Only the Paranoid Survive

I would like to explore this saying and whether in fact this may be true.  To some it may seem really negative or pessimistic and perhaps would seem that the message is to rather live in fear and trepidation of the future instead of capturing all that life has to offer.  Probably trying to insulate yourself from pain, or hurt, or mistakes, is impossible at the  best of times, but staying on top of things, whether in business or in your personal life, can certainly in my view pay some dividends.  In business we look at our competitors and what they are up to in the market, we consider what is happening with our current customers and we plan to target certain new clients, all in an attempt to protect our business, from potential failure or closing down.  We will rather take on too much work and then moan about the fact that we are working too hard, than to have too little work and wonder at the end of each month, if you will have the resources to get to another month. Similarly, in our personal lives, we tend to be circumspect and will rather stick to our comfort zones and happy place instead of boldly living in a manner, that we truly desire.  We will make compromises and "changes", so that we avoid unnecessary pain, or frustration and we always think that things will get better and are so concerned what others may think or say if we go down another path, so we just keep insulating ourselves and hope that by keeping doing what we do, the paranoia will ease and we will be OK.  In business, we seldom think that if we do our work in a different way, we can in fact improve our turnover and the nature of our business.  So too in our lives, we are not convinced that if we try something different it will bear fruits, but many a successful business and people have actually acknowledged, that they needed to approach things differently and having done so, they begin to thrive and grow and gain new territories and actually come through the phase in a happier and stronger place.  We often have to leave our emotional attachments or existing ways of doing business, at the door and get on with new developments and different passions and this can actually result in the business, or person finding a better chance at success in the future. We need to have a clear vision and tell those around us whether personally or in writing, what we feel and what is needed, to go forward and this will lead to better and healthier implementation.  Once new territory is gained, it is important to remain open for criticism and not take it too personally and especially to make sure that our egos do not get in the way of where the vision leads us.  A flexible team creates a far more trusting environment and once trust is gained, it is better to stick with it, even if it means no longer trusting what you once thought was the only path to success. Life like business is complex  and we need to prepare for multiple and unknown scenarios, but survival is assured, if we have ingredients of trust, faith and a willingness to follow a different path in the pursuit of happiness and success, every now and then.