When this image first landed on my phone via a Whatsapp group, as a sarcastic take on the state on the lives of a few people, it evoked a chuckle as some smart images do. After all, aren’t these triumvirate narratives dominating connected lives?!
- Do you have Wifi connectivity?
- How good is bandwidth?
- How strong is your battery?
These questions hold answers that determine how good a connected experience is going to be! So much so, these have become hygiene.
But in minutes, something else happened. A metaphor jumped out from the image. Arent these very good pointers to determine life success in itself, in the new connected world and beyond? These were perhaps relevant even when technology didnt become a mainstay in our lives.
Many years ago, I recall reading Stephen Covey’s “Clock & Compass” metaphor. The Compass gives direction and the clock helps us stay the course on time. It is a powerful metaphor. That metaphor continue to be timeless and relevant.
Perhaps a new age kid will see more meaning in Wifi, Bandwidth and Battery than in the Clock and the Compass! Perhaps. That brings me to the questions that we perhaps need to ask ourselves in the connected world and beyond.
a. Wifi is magical, isnt it? It helps you stay mobile, yet stay connected to the whole world. A gateway to the far seas and near lands. A better connection means a far better experience.
A network of people being more powerful than individual nodes has emerged as not only an oft repeated narrative, it is simply too powerful a narrative to miss. Staying connected to this network, cultivating relationships through conversations and exchange is so key. Perhaps it is time to take a pause and ask the Question #1: “What am I doing to build connections? Perhaps the question has a different ring to it if worded “Why must the people that I seek to connect to, at all care about connecting with me?”
b. Bandwidth is a factor that determines the quality of most online experiences. The internet bandwidth and also the capabilities of the device to process all the bandwidth. Amongst the many downsides of the connected world, the surfeit of data and stimuli that come our way, ranks amongst the highest. Am I connected to the right folks across boundaries? People who live at the intersection of generosity, expertise and learning.
Increasingly, the inner bandwidth to process these has become so key. Cutting through all the noise outside and inside and being able to recognize patters and living fully in the moment is so key! Self awareness and the ability to dig deep beyond easy surface level awareness distinguishes the outstanding leader from the average one. Question #2: So, when was the last time I invested in increasing network and processing bandwidth? What did I do?
c. The third aspect is the sheer energy to go on and on! The world is a small place and it never stops. To engage in this kind of a world requires energy levels of the highest order. A healthy diet, physical exercise, and sufficient rest are all important components to keep our batteries charged over sustained periods of time. A poor battery life can bring to naught any and all advantage that may come from strong connectivity and good bandwidth! Question #3: What am I doing to keep my energy levels up?
Someone said, if you don’t practice good habits consciously, the bad ones creep in unconsciously. If our lives don’t have significant plans for each of the three questions, we may not miss the opportunity of thriving in the new networked era, we perhaps are setting ourselves up for disaster.
The next time, these symbols show up on your device, remember to ask yourself how you, the person holding the device is faring on these!
There are a zillion things that you do, that could serve as an inspiration to someone to get start and it would be lovely if you could share. Would love to hear.