From Nazis to Skittles: How to Predict the Future

Photo By: O Palsson

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it” – Alan Kay

We have control over a lot more than we often acknowledge. While it is true that we cannot control the circumstances and events around us, we can certainly control our response.

It’s often our attitude and response that makes all the difference.
Perhaps you are familiar with the story of Viktor Frankl, and his writings about the importance of attitude and mindset.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl talks about surviving 4 Nazi concentration camps, and his observations as a Psychiatrist. He points out that the predictor whether or not individuals would survive this horrific experience had nothing to do with their education, upbringing, age, or any other factor you might first consider; but that one factor that made all the difference was: attitude.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you set your mind to taking full ownership of the outcome. It’s all too easy to play the role of the victim – in fact having a victim mentality makes you feel like a victim of the mentality itself.

Take ownership: Don’t ask: “Why Me?”

Ask instead: “How can I make that happen?”

A great example of predicting the future by inventing it, is found in actor Nathan Barnatt. Below you can see a video of the character he created as an unofficial spokesperson for Skittles candy.

After doing a series of these mock commercials, he finally got the attention of Skittles who subsequently hired him to be an official spokesperson! What an amazing accomplishment. It should also service great inspiration to the rest of us, remembering that the best way to predict the future is to truly go out there and invent it.

“The chances of getting into something are so slim, you should create your own thing and focus on it really well. Don’t sit around and wait for other people to do those things.”
Nathan Barnatt

If you knew that you could not fail, what would you do? Why not get started today?