Change....
This is a little off-topic from what I've been posting the past couple of weeks, but I think that it's so vital to our jobs as technicians that it deserves more attention.
Change, and the graceful management of change by both individuals and management itself, has always been harped on by those who are "progressive" or whatever you may want to call them. Much as I don't like associating myself with "progressives", I can't say I'm much different. Of all the things in life, change is by far the most consistent. Perhaps that's a dumb statement because it's so obvious (and cliché), but it's true. You can tell a lot about someone's character and life by how they handle change--whether they do so with thought and optimism, or blindness and negativity.
Without trying to bring in a lot of personal experiences into this, I'd like to make a few statements: I'm 21-year-old male and almost done with college. Perhaps that's a disclaimer in and of itself, but I'm predisposed to change. I grew up with computers, I grew up tearing things apart to see how it worked and putting it back together. I have an inquisitive mind, and that drives a lot of why I do what I do. I want to know everything about everything. I don't right now, and I know that's an impossible goal, but I'm doing the best I can. But that's the mindset I have. If we can something better, faster, more efficiently and more effectively--then why not? Making things better is motivation itself, regardless of how we achieve that or how time-consuming it may be.
That being said, everything needs to be done in moderation and within reason. But that does not mean that you stick with outdated, antiquated technology simply because it's easy and familiar! Make the best use of the resources you have and adapt with the times. In fact, my definition of success is based on doing the best you can with what you have and not complaining about what you don't have. Humans, as a species, are highly intelligent and have huge capacity for innovation and creativity. Let's not let our resources go to waste and be and do the best with what we've got. We really have no choice if we want to be fulfilled as a person.
While there are much higher authorities to define happiness, I would like to take a small example from our Declaration of Independence. Our country was founded on the unailenable rights "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Regardless of how you would like to interpret the "pursuit of happiness" I find it interesting the word that is used: "pursuit". Pursuit implies action, it implies change and a striving for something that you do not have that is better than what you have right now. It does not imply greed or taking advantage of someone, but an honest and positive change for everyone to something better.
Bringing our Declaration of Independence into this discussion may seem like a stretch--and I'll agree that it is to some extent. However, the point behind it is the principle: fulfillment and happiness requires change. If we, as technicians and the ones who are more or less leading the way into the future with the implementation of technology, are not able to adapt and change and be prime examples of accepting optimistic change, what does that say for us, and even more, our future?
Change, and the graceful management of change by both individuals and management itself, has always been harped on by those who are "progressive" or whatever you may want to call them. Much as I don't like associating myself with "progressives", I can't say I'm much different. Of all the things in life, change is by far the most consistent. Perhaps that's a dumb statement because it's so obvious (and cliché), but it's true. You can tell a lot about someone's character and life by how they handle change--whether they do so with thought and optimism, or blindness and negativity.
Without trying to bring in a lot of personal experiences into this, I'd like to make a few statements: I'm 21-year-old male and almost done with college. Perhaps that's a disclaimer in and of itself, but I'm predisposed to change. I grew up with computers, I grew up tearing things apart to see how it worked and putting it back together. I have an inquisitive mind, and that drives a lot of why I do what I do. I want to know everything about everything. I don't right now, and I know that's an impossible goal, but I'm doing the best I can. But that's the mindset I have. If we can something better, faster, more efficiently and more effectively--then why not? Making things better is motivation itself, regardless of how we achieve that or how time-consuming it may be.
That being said, everything needs to be done in moderation and within reason. But that does not mean that you stick with outdated, antiquated technology simply because it's easy and familiar! Make the best use of the resources you have and adapt with the times. In fact, my definition of success is based on doing the best you can with what you have and not complaining about what you don't have. Humans, as a species, are highly intelligent and have huge capacity for innovation and creativity. Let's not let our resources go to waste and be and do the best with what we've got. We really have no choice if we want to be fulfilled as a person.
While there are much higher authorities to define happiness, I would like to take a small example from our Declaration of Independence. Our country was founded on the unailenable rights "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Regardless of how you would like to interpret the "pursuit of happiness" I find it interesting the word that is used: "pursuit". Pursuit implies action, it implies change and a striving for something that you do not have that is better than what you have right now. It does not imply greed or taking advantage of someone, but an honest and positive change for everyone to something better.
Bringing our Declaration of Independence into this discussion may seem like a stretch--and I'll agree that it is to some extent. However, the point behind it is the principle: fulfillment and happiness requires change. If we, as technicians and the ones who are more or less leading the way into the future with the implementation of technology, are not able to adapt and change and be prime examples of accepting optimistic change, what does that say for us, and even more, our future?
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