[su_quote cite=”Karl Lagerfeld”]People who say that yesterday was better than today are ultimately devaluing their own existence.[/su_quote]
I just returned to the states after spending two glorious weeks in the UK and Ireland. My son studied this past semester in London, living with a homestay family and learning about life in one of the most iconic cities on the planet.
My daughter and I met up with him and the three of us ventured into the city before venturing north and west, first to Scotland and the Isle of Skye and then to Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher.
The last time I was in London was 1994 — a quarter of a century ago. To say that things have changed a bit in those 25 years would be an understatement. I’d never been to the Isle of Skye or Ireland. It was terrific sharing those experiences with my kids who appreciated every minute of our trip in a way they wouldn’t have when they were younger.
With a strong Scottish heritage, I felt, for the first time in my life, a DNA connection to a place. It was exhilarating.
I also absolutely fell in love with London all over again. London is a chic city, full of well-dressed, trim professionals who have a sense of purpose about them. It’s also a city in transition. Cranes silhouetted the sky in all directions, reminding anyone who pays attention that change is happening now.
London, a City in Transition
As far as cities go, London has a low skyline. Compared to places like New York, Hong Kong, and Dubai, London looks like a quaint village with its 19th-century row houses and modest palaces. Londoners are well-aware of this and are building what they call “high rises” on the outskirts of the city to help offset one of the world’s greatest problems: affordable housing.
Not everyone is excited about this change to the skyline. One of our Uber drivers was adamant that these new buildings were ruining his city with their “ugly designs and modern facades.”
I was not aware that affordable housing is a global concern, but it is. Housing and apartment prices in major cities everywhere are out of reach for most. The average 2-bedroom flat (less than 1,000 sq feet) in London has a two-million-pound ($2.5M) price tag.
For those of us here in the states, cities like San Francisco, Seattle, even Portland are squeezing more and more people out to the “boonies” to hopefully find something within their price range. Sometimes finding something there is hard, too.
London & Leadership
As more of us choose to deepen our leadership roles as business owners, creatives, parents, and active global citizens, I believe we need to consider adopting the attitude around change and evolution that the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld had.
I recently watched a documentary about him called “Lagerfeld Confidential” (French with English subtitles) which taught me a lot about a man I knew nothing about, to be completely honest. While I love fashion and nice clothes, haute couture has never been my thing.
Among many other things that distinguished him as a force to be reckoned with in the fashion and business world, Lagerfeld said: “People who say that yesterday was better than today are ultimately devaluing their own existence.”
Like London, like fashion, like the Cliffs of Moher — only at an imperceptible pace — everything is always changing. To remain relevant, to be successful, we can’t live in what we think yesterday was but instead, embrace today because it’s all we have.
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