Crisis As an Area of Opportunity

Crises tend to overwhelm. They bring loss of stability and a sense of uncertainty that makes us feel uncomfortable. Have you ever worried about things that might happen in the near future and felt that weird variation of the stomach-butterflies that’s not enjoyable? I tend to worry too much, so I have. The latest Dalai Lama likes to say: if there’s a solution to it then there’s no need to worry, if there’s no solution, then there’s no need to worry either (last time we were hanging out he told me the same thing like 5 times).

America’s economy (along with the economy of the rest of the western world) has recently gone through a big economic crisis, and even though things have slowly improved, people still feel down about it. They weren’t used to experiencing crisis; not like we are used to back home. In Mexico we’ve learned to struggle with money; but lately we’ve been going through a political and social crisis that we had never seen. Thus, spirits back home are also down.

A good way to stop worrying about the crisis is looking at the opportunities it presents. Crisis is an agent of change. If the US needs an economic model change, right now would be the time to make it happen. In the same way, in Mexico we should be more prone to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them, to die to sleep, no more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to?

Talking more seriously though (at least more practically), there IS real opportunity that the US crisis brought, and I don’t talk about merely taking advantage of undervalued housing, the US economic crisis is the product of a variety of factors, so there’s many ways to take advantage of it. Here’s a few that pop up in my mind:

• Manufacture of high quality, reliable, advanced products is no longer world-competitive when done within US soil. Right now would be the perfect time to strengthen advanced manufacture in Latin America (or any other region of the world where living is less expensive and where regulations can be met). Even for US citizens, moving out of Detroit and to places with nicer weather along with their assembly companies, could be a sweet move (public health care, sandy beaches, free higher education, and coronas doesn't sound that bad).

• Research and Development is starting to be heavily endorsed by both American companies and government. If you’ve got a master (or even better, a PhD) and always wanted to work at a high-tech lab, the US is a great place to look at right now. You’ll be helping the country and mankind’s progress.

• In same spirit, the US needs new companies, and ventures will be sponsored happily; so it is a great moment to become the boss, create a company, and start generating some jobs (yours to begin with).

Every crisis has its winners. It would be cool to be part of the winning team for a change.