Here is the deal. Humanity may be externally unbounded but internally well that is another thing. Although there may be all of the food, money and energy the world needs, it is not necessarily distributed in anything remotely resembling an optimum manner. And this is okay because we can make more because we can harvest infinity.
The concept of Harvesting Infinity simply means each of us is capable of obtaining or creating precisely what is needed, although I did not say all of it at same time or instantaneously. Even the richest people in the history of the world did not enough time, money and resource to accomplish what they wanted to. And this is still true today. Even with vastly greater wealth we always seem to feel resource constrained.
If you are a culture vulture, an information junky or foodie you are in nirvana with a mind boggling number of choice and options that far exceed your ability to participate in or consume. Never before in history has there been so much. If you have a question, there are places to ask which will yield large numbers of answers, not all good ones to be sure, but still you never have to wonder alone again.
Yet many linger living within a mental model of scarcity when they could embrace abundance. And this appears to be somewhat dependent upon geography and age. Silicon Valley is not just a place it is an attitude. An attitude shared by a particularly prolific work force gathered from the four corners of the world.
Innovation itself can not be reduced to an algorithm – it is more about the audacity to feel unbounded. Although many other regions have tried to emulate the success of the Silicon Valley Innovation Juggernaut, and some are succeeding to a degree, there is something contagious about feeling the powerful potential of possibility. And that something, for some strange reason, is not more prevalent even in places with plenty of capital and plenty of educated people. Maybe having nice weather all of the time is a factor or maybe the track record of success is a factor, but it seems to be something more. Silicon Valley has the right attitude to create tomorrow and sometimes older regions need an attitude transplant. Did they run out of steam a generation or more ago?
In the least ten years China has somehow gotten this attitude. Perhaps it is capitalism run amok in a totalitarian state. For whatever reason, China now believes they could and should own the world, and with that attitude they will, and are in fact well other way to doing it. Yet New York and New England, with unbelievable amounts of talent and capital seem to be stalled in comparison. It is strange to travel around and get a sense of the innovation vitality of places and companies. Some have it and some do not.
Perhaps it is only those who feel that they have little to lose who can take the necessary chances? Third world nations routinely pass third world nations by. They do not have more resources or education except one – attitude. If you think you can get somewhere or have to get somewhere than you can. And if you think change is too frightening to embrace than you can’t. It is really quite simple.
Anyone who wants to harvest infinity can! So if you are not yet doing this – get up and do it right now – give yourself an attitude transplant!