Technology is great – until it’s not. . .

I’ve noticed that every now and then, my phone refuses to receive texts – important texts – and it seems a random phenomenon. I’ve checked – the number isn’t blocked. If I attempt an actual phone call, that goes through without difficulty, but texts seem to be a recurring problem!

Other technology glitches can mess up your day as well. Here are several that have happened in MY life in recent weeks:

• The 200-pound appliance whose delivery never gets successfully scheduled – it just appears on the porch!
• The text from my dentist’s office that reminds me to take an antibiotic but fails to alert the pharmacy to prepare a prescription for me.
• The beeping alert in my car that (suddenly) began reminding me to check the back seat for my toddler (so I wouldn’t leave them alone in the car) – I have a toddler?
• The television alert that appears on the screen in the middle of the suspense movie saying, “We’re having technical difficulties, please stand by” – right!

We all love our technology, until we don’t.

Many times, especially in recent years, I’ve threatened to become a Luddite – not an easy achievement in the 21^st century. People do it, but not without cutting ties with a whole lot of people who wonder where they’ve gone. It’s a difficult and very messy choice to make.

But then I think, what would I do without technology? How would I:

• Stay in touch with all of you each week?
• Give potential clients access to my calendar for consultation calls?
• Get my cat back when she escapes from home? (Thankfully, she’s “chipped”)
• Order those “special products” I can’t buy in my local stores? (Like the only kibble my diva eats)
• Know whether the hailstorm is headed my way or is likely to hit another neighborhood instead?

We’ve all become deeply dependent on our technology, and that can be both a GOOD thing, and a bad thing. Because technology is great – until it’s not. . .

What else have we become dependent on that is likely to fail us? 

Three things come to mind. . .

• The notion that our thoughts & the emotions they generate are “right” – all too often, they’re not. We come up with an idea (a thought) and that kicks us straight into an emotional windstorm, only to discover (hours, maybe days later) that our thinking was erroneous. Oops!
• The presumption that when we ARE “right” that this is the most important thing! We’ll back ourselves into deep-seated arguments over our right to be right, failing to recognize that being “right” isn’t always to our benefit. Sometimes, being loved is more important than being right.
• The belief that my perspective on the world is the only defensible one. Which leaves me with little room for understanding other people – not a healthy predicament. Unless I can listen to other ideas, other ways of seeing the world, I’m destined to keep people away who might have something to teach me – about the world, even about myself.

What are you depending on to steer your thinking, guide your decisions or help you find your way that may be as “glitchy” as your temperamental GPS? It might be important to evaluate your belief systems. Where are they serving you well, and where are they leading you astray?

That’s what a good coach does. S/he/they invite you to question the things you take for granted. Coaching allows you to step back from “the way you’ve always seen things” and examine the world from a new perspective. Coaching offers a safe space for exploring your options, your deepest desires, your best strategies to reach them. Coaching helps you clarify what you really want and helps you set realistic goals that can help you achieve those outcomes.

Life isn’t always as predictable as we’d like it to be. When your life becomes unpredictable, remember you can always let me know and we can make time for coaching to get things back on track.