From the iron age to nearly the industrial age, blacksmiths prospered. Villagers needed plows, shovels, iron tires for wagons, nails and tools to build their homes, all of which the blacksmiths forged. They needed their horses and oxen shod and their tools repaired. Being a blacksmith was a sound professional choice.

Yet despite flourishing for centuries, this vital profession was all but eliminated in a few generations. Who could envision affordable mass-produced items lining the shelves of big box stores, or anticipate societal changes incomprehensible at the time?

How many current professions will go the way of blacksmith? Today's rate of change is measured in years, not centuries. It's life at warp-speed, where job security doesn't exist, and today's approaches are tomorrow's antiques. Just consider what's happened to the music industry in ten years. Vinyl records anyone?

One thing is clear: twenty-first century success won't be guaranteed from a particular major, a certain profession, a specific job title, or the latest skill. It won't come from discovering the right industry or company or next idea. Those are moving targets.

You see, your future is not out there. It's inside of you. Writer and futurist, Alvin Toffler said, "The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

Some say the only constant in life is change. But in your life, the only constant is you. You can move with the change-currents, bobbing like a buoy in the ocean and go nowhere. Or you can paddle your sea kayak with a sturdy oar of your unique talents, core-values, life potential, and resilient spirit, knowing it's your inner strengths that will secure your future

People who are winning at working find their way in a changed and changing world through inner navigation and core connection. That way, they know which changes to embrace, which to leverage with their talents into successful opportunities, and which to ignore. They calm the waves of change in their life by drawing from what's inside them that doesn't change. Then they can make sense of what's in the outside world that does.

The waves of change are also calmed by how you face the world. Some people orient to the world like they were on the deck of a cruise ship, turning their chairs to watch where they've been. Others on that same deck turn forward so they can see where they're going and what's ahead.

People who are winning at working do the latter. They orient toward their future, agreeing with author Dan Millman, "The secret of change consists in concentrating one's energy to create the new, and not fight against the old."

The bottom line? In these turbulent times, career sustainability will be determined by your ability to transform yourself with the times.

So anchor the chaos, discomfort, uncertainty, and fear that often accompanies change, to the unchangeable core within you. That anchoring first step makes all the difference, whether you initiate the change or it's thrust upon you.

Author's Bio - Nan Russel

Nan Russel, award winning author of Hitting Your Stride (Capital Books; 2008). Radio host of "Work Matters with Nan Russell" weekly on webtalkradio.net. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. Sign up to receive Nan's "Winning at Working" tips and insights at http://www.nanrussell.com

One of the most watched television show today is Survivor. We admire those who survive! We tune in every week to see who makes it next. But even better than being a survivor is to be one who thrives!

What are the differences between someone who survives and someone who thrives? Here are a few:

A survivor gets by, a thriver gets ahead. Do you feel like you are just getting by? You don’t have to. You can actually get ahead! You can be out front! You can thrive!

A survivor is tired at the end, a thriver feels full of energy. When you are finished do you feel tired? You can thrive and be filled with energy! You can thrive!

A survivor has barely enough, a thriver has an abundance. Do you have more month left over at the end of your money? You can have more money left over at the end of your month! You can thrive financially!

A survivor is always on the edge, a thriver is on firm ground. Do you feel like you could fall over the edge at any time? You can get back on solid footing! You can feel firm about where you are. You can thrive!

So how do we shift from being a survivor to becoming a thriver? Here are a few steps to put you on your way!

First, start with some good input. Subscribe to as many good magazines and Ezines that will change your outlook and inspire you to thrive! And don’t just subscribe to them – read them. Devour them. Get great audios and videos and listen to them and watch them. The principle here is to renew your mind to become a person whose mindset is one of a person who thrives.

Second, get around people who are thriving. Join clubs and groups filled with people who are already thrivers. Develop friendships with them; take them to lunch or coffee. Pick their brains and learn from them. Mimic their habits of thriving.

As you commit to these first two, you will see the time you spend watching and listening to junk go out the door. You will see that you are spending less and less time with those kinds of people who just want to survive. This will be the launching pad for your success.

Third, make a personal evaluation of your skills. What areas do you need to grow in? Now, get to work on those skills. Skills are what take you to the top. An old quote says that the race isn’t always won by the fast or the strong, but that’s the way to bet! I’ll take the person with skills to be the one who thrives every time. It won’t work like that every time, but it will most of the time.

Fourth, make a commitment to a long-term, tenacious outlook. We have to do this in order to turn the ship around. If you are just a survivor, you can be a thriver, but it may take some time. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. There will be times of weakness. There will be times of hardship. If you are tenacious, you can, and will, thrive!

Fifth, understand that thrivers are almost always people of methodical discipline and order. They know that they have to have order in their lives and the order is what produces the ability to thrive. They thrive financially because they discipline themselves to save and invest rather than spend. They thrive physically because they are disciplined in what they eat and in how they exercise. Discipline will make you thrive!

Yes, you can THRIVE! Take the above and get to work. Make these principles a part of your life and they will create in you an ability to thrive in everything that you do. You will no longer just survive. Instead, you will thrive! And that is going to feel great!

Author's Bio - Chris Widener

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success and Extraordinary Leaders, two companies helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Visit his websites at http://www.madeforsuccess.com