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Coffee or tea Change or consistency

Written by: Elizabeth Mullen

Article Overview: It seems that one of the most common insults ever handed out in this culture is that something is "inconsistent". Many of us have heard this at times in our lives from someone who wanted to shut us up or cut us down. Sometimes, we've even said that to ourselves as criticism, as a definition of flaw and weakness. "Inconsistent" has often been used as a keyword for all that is not undesirable. In reality, inconsistency generates opportunity and prosperity to those who know its nature. How can you prosper from inconsistency? How will you encourage it to enrich your life?

Coffee or tea Change or consistency

It seems that one of the most common insults ever handed out in this culture is that something is "inconsistent". Many of us have heard this at times in our lives from someone who wanted to shut us up or cut us down. Sometimes, we've even said that to ourselves as criticism, as a definition of flaw and weakness. "Inconsistent" has often been used as a keyword for all that is not undesirable. In reality, inconsistency generates opportunity and prosperity to those who know its nature. How can you prosper from inconsistency? How will you encourage it to enrich your life?

This notion of consistency as being desirable deserves some notice and an evaluation now and then (excuse me, demands consistent evaluation). Consistency is indeed a value, and is greatly encouraged in the business sector and economy. In the case of MacDonalds- a hamburger is a hamburger is a hamburger = success. What has been working great in terms of building consumer confidence, is also what we say we prefer in the stock market too---steady and consistent growth. Well that's what we've been saying anyway.....

Is is not true that we really embrace, encourage, even battle against consistency at every turn? Look at the dawning model of business where change is encouraged, expected and procured. Product and services are ever newly-improving, adding extras and reengineering, as vision-shifts have become the norm in the highest (read: most prosperous) companies and boardrooms. The internet forces lightning fast change and turning on a dime. "Keeping up" is no longer slow and steady growth, but breakthroughs and thinking outside the box. Consistency is death, unless it is consistent change.

We humans say we want one thing...but make another true in our lives. How many investors would choose consistent slow growth over the lightning-fast quick kill? Okay...maybe many: but that is a trick question. These investors are not comfortable even in a long term bull market because they know it will turn. Even long term investors know that they can't hold in perpetuity--there will be a break in tides and "outs" are planned. These buy and hold fortunes depend on trends, which often appear like consistency in a box.

On the other hand, a volatile market is heaven to some investors as they ask themselves how they can profit from its inherent inconsistency. These trading artists watch for -and indeed create by their actions- market volatility and opportunity. They stand "outside the box" and look for the front and back side of the trends to make their fortune. Their only consistency lies in their perspective outside the box.

When we value consistency above change, we base our activities and comfort in the box. We never really get comfortable here, because we know that change is inevitable. Our life experience has told us that is true time and time again. We think that life in this box may feel safe, but it is only temporary (so it feels ultimately not safe).

In our personal lives we say we want consistency in ourselves and others. "He is a rock", "you can always count on her". They are "in the box", so to speak---admirable, respect worthy, safe. (a pet rock?!).

Notice though, how many times in our live that we shake things up by withholding, withdrawing, jumping in forcefully, or convincing others to join us and invest in a new idea. We like our box, and we like to break out of it. We like others' boxes too.....and hopefully, we like to see them prosper too.

Take yourself out of the box, and take Jack out too.

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