Narrator: On a June evening in 1994, a college student named April Rinne was in her dorm room in Oxford, England, excitedly preparing to lead a summer trip. Her world was full of plans and anticipation. Then the phone rang. It was her sister, calling from the United States with a message that would shatter her reality in an instant: "April, Mom and Dad were killed in a car accident yesterday. You need to come home now." In that single moment, the future she had so carefully planned was erased. Her life was thrown into a state of profound and disorienting flux, a personal earthquake that mirrors the constant, large-scale upheavals we all face today—from global pandemics and economic instability to rapid technological shifts. How does one navigate a world where the ground is constantly shifting beneath their feet? In her book, Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change, April Rinne transforms her personal journey through loss and uncertainty into a powerful guide for everyone struggling to find their footing in an unpredictable world. She argues that our old "scripts" for life are broken and offers a new framework for not just surviving, but thriving amidst chaos.

Narrator: The book's central premise is that the world operates in a state of continuous change, or "flux," and the traditional life scripts we've been handed are no longer effective. These old scripts, often written by society or family, dictate a linear path: get a good education, climb the corporate ladder, accumulate wealth, and seek stability. However, in a world where stability is an illusion, this script often leads to burnout, anxiety, and a feeling of being trapped. Rinne illustrates this with the story of "Alex," a composite character who diligently follows the corporate playbook, only to find themselves miserable and shackled by financial obligations.

The "Theory of Flux" offers an alternative. It begins with adopting a "Flux Mindset," which reframes change from a threat into an opportunity. This mindset is grounded in your core values, providing an internal anchor when external circumstances are turbulent. It acknowledges that while we may resist being changed by forces outside our control, we can choose how we respond. The ultimate goal is to use this mindset to write a "New Script"—one authored by you, for you. This new script is not a rigid plan but a flexible, evolving guide that allows you to navigate uncertainty with hope and curiosity, rather than fear.

Narrator: In a culture that glorifies speed and constant busyness, the first superpower Rinne introduces is profoundly counterintuitive: Run Slower. The old script tells us to run faster to keep up, but in a world where the finish line is always moving, this is a recipe for exhaustion. Rinne argues that slowing down is a strategic choice that leads to wiser decisions, greater resilience, and improved well-being.

She shares her own story of this superpower in action. After her parents’ death, the conventional path would have been to dive into a high-powered career on Wall Street. Instead, she hit the pause button. She took a job guiding hiking and biking trips, traveling the world for nearly four years. This period of "running slower" allowed her to grieve, reflect, and get clear about what she truly wanted. This concept is echoed in the Dutch practice of niksen—the art of intentionally doing nothing—which is shown to reduce anxiety and boost creativity. As a Navy SEAL adage puts it, "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." By slowing down, we optimize not for productivity, but for presence, allowing us to respond to challenges thoughtfully instead of reacting frantically.

Narrator: The second superpower is to See What's Invisible. In a world obsessed with tangible metrics and visible achievements, we are trained to overlook the unseen forces that truly shape our reality: values, emotions, systemic biases, and hidden potential. To cultivate this power, Rinne draws on the Zulu greeting, Sawubona. On the surface, it means "hello," but its literal translation is "I see you." This greeting carries a profound depth, meaning "I see your dignity, your humanity, your dreams, and your fears. I see you, and therefore you come into being."

This practice of deep seeing requires us to look beyond the obvious. It means recognizing how our own privilege can create blind spots, preventing us from seeing the inequities faced by others. It involves shifting from a narrow "consumer" mindset, which values us for what we buy, to a broader "citizen" mindset, which values us for what we contribute. The most innovative ideas often lie in these invisible spaces—on the periphery, among marginalized voices. By learning to see the wind, not just the moving branches, we can navigate the world with greater empathy and uncover opportunities that others miss.

Narrator: The old script treats getting lost as a failure, a deviation from the plan. The Flux Mindset, however, reframes it as a virtue. Rinne makes a critical distinction: losing things is about the familiar falling away, but getting lost is about the unfamiliar appearing. It is an active state of discovery.

Rinne recounts a time she was traveling alone in a remote part of Romania. Feeling geographically lost, she was called over by a grandmother who, assuming she was in trouble, insisted she come in for dinner. The family couldn't comprehend a young woman traveling alone and unmarried, operating from a completely different life script. Yet, in that moment of being "lost," Rinne found profound human connection, generosity, and a deeper understanding of cultural differences. This experience taught her that getting lost is how you find your way. It is an opportunity to stretch beyond your comfort zone, embrace what you don’t know, and discover new parts of yourself and the world.

Narrator: We are living in a global trust crisis. Trust in institutions, media, and even each other is at an all-time low. The old script operates on a foundation of mistrust, evident in complex legal contracts, invasive surveillance, and policies designed to prevent the worst-case scenario. The fourth superpower, Start with Trust, is a radical act of rebellion against this norm. It means assuming good intent and designing systems from a place of trust, not fear.

The book highlights the ancient Argentine practice of doma india, or "Indian taming" of horses. While European colonizers used force to "break" horses, the indigenous people built relationships based on patience, observation, and mutual respect. Their trust-based approach resulted in horses that were not just compliant, but willing and capable partners. In the same way, starting with trust in our relationships and organizations unlocks connection, collaboration, and abundance. It is the glue that holds society together and the master enabler of a safer, wiser world.

Narrator: The idea of a single, linear career is a relic of a bygone era. The sixth superpower is to Create Your Portfolio Career—a diversified, resilient, and customized professional identity. This is not simply about participating in the gig economy; it's a strategic and intentional curation of skills, roles, and experiences that evolve with you. A portfolio career offers greater security through diversification, more ownership over your work, and the flexibility to adapt to a changing job market.

The book features individuals who embody this superpower. There's Binta Brown, a top corporate lawyer who left her firm to start a new one representing musical artists, combining her legal expertise with her passion for music. There's Diane Mulcahy, who structures her year into "verb seasons"—teaching, writing, advising—allowing her to pursue multiple interests. Building a portfolio career involves two key actions: creation, or taking inventory of your existing skills, and curation, or strategically developing and cross-pollinating your expertise into new and unexpected arenas.

Narrator: The final and most challenging superpower is to Let Go of the Future. The old script is obsessed with prediction and control, leading to five-year plans and rigid goals. But in a world of flux, the future is unknowable. Clinging to a single, fixed outcome is a source of immense anxiety and frustration. Letting go of this illusion of control is not about giving up; it's about reawakening your agency. It frees you to focus on the one thing you can control: how you respond to change in the present.

After her parents' death, Rinne was plagued by nightmares and panic attacks, her mind trapped in a cycle of reliving the trauma. Her healing only began when she started to let go of her expectations for the future and accept the uncertainty of her new reality. This superpower involves shifting from predicting to preparing. Instead of trying to guess what will happen, you explore multiple possible scenarios and build the resilience to handle whatever comes your way. By holding the future gently, you can live more fully today and allow a better, more authentic future to emerge.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Flux is that while change is the only constant, our relationship to it is a choice. We cannot stop the waves of change, but we can learn to surf. The book dismantles the outdated belief that success comes from control and stability, and replaces it with a dynamic, human-centered framework built on a Flux Mindset and eight core superpowers. It teaches that true resilience comes not from resisting change, but from leaning into it with curiosity, trust, and a clear sense of self.

The challenge April Rinne leaves us with is to examine the script we are currently living by. Is it one that was written for us, or one we are writing for ourselves? By consciously choosing to run slower, see the invisible, get lost, and let go, we can begin to author a new script—one that is not only better suited for a world in flux, but that ultimately allows us to live a more authentic, connected, and meaningful life.