When the World Changes Faster Than We Can

StevenMiyao
Nov 19
8 min read

We’re living through a moment where the systems many of us relied on, work, institutions, routines, and expectations, feel less stable than they once did. The shift isn’t personal; it’s structural. Technology is accelerating everything, institutions are strained, and the traditional indicators of security no longer apply in the same way. People feel this in their careers, their identities, and the choices they’re being asked to make in midlife.

I’m not just observing this; I feel it personally. I’m seeing it across sectors and life stages. Many are rethinking their relationship with work, their identity, and how they want to lead going forward. It feels disorienting, and we don’t know exactly what to do next, but we know that we need to evolve to ensure we not only survive but thrive in this changing world.

In this blog post, I want to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface, what we’re all feeling but can’t put into words. I’ll look at what this moment asks of us, especially for those in midlife, and why seeking clarity, rather than just pushing through, might be the best way to move forward. If you’ve been feeling off and anxious about what is happening but unsure what to do, this might help you better understand it and find the inspiration to move forward.

What’s Driving the Anxiety

AI is driving much of this shift, but it’s not the whole story. AI is reshaping work, accelerating decision-making, pulling us more into our screens, and automating tasks we once thought required a human mind. But focusing only on AI misses the bigger point: this isn’t just a technological shift, it’s a cultural, political, and existential one. It’s emerging alongside political polarization, declining institutional trust, rising burnout, and a culture that rewards speed over thoughtfulness. When all these forces converge, people naturally reassess what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how much of themselves they’re willing to trade to keep up.

People are Pushing Back

Even as the dominant systems push for more productivity, more growth, more speed, something different, but powerful, is emerging. You can see it in the small choices: phone-free dinners, silent walks, offline retreats, and leaders redesigning their roles so they can think again. These aren’t retreats from responsibility. They’re early signs that people want work, pace, and connection that feel human again.

Organizations like Reading Rhythms, Nature Unplugged, and Inside Meditation Society are creating spaces where people step away from screens to pay attention to their own thoughts, together with others in community. These aren’t trends. They’re early signals that people are adjusting how they want to live and work in a world that rewards speed more than presence.

There’s an Evolution Happening in How We Work

This is also true in the workplace, where the shift begins with something simple: people want organizations that value not just profit, but the people doing the work and the conditions that support good decisions. They are envisioning new ways of working that prioritize humanity over profit.

People are finding work that aligns with their values

When people clearly see the misalignment, they realize they need to change. It usually starts with an honest assessment of what their work demands from them and what it costs. From there, a few clear paths tend to emerge. Some reshape their current roles so the work supports what matters, whether by narrowing their scope, redefining success metrics, or creating space for focused work. Others shift the structure entirely, blending advisory or fractional roles into a portfolio career that gives them more autonomy. Some choose smaller, values-driven environments where integrity and contribution matter more than scale. And others build something of their own, a practice or venture that lets them design their work around their principles.

This shift isn’t theoretical. You can hear it in the stories of leaders who’ve stepped back to reassess their own trajectory. These stories show the range of what this shift looks like, in different contexts, with the same underlying pattern.

An upcoming podcast guest, Ret Taylor, is a successful entrepreneur who spent years building businesses but felt this misalignment. After a climbing expedition to Alaska, he realized he’d been driven by fear to prioritize achievement over what mattered to him. He shifted to slow down, work differently, and align his life with nature, service, and integrity. He stepped away from his company and now takes people into nature, helping them find themselves through alignment and meaning. His story shows that it starts with noticing the misalignment and making deliberate adjustments.

Bruno del Ama’s story reflects another version of this shift. On the podcast, he talked about how hitting major milestones at Global X, an ETF provider, set off a pattern he hadn’t noticed before. He spoke of hitting a significant milestone, two billion in assets under management, only to watch his mind immediately move the target: maybe three billion, maybe five. It was the moment he caught himself on the hedonic treadmill, achieving more but feeling less; every achievement immediately created a new target. That insight pushed him to question what he was chasing and to shift his focus from scale and metrics to inner alignment. Over time, he stepped away from conventional success and toward the work he does now with Sangha, a community of leaders committed to deeper awareness and growth.

Another podcast guest, Essie Chambers’ journey, illustrates what it looks like to shift toward work that more closely aligns with your values and passions. After years in television and film, she started taking on projects that felt more meaningful to her, including producing the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Descendant. Making that change created the space she needed to focus on the writing she had been doing on the side. That eventually allowed her to concentrate on and finish her book, Swift River, a direction that only emerged after she made room for the work she wanted to pursue.

How I Took My Life Back

I’ve seen this shift in my own life as well. For years, my drive was shaped by fear and the belief that I had to match the ambitions our culture sets; climb higher, take on more, stay in motion. As the world around me shifted, I started to see the gap between what I was chasing and what mattered. My career began in my twenties when I launched a consulting firm that I rebuilt during the 2008 financial crisis into a data analytics company, which led to an acquisition and a global leadership role overseeing thousands of employees. Five years in, the misalignment became clearer, and I moved toward work with more direct impact, co-founding a value-based primary care practice focused on healthcare equity in underserved communities. That work led to another acquisition and ongoing efforts to build tech-enabled care solutions for Medicare and Medicaid populations. Each shift brought me closer to the work I do now through Coaching Metta, helping professionals navigate moments when their old definitions of success no longer fit the realities of their lives. I realized that enabling others to thrive is my true calling, and allowing myself to do the same makes me finally feel like my true self.

You’re Not Falling Behind, You’re Moving Toward Something Deeper

There’s no playbook for this moment. It is personal. Algorithms and politics are reshaping work and our lives; the pace of change keeps accelerating, and expectations are shifting faster than most people can process. But the questions people are wrestling with now aren’t new. They’ve been asked for centuries, and we don’t have to reinvent the answers from scratch. We can learn from the people who faced their own versions of uncertainty long before us.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius was trying to make sense of a world filled with conflict, illness, and political instability. In his private writing, he reminded himself:

“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

And:

“If you are disturbed by external things, it is not they that trouble you, but your own judgment of them.”

He was leading during some of Rome’s hardest years, through wars and pandemics, trying to stay steady while everything around him was unstable.

Centuries earlier, Laozi was wrestling with similar questions. In the Tao Te Ching, he pointed out the cost of chasing status, possessions, and constant stimulation. His work encouraged people to return to what is simple, honest, and internally rooted. They were offering practical guidance on leading through instability, the same task leaders face today. These texts aren’t about escape; they offer practical guidance for anyone trying to lead in uncertain times. And they still resonate because the tendency to overextend and overidentify with external pressure hasn’t gone away. You must decide for yourself if the expectations no longer make sense; you’re allowed to question them.

The Real Work Now Is Internal

When I say clarity, I’m talking about the ability to name what matters, what no longer fits, and what trade-offs are acceptable. As the world becomes more unpredictable, people are looking inward, not to retreat, but to understand what influences their choices now.

What am I no longer willing to trade my energy for?
What does meaningful contribution look like for me now?
Which parts of myself have I sidelined to fit into systems that no longer feel aligned with me?

These are the conversations I have with clients every week. Leaders who’ve achieved a lot but are starting to realize that success is no longer enough. Not if it costs their health. Not if it sacrifices their integrity. Not if it means staying busy while feeling disconnected.

They’re not quitting, but they’re transforming themselves and their organizations. They prioritize clarity over momentum. They’re rediscovering what’s essential and, in many cases, realizing they’ve been missing it for years.

This is about letting go of who we thought we were supposed to be and getting honest about who we are. It’s about recognizing what has always been true underneath the urgency, the ambition, and the pressure to keep proving ourselves or keeping up with what our culture rewards.

There is a More Grounded Way Forward

So if this moment feels uncertain or disorienting, it doesn’t mean you’re it doesn’t mean something is wrong. It may simply mean you’re paying attention. And that awareness is often the first sign that you’re moving in the right direction.

This is the work I do with clients every day. We sort through what’s changing, what no longer fits, and what they want to carry forward. My job isn’t to offer a grand vision or a perfect plan. It’s to help people slow down enough to see their own thinking clearly, separate their real priorities from the noise, and make choices they can stand behind.

When the world moves this quickly, clarity becomes a working tool, not a slogan. It shows you what to say yes to, what to walk away from, and what deserves your energy now. If you’re feeling the shift, it’s not a failure or a crisis. It’s information. And with the right support and honest reflection, it can become the start of a more grounded next chapter.

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