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Can you imagine change as a way of life? Trekking into the unknown is where we are right now. We have never been where we are going.
It is hard for many people to believe that everything changes. But what if ambiguity is delicious?
Think about it, we believed that the post office was the central hub for our mail until the Internet fully materialized. And some people saw email as magical, while some were still in love with writing and mailing letters. There was a joy in also receiving a letter.
But then again, texting changed everything as it was immediate communication and not as intense as a phone call.
There was a time when we called people without having to schedule it on our calendar. The phone would ring and we answered; not knowing who was calling as there was no call display. We also memorized phone numbers at a time when half the world did not even have landlines (phones).
Mobile changed everything. It also made us a bit less spontaneous in connecting with people because calls were now scheduled and programmed. Our calendars were full of meetings but not always rich conversation and dialogue. And then, we were so important that we created call waiting because we would need to interrupt a call to see if someone more important was calling us.
We had real social networks in the late 1970s and early 1980s with bulletin boards like The Well and platforms like CompuServe. People connected based on what we cared about and dialogue was what connected us across the globe. But with commercialization and the big (AOL) swallowing the small (CompuServe) everything changed again. Social networks became advertising and broadcasting platforms. And AOL bought Time Warner for $162 billion. We simply got lost in translation and hype.
We forgot that we are in charge of our lives. And that the programming will continue to stream but what and who we consume is up to us when we are discerning.
At a recent small town comedy club, the comedian asked the local audience, “Where do you go for your news in this part of the country?”
And someone yelled out, “We go within.”
And the comedian said, “I guess I am not in LA anymore.”
In this community, few people consume the media’s news programming.
Where Are We Headed?
Before becoming popular or mainstream, all of these technologies and platforms started with a few people. Many of us who were system operators on CompuServe still remember our numbers and IDs. Because at that time, we were a number.
Many of us no longer want the next big thing or hype in our life. If 3D printing impacts our lives, we might care about it. But technologies that matter will be about the integration and value they bring into our lives and communities.
We don’t want solutions because we are no longer in the business of solving problems. We want opportunities and experiences that allow us to trek into the unknown.
As we become more discerning about the choices we make and who we give our attention to, we become aware how technology can support us; not drive our lives.
Maybe ancient technologies like dinner conversations need to make a come back? And maybe we add a device to the table so someone who is not physically located with us can join us in deep dialogue?
So much is possible when we look at the interface of humanity and technologies and the value of deep connection and interaction. Spontaneity is a spark that we ignite and no technology can replace.
Trekking into the unknown means we experiment and play with possibilities. We go inside ourselves to know what is going on instead of turning on the news and learning about the calamity of the day.
Imagine technology enabling creation pods of eight people passionate about bringing an idea to life through experimentation. There is rich questioning, dialogue, dreaming, experimenting, imagining and creation of what is possible. Like technologies, not all dreams will materialize. And that’s ok because we get to practice the process of creation and building trusted community together. We have a long way to go when it comes to sharing, collaboration and true co-creation.
And this is why trust, relationships and community are the cornerstones of the 21st century. We can no longer exist in a transactional world when we want a meaningful existence.
While marketers continue to dish out fads, meaning making is becoming more and more important to conscious creators on the planet. Imagine spreading love through our creations and creating healthy systems that serve us. I do.
Change as a way of life is available to each of us. How easy or hard it is depends on our mindset and ability to listen to our hearts.
Related: What Gets Our Attention Rules Us