By Francis J. Kong
(The Philippine Star)
Updated January 22, 2012
I
love pens. I have lots of them. I have lost a lot of them too. Most
pens I lost due to personal negligence. Other times, and I know it’s
happened to you too, someone would borrow my pen and not return it.
I love pens mainly because writing for me is an art. I speak a lot
and I write a lot. But because most of my “writing” is now done using
the keyboard of my laptop or tablet,
my penmanship has greatly deteriorated.
Before there were personal
computers, my penmanship was already bad. Today, it has gotten worst.
Sometimes, I could not even read my own handwriting! Thank God for
business associates who could decipher the chicken scratches that is
penmanship.
Technology and the speed at which it’s developing drive
people insane. Some catch up well, others are trying their best, and
still others have given up altogether. One businessman said, “you’ve
become a computer freak when you spend half your plane trip with your laptop on your lap and your child in the overhead baggage compartment.”
Things around us are constantly changing, and technology is driving
that change. We used to ask, “are you an introvert or are you an
extrovert?” Today we ask, “are you an Iphone or an Android?”
There was a time when technology was only for the geeks. Now
technology is shaping all of us and altering the way we live. Today,
saying, “I don’t even know how to do email. I get my people to do that
for me,” is like saying, “I still don’t know how to use my legs. I have
other people to walk for me.”
For a digital immigrant like me, it takes a lot of humility to admit
the truth that I am a “zero” when it comes to technology. That’s why I
depend on young people to teach me all about technology. But I think
there’s no such thing as “becoming a technology expert”, because
changes and developments happen so fast – too fast for anyone to be an
expert in everything. Whenever one gets to the point of really
understanding a computer or a technology, most likely it has already
gone obsolete.
But to learn technology we must. And businesses that do not invest in it will fall behind competitors who do.
I meet up with a group of extremely talented young people who are
teaching me what I need to learn about technology. They ask me for
business and general life advice, and I have them teach me a thing or two about the latest technology that can enhance my work performance. We have such a great time, and I am learning so much from them.
I also meet up with a group of extremely successful and godly
businessmen. They teach me lessons I could never pick up from any
business book. They teach me about business, and also how to know God
more and live my life correctly. It takes a lot of humility on my part
to admit I don’t know much.
I am actually learning an important life lesson here. And it has something to do with the wise words of Gordon H. Taggart:
I wish I were honest enough to admit all my shortcomings:
– brilliant enough to accept flattery without it making me arrogant;
– tall enough to tower above deceit;
– strong enough to treasure love;
– brave enough to welcome criticism;
– compassionate enough to understand human frailties;
– wise enough to recognize my mistakes;
– humble enough to appreciate greatness;
– staunch enough to stand by my friends;
– human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;
– and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God.
And may I add just one more thought: “…modest enough to learn more from both the old and the young.”
We all need a lot of humility to improve and a lot of discipline to become better.
No comments:
Post a Comment