“There are people who live their whole lives on the default settings never realising you can customise”. – Robert Brault.
Welcome, this bright Monday morning, this weekend I was away from home which meant I had time to reflect and think about life; how we live it and what we do with it. My question is are you living in default or are you customised?
I have owned a few computers in my day, and when I buy them, they usually come in what is referred to as a default mode. What this means is they come configured to function effectively and deliver optimally, but they are at what we call factory settings; every computer comes in that mode.
The reason our computers come in this mode is because manufacturers recognise that because they don’t live or work with us, they cannot send us computers that already have work history or pattern in them. Their hope and expectation is that as we have purchased the computer, we will go back home or to our work life and begin to fill it with whatever we want to indicate our life, story and history.
Some computers upon reaching their final destination are practically changed in outlook forever. Depending on who is using them, the screen saver changes, software is loaded on to allow the owner function based on the story their life is writing and much more.
You open one and a burst of colour hits you, and another a desktop so ordered and detailed is what you see. Each computer represents the life of its owner and how they are living it.
Our lives also come to us in default mode; we are configured to function effectively and deliver optimal results, however, it is up to us to decide what we will do with the blank canvass we have received. Some of us write stories so beautiful the world is better. Others customise to bring crashes; and yet others customise to affect the way others think and act. What they all have in common is that they are making an attempt to customise. Sadly a whole lot more take their computers and lives home and never know what they have the capacity to do.
The customised life starts with a curious mind. How curious are you about what your life can do? Do you know how far you can bend without breaking? Have you any idea how far you can reach out and touch? You will only know the answers to these questions if you take the time to question the capacity of your life and how far it can go or do.
To customise, here are a few things you may want to consider:
1. Admit you don’t know it all.
2. Figure out what you don’t know.
3. Decide what you need to know in the moment.
4. Commit to learn what you don’t know.
5. Put together a plan to learn what you don’t know.
6. Apply what you learn.
7. Measure your growth based on your new learning.
8. Repeat the process over and over again.
Friends the life we are called to is colourful, action packed and impact full. But you can only experience it all if you take the time to understand the computer you have been given and then figure out how you want to customise it to suit your gifts, personality and passion.
An endless life is what we are promised; even though one day we die, we are called to live a life that keeps giving and that begins with customising to suit your call and preference.
Default mode is for the benefit of the manufacturer, customised is for the benefit of the consumer. Is your life still in default mode? You can change that today, just commit to a learning process and curve that works for you.
Last week I wrote this on my Facebook wall;
“They said my dreams were too insignificant to matter, and they might just be right. The thing however is, I owe it to myself to find out if they are. The only way I can do that is to keep dreaming and living my dream; if in the end they are right, at least I can tell myself I did my best”.
Till next time, remember that even if your customised version is too insignificant to matter, at least the manufacturer will be pleased that you made the effort; and by the way, no customisation is ever insignificant; because it alters the outlook of the default setting.
You will make it NeverTheLess.
Here is to your success!
Bidemi