Keep Moving Forward

I’ve been asked a few times lately, “What’s with the ‘keep moving forward’ thing?”  That phrase is in most of my emails. My employees hear it from me dozens of times per year. My kids have a relentless Keep Moving Forward theme in their life.

On March 30, 2007, Meet the Robinson was released to theaters. My family and I went to watch Meet the Robinsons on April 12, 2007.

March 2007 was a deadly month in Iraq. In fact 2007 cost us more U.S. lives than any other period in the last 38 years. 1971 was the last year that we lost more than 900 soldiers in the same year. I was born in 1971.

The world of 1971

If you had read the newspaper in 1971 here’s what it would have told you:

• Thousands of US and Vietnamese troops are embroiled in a battle for Vietnam
• Richard Nixon installed secret taping systems in the White House
• The U.S. Capital was bombed
• 117 die in twisters that ripped through Mississippi and Louisiana
• The USSR performs nuclear testing of weapons
• Charles Manson sentenced to life in prison
• 13,000 antiwar protesters are arrested in 3 days
• 36 hospitalized during Grateful Dead concert; drunk LSD apple juice
• President Nixon announces 90-day freeze on wages, prices and rents
• 1,000 inmates riot and take control of a prison in New York
• 6 KKK klansmen were arrested for bombing 10 school buses
• 90 Russian diplomats were expelled from Britain for spying

What’s the point?

In 1971 the world seemed to be in deep turmoil. The same was true in 2007 when the news from Iraq was constantly about the “never ending campaign”. The same is true in 2009: the world is still in deep turmoil. This time the turmoil is in our banks and financial institutions. Here’s the truth: very little of the news that was reported in 1971 or even 2007 was of any lasting value.

The fact is most of what you read in the newspaper is worthless information. The vast majority of what was written in the newspaper in 1971 and 2007 will never be heard again. Do you think it is going to be different in 2009?

So what does matter?

The news is paralyzing. It grips people with fear and uncertainty and it stops progress. What we need is creative, hard working people to use their imaginzation, inginuity, and intelligence to create solutions for problems that are solvable, add value and push us forward even during difficult times. Of course the economy is a major issue. We all know that. What matters is how we react to it. Are we going to be fearful and hide from it, or are we going to understand the times and push our economic future to a better place?

My advice for 2009: don’t watch the news. Don’t worry about the market or the economy. You won’t add a day to your life or a hair to your head by worrying about it. You know we are in trying times. Now get out there and do something about it.

Keep moving forward,

Greg

p.s. If you can’t see the clip on your computer go rent the movie. The man that coined the phrase was quite remarkable:

“Around here however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney