Image by: Robert Couse-Baker
By John Cace
Got a lot on your mind lately? I hear ya fellas. What with Atari announcing it’s going to release 100 classic games on Steam this spring and all, just call me Stimpy because I can hardly contain myself.
But until you fall into a four day long hole of Space Invaders and Centipede, there are other things that require your attention gentlemen.
- Like what in the world is going on with the stock market and where you should avoid putting your money
- Plus there is talk that China is no longer the world’s second biggest economy, do you know who is?
- Then I’ve got some news about how The Creator of JavaScript Is Out to Upend the Ad Industry
- Which means you might want to get a feel for the future landscape of work
- And how to use creativity and charisma to get ready for it
- As well as how to get the coolest look in the galaxy
The Sky Is Falling! Not Really, But You’ve Been Warned…
With the recent panic that set in when the DOW Jones industrial average was down over 500 points, it’s hard to ever really know what is truly going on with the stock market. Anybody seen The Big Short?
So when I came across this article on 5 Stocks You Need to Stay Far Away From in This Market, I knew I had to spend five minutes and educate myself.
Another headline that grabbed my attention was It’s Time to Invest in The World’s Second-Biggest Economy (No, It’s Not China). So what is it? The Eurozone. Author John Persinos explains,
“The eurozone is pulling out all the stops this year, and it will be tantamount to a shot of adrenaline for European business. The time to get in on the action is now, while the investment herd fixates on China and Wall Street.”
You might also want to take a look at this article on how The Creator of JavaScript Is Out to Upend the Ad Industry. Author Klint Finley details Brendan Eich’s plans and how,
“…he hopes to shake things up with Brave, a startup developing a browser for desktop and mobile that blocks ads and replaces them with, well, other ads. If successful, Brave could essentially flip the traditional advertising model on its head. Instead of paying publishers or advertising networks, advertisers will pay the browser maker.”
There is even mention that users of the browser would get a cut of the advertising revenue. Get paid every time you use the internet? Hell yea!
The Future Is Coming On
And in order to get ready for it you’ve got to take a look at the in depth analysis author and psychologist Marty Nemko Ph.D. made in his piece The Future of Work. In discussing the changing landscape of our world’s leading industries, Nemko makes several prophetic points about:
- Passion taking a backseat to pragmatism do to new demands and mandates
- What fields will offer the most jobs
- How tech-plus will be the new standard for good employment
- And the further Dematerializing of our culture
So It’s Time to Diversify My Friend
It’s not all bad news though, you just have to work a little bit on your creativity and charisma man! You can start by checking out this article Does Creativity Come From Persistence or Flexibility?, and discover why the answer is both.
According to author Garth Sundem, we can think either on a level of persistence towards one idea, or be open to taking other routes and choosing to be flexible. Both ways breed creativity, but…
“There are pitfalls to both approaches. If you choose to persist in one strategy, there’s always the chance that it will be one that doesn’t work…But then with high cognitive flexibility, you may move on too quickly from a strategy that would have worked with a minute’s more futzing.”
And in order to decide on the type of creative thinking that works best for you, it helps to have a little charm on your side. In case you were curious, 6 Surefire Ways to Increase Your Charisma—Backed by Science will show you how to do that. Just remember these points:
- Be empathetic
- Make eye contact
- Show enthusiasm
- Be a good listener
- Have confidence
Author Emma M. Seppälä Ph.D. elaborates more on each of those points and how you can scientifically use them to your advantage.
Specifically for those times when you run into a woman like Amber Fields and you just wreck yourself.
It helps if you are wearing a genuine leather “Han Solo” jacket like the one from the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It might just be the coolest thing yet to come out of the merchandising machine that is the Disney franchise.
At least you’ll be dressed for the future.