Week 11 – How to keep up with technology (and other crazy life changes)
For six months I was annoyed by the message that kept popping up on my TV:
Time to upgrade your equipment, please click here to order.
Our cable box was more than ten years old but every time the invitation to upgrade came on the screen, I hit cancel and continued watching my show.
I don’t want to have to deal with setting up new equipment, I thought to myself. I already know how to use what we have, so why create problems.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
That was until the message showed up one day last week and in my haste to delete it, I mistakenly pushed the wrong button and launched the order process.
And erased my DVR library of saved shows.
Frustrated and upset, I gave in and reluctantly completed the order. Within two days, a big box magically appeared on my front steps just as our handyman, Larry, came to visit.
“I’ll get that set up for you in no time,” he said as he headed for the living room.
He had the equipment working within fifteen minutes.
Later that night, when I picked up the new remote to turn on the TV (expecting to slog through the process of learning a new system), I was surprised to discover that the remote had a voice-activated button. I could simply tell the TV what channel to turn to, what to record, or what program to find, and it would do so immediately, correctly, and easily.
No more messing with buttons or going through multiple steps. Just ask for what you want and get it.
Who knew?
(Ok, I imagine I might sound like a dinosaur to some of you who have been using this technology for a while ).
After finding favorite shows within seconds and setting up new recordings, I shut the TV off and sat in the living room, thinking about the symbolism of this experience.
This wasn’t just a cable equipment issue, it was about my resistance to change. I thought about how I had labored over whether or not to try Facebook Live because I assumed it would be too complicated and, when I finally did use it, discovered it was a wonderful new way to connect with my online community.
It’s so easy to want to maintain status quo given how quickly technology is changing our lives. I still remember eight-track tapes, don’t you?
But this week I realized how beneficial and important it is to upgrade my inner technology so I can embrace change with open arms (or at least an open mind ).
Think about it.
A resistance to change is a resistance to life itself.
Where else might you make things easier by embracing change, too?
Video of the Week
Here’s a beautiful, empowering message for International Women’s Day. This is a must-watch video. You can see it, here. Thanks, Nanna !