by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by Alison Innes from Pixabay.)
“What are you thankful for?”
That’s a fairly common question we ask one another–and ourselves–this time of year.
Answers are pretty obvious. The people we love most. (What a blessing to look into the face of someone you love, and see that love beaming back at you.) Good health. The ability to do the creative work we enjoy.
I’m also hugely thankful for the times in which we live.
Our updated times
Even with a pandemic raging, connecting with people worldwide is possible today, through technology. Sharing interests online and getting to connect, is amazing. So is getting to “go” places which our budget would preclude–but which a simple log-in permits.
And so is getting to do lifelong learning.
When I was small, people pretty much looked at school as a period of twelve years. Followed by college, if you were lucky.
After that, you were expected to get a job and be loyal. As in, stay there for decades. And supposedly, “you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks”.
The scary part, of course, was that times change, and people change. What if you chose something that, after a certain amount of time, you might realize wasn’t right for you? Then–you’d be stuck.
That’s another reason I’m thankful today.
The electronic road
While the downside of computers includes privacy concerns, 11 pm contacts from employers and the omnipresent technical issues (including the crash I had just as I started writing this!), the upside includes new opportunities. Many of the obstacles of the past are now history.
Would you like to create media? The barrier of expensive film cameras or recording devices is gone. Or the cost of editors and studios, with the free software available now.
Ready to sell your creative work? Online marketplaces are available.
Writing a book or otherwise sharing your message? Self-publishing and blogging is entirely doable, as are channels such as YouTube and TikTok.
Gone are the “gatekeepers” to whom you had to apply, in the past. And whose “yes” could build a future, but whose “no” could stop your dreams cold.
And finally, there’s the “sea change” in the education field.
(Royalty-free image by Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay.)
With our world evolving so rapidly, you’ll rarely hear anyone claim they can’t learn something new. Free tutorials on YouTube, VR development classes on Unity Learn and online workshops–often free–are just three ways of pursuing interests.
Plus, no reasonable employer today expects–for better or for worse–a decades-long commitment. Two years at one position appears to be a “long” time for younger workers.
Thank goodness for all the changes. And for a world that could potentially become a better one.
(Royalty-free image by Terri Cnudde from Pixabay.)
So, as we celebrate Thanksgiving 2022 in our evolving world, may you have a very happy and healthy holiday, with those you love most.
Now–what are you thankful for?