DISRUPTORS

A Butterfly is a New Disruption to a Caterpillars Old life and way of thinking.

Who amongst us doesn’t hate having disruptions?

You had everything so nicely planned out. It was all laid out. You thought of everything, and then suddenly, boom, out of nowhere, “that”, happened. You didn’t even see it coming. You couldn’t have.

Call it what you will, an interruption, a delay, a detour, a sidetrack, a setback, a disruption, they are all in the same category.

But what good are they anyway? They’re just a nuisance, a waste of time, all they do is get in the way of a perfectly good plan. Or do they?

According to the PRB, Population Reference Bureau approximately 117 billion people have lived on planet Earth throughout human history.

I’d venture to say that all 117 billion of us have experienced disruptions throughout our lifetime. Given that as a fact, it’s safe then to assume that disruptions might not be as random as one would think.

Maybe, disruptions have somehow been woven in as a thread into the fabric of humanity…we can just come back to that thought later.

Disruptions can be encountered on a variety of different levels in a variety of different forms.

They can be experienced by us as individuals in the form of unexpected events like births, deaths, illnesses, breakups, layoffs, or accidents. There have also been instances of local and regional disruptions like housing market changes, economics, employment and politics. Let’s not forget a few years ago, when the entire world community together experienced a disruption called COVID-19.

Disruptions are not the exception, they are the rule. It’s not a matter of, IF, they’ll come, but rather, WHEN, they will come.

So then, how should we prepare for our Disruptions?

Many in extreme weather areas have preparation methods for when bad weather hits. We have preparations for our local households when the power goes off, the heat goes off, or when fire, or break-ins take place. Even Governments have preparation methods for when war breaks out.

So, what then is our plan for those Destined Disruptions?

Before we can adequately prepare for them, we must make certain that we have a good understanding of their calling and purpose.

You see, EVERYTHING has a purpose, even a Disruption.

Here are the 4 “P’s” of Disruptions Character:

1.    1st P is they are Powerful. They have been designed to carry significant weight to them. If not, we would easily ignore them as we do so many other things in life. Power is a resource that can be harnessed if properly understood. We must understand Disruptions

2.    2nd “P” is they are Poignant. They evoke certain emotions from us. Again, this too is by design, because we need to feel them, to get to know them. One always remembers what they feel. Some feelings are forever etched onto our soul’s memory bank.

3.    3rd “P” is Profound. They not only affect us personally, but they also carry great generational implications. There is a ripple effect associated with every disruption for generations to come. They will be used to establish their new normal.

4.    4th “P” is the one we’ve already mentioned, they are Purposeful. Often, what might look to us like a Scattering, is actually a Strategy in process. To present a new thing, the old thing must first be disrupted. Soil must be disrupted before growth can take place.

Which brings me to my next point.

Every Disruption needs a Disruptor, and every Disruptor needs a Disruption. That’s a critical key to their identity and calling.

Many of us prefer a quiet and calm environment.  No issue, no drama, right. But we know that it is an unreal exception to have it consistently.

“Truth”, be told, you and I, have often become the best versions of ourselves during those times of drama and Disruption. As have many others.

Clark Kent transformed into a Disruptor, known as Superman, every time there was a Disruption. Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, and every other superhero has that same story line.

This is also true in real life. Those who sparked Social Change and Civil Rights like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, were transformed into a Disruptor when he encountered Disruption, Jim Crow/discrimination. As well as other Disruptors like Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandi, and Nelson Mandela.

There is also an extensive list of Business and Industrial Disruptors like Henry Ford and Walt Disney who were transformed by their Disruptions

Even in the field of Medicine, we saw Jonas Salk transformed into a Disruptor when he encountered a Disruption, Polio. He, along with others like Viven Thomas, Chidi Ibe, to name a few, became Disruptors.

History is filled with individuals who transformed personal, societal, or technical Disruptions into opportunities for progressive change.

Perhaps we should adjust the lens through which we see Disruptions.

Disruptions aren’t designed to be annoyances, rather they have been designed to be Transportation for Transformation!

Maybe then, Trouble is Transportation and Opposition is Opportunity. Challenges are Change Agents and Disasters are Destiny’s calling card.

Each Disruption plays its role in pushing us into Purpose.

I would be remise, if I didn’t call our attention to one of the most well-known Disruptor of all times, his name is Jesus.

Jesu disrupted the plan of the enemy for his life and countless others.

In our next talk we’ll review the 4 phases of Disruption, and learn how we are to navigate and grow in them.

Until we meet again, be mindful to look for the “UP” side, in your Disr-UP-tion.

This is a Thompson Truth