It is amazing how quickly our work has evolved in such a short period of time. I came across the following animated GIF on social media the other day (it was originally produced as a video by the team at BestReviews) and it encapsulates this change perfectly. What struck me most is how so much of our lives have been reduced down to one tiny (very powerful) machine.
For me this change has been incredibly liberating. Quite simply, I need less “stuff.” When I went back to school in 2011, I hauled an apartment full of things from Washington DC up to Boston. As my lifestyle changed, however, I realized that I didn’t really need all of it. Since then, I have been on a downsizing kick, trying to reduce my footprint and attachments to materials things. (It has also made me exceedingly difficult to shop for during the Holidays.)
Reducing my reliance on the physical, has allowed me to refocus my energy on relationships and experiences. It has allowed me to invest in myself and others, rather than investing in things. As a result, I have found life to be far more fulfilling than ever before.
How about you? How has technology changed your life for the better? How have you learned to focus less on things and more on people?
Pb 