Let things change

Buddha said there is nothing constant except change. He was right. Change is not dangerous, but the fear of and resistance to change are.

The past summer has been a time of change in my life too: My work stint of more than five years with Finnfacts, the producer of Good News from Finland and organiser of international media tours, ended at the end of July, as I am heading off to work in China. In a way, the circle begins again, because 10 years ago, I returned to Finland from China, where I had been studying.

Since I left China, the country has undergone dramatic changes, evolving into one of the world’s biggest markets and even leaders in, for example, the mobile business. Finland, for its part, was a country with just one leader 10 years ago. Now that Nokia is no longer the engine of our economy, we are forced to explore new paths, as painful as that may be for many. Change will soon be inevitable for us.

The most important benefit that Finland can gain from its much-talked-about startup culture is not necessarily mass employment, but a new kind of thinking, with a focus on the courage to experiment, grow, evolve and even to change one’s own operating environment. In many places in China, this already seems to be commonplace and a part of the societal dynamics. I look forward to taking in China’s incredible drive and at the same time supporting Finns who are headed there in order for us also to gain the same momentum.

Change really brings us new energy.