I’m angry. Of course, taking risks is good for the mind, the soul and probably the economy. But so is planning and being cautious. Where’s the balance?

And how is it that the entities that run the world economy want us to save them yet again? Maybe someone should come up with a better structure. 

As for me? I’m always going to have a plan B, and maybe a C, D and E as well.

I would love to hear other people’s thoughts about this. Leave a comment! I’d love to hear something besides my own brain screaming at me.