Choosing what rules to live by is a crucial part of one's destiny. On a recent trip to South America I was introduced to the Inca culture and was taken by the powerful, but simple rules of that civilization.

Inca rules: Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t be lazy.
Inca values: Knowledge, Love, Hard Work.

If you think about it, these values and rules sort of encompass all other rule books by all religions and cultures. And, not only did the Incas have their values and rules down to a science, their architecture and engineering feats are still to be revered.

Amazingly the structures built by the Incas are still standing. Some were toppled by the invading Spanish conquistadors, but then modern churches were built on those foundations, and the modern churches have been felled several times with earth movement, only to have those Incan foundations still standing so the modern can be rebuilt. Sewers, water supply in cities – all things that were engineered by the Incans. Some systems are still operational today.

In these troubled times, it seems that if we adapted the Inca values and the Inca rules then the world would be a better place. If we adapted the Inca engineering and architectural rules, then powerful, unexpected earth movement would be just another event, and cities would not have to be rebuilt following quakes.

What is the marketing message in this reverie? If it works, why break it? Just build on the strengths and adapt to new ideas using what already works. It really is not necessary to tear anything down to start over. Sometimes new things can come from using old foundations, or old structures and building on them.