📷:Riccardo Annandale
“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” – Albert Einstein
Excitement. Panic. Fear.
These are some of the emotions I’ve heard being expressed when people discuss Amazon’s latest brick-and-mortar: Amazon Go.
And this isn’t surprising, given what Amazon has created. No more long lines. No more stopping to pay. No more worrying about if you forgot your wallet or purse (as long as you have your phone and the Amazon Go app downloaded!). As a consumer, this is true convenience — it’s grab-and-go.
Simple. Easy. Timely.
But, with this new found convenience, comes panic and fear:
“What about my job? I also work in retail, what will happen to me?”
“What does this mean for the economy?”
“Will EVERYTHING be automated in the future? Will there be any jobs for anyone?”
These are all valid questions, and questions that need to be addressed.
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.5 million people work as retail cashiers in the U.S., making it the second-largest occupation. This means, millions of people depend on their retail jobs to sustain their livelihoods, and this isn’t something to be taken lightly or overlooked.
But, Amazon Go isn’t something that’s going to negatively impact the retail world, nor is it just a mere convenience for consumers — it’s a movement — a step towards human enlightenment.
Here’s why:
1.) Robotic Jobs are Becoming a Thing of The Past
📷: Ramiro Mendes
Working in the retail space is monotonous. Sure, you get to interact with a lot of people, but essentially, you’re doing the same thing every shift — stocking goods and checking customers out.
Humans are capable of SO much more than monotony. We’re creators. We’re meant to learn, grow, implement and change. We aren’t meant to do the same thing over and over again — day after day. That kind of work is soul-draining.
Amazon’s new concept is going to reshape the retail industry, and ultimately, leave the menial tasks to technology, meaning there will be more room for more innovative jobs in the retail space.
2.) Growing Pains are a Necessary Part of Life
📷:Kevin Gent
Do you remember how your body felt as a child when you limbs began to grow? It wasn’t always comfortable, and sometimes it downright hurt!
But, without that period you wouldn’t have grown into the person you are today. And today, you aren’t the same person you were one year ago or five years ago or 10 years ago etc. and understanding this will enable you to grapple with one of life’s biggest truths: change is ALWAYS happening.
Nothing is at a standstill. Ever.
It’d be unrealistic for us to assume things would remain the same, including in the retail space. Amazon Go won’t be the last company to contribute to the growing pains of our society — it will be one of many. And these growing pains are necessary so all of us, and our society, can move forward and become better and more efficient than we were before.
3.) Innovation Encourages Self-discovery
📷: Ib Wire Dyatmika
Amazon Go wasn’t created overnight. It was an idea that was first conceived inside of someone’s head, and that person shared their idea, adapted it and allowed it to become what it is today — a grab-and-go retail store sans cashiers.
See, that’s the incredible thing — when people put their ideas together, innovation happens. And those innovations have the ability to change the world.
So, rather than asking questions such as:
“Will my job be negatively impacted?” and “What negative impacts will this have on the retail world?“
Instead, ask questions such as:
“Knowing that a person is behind this new innovative retail experience, what can I do to bring more innovation into my own life and therefore the lives of others?”
“What ideas are brewing inside of my head that could possibly change the world?”
These kinds of questions will encourage self-discovery, get you thinking about the incredible ideas living in your head, and how you can bring them into fruition.
Above all remember, change is a natural part of life. It’s through change that we’re able to grow and transform. None of us were put on earth to remain stagnant. We were put here to learn, grow and create. So when we see a company like Amazon coming out with an industry-changing movement, we should celebrate our growth as a whole, and use it as a launching pad to invite more inspiration and innovation into our own lives.
About Antasha Durbin: Antasha is a spiritual writer, life-long student of the universe, and psychic tarot card reader. Her website, cajspirituality.com, is dedicated to casualizing the spiritual experience and making it attainable for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Follow her for free, easy-to-digest and highly actionable advice on spirituality, mindfulness and empowered living.
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