The credit crisis has finally reached me. In the South of England, in a small rainy town called Godalming, lies an equally small bar/restaurant named ‘The Slug & Lettuce’. This place has been my place of work for the last 5 months, but soon to be no longer.

When I first signed up, it was to do 6 days a week, on average 45 hours or more. However, this week my manager has been informed by head office to cut labor substantially. As a result, the average working week is now 22 hours. Hardly enough to maintain a decent standard of living.

Luckily though, I’m traveling soon and so I’m literally walking away from my problems. Which lead me to wonder, to what extent would you be willing to walk away from it all? I recently read in ‘Style’ magasine (part of The Sunday Times) of three families who packed their bags and moved abroad to more prosperous locations such as Dubai and Beijing. They chose these locations as it had a greater demand for their expertise than their home country (UK), thus higher wages. These stories reminded me of the forum thread ‘Change or Die‘ where Ian Smith explains that change should be ‘welcomed and embraced’…

It’s strange how migration has always occurred, and always will. Yet as humans we feel the need to stay in the same place, in order to feel stable and secure. We like a home, a town, a county, a country and a continent. We like our finite borders starting with walls and doors and ending with international borders alongside mountain ranges. The solar system, galaxy, universe…all individual entities with their own boundaries to give us a sense of scale and security.

But contrary to our efforts of developing comfort in the form of security, we actually make it harder for ourselves. By creating all of these fixed places, we gain a belief of belonging, and thus an unwillingness to move when the hard times come. And as it just happens, this time, to some of us, has come.

So with knowledge now in view, are you willing to pack up your bags and leave? To move to a new country, a new continent or even a new world? At first it would be difficult, the change in atmosphere, culture and society. Alongside dealing with the guilt of deserting friends and family, but would it be worth it? Should we simply pack up and leave? Or should we stay, address the problems that sometimes are unsolvable and get over the emotional pain.

There are always going to be the masses of people that agglomerate. Similar groups of people tend to stick together – financial levels, languages, appearances, religions, and ways of thinking. Depending on the time-scale you look at, they tend to stay in the same place over the course of a few generations, but there are the odd few that scatter around, inhabiting one place, then moving on to the next. Constantly re-adapting to the new environment, making new friends and keeping in contact with the old.

Perhaps those that change locations constantly just when a problem arises are a symbol of human nature. We tend to exploit natural resources, until there are none left, then we move on. Sustainable development is a long way off from reality. But in a world of nearly 7 billion people, the ultimate question is can one man make a difference?

The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Think of Ghandi, who motivated 2 million people to think in unison. Think of Barrack Obama who got more students to vote than ever before in American history. Think of every religious figure, dead or alive that develop desire and action within millions. If you have the dream, you can do it.

Equally, if your ambition is create a family, to live in emotional satisfaction within the short time that we have, then you can do that. You can leave the problems behind, you can follow demand and ensure that you are always financially secure. Accept that belonging and boundaries are simply psychological constraints and you can ride the wave of life. Every hiccup and bump will be glided over beneath the great wave as you constantly evolve.

So which is it to be? There are three options, will you:

1) Stay in your current location and suffer from the crisis?

2) Move to a new place where there is demand for your skills?

3) Stand up and sort the problem out for yourself?