So, I am the one that always blogs about advances in technology and how everyone should do their best to keep up with the changes. So this blog may come as a bit of surprise since I'm about to question the need for the newest technology gadget.
This year, Amazon.com has called the Kindle the "#1 Best Selling, #1 Most Wished For, and #1 most Gifted Product on Amazon". It is titled the ultimate gift. Don't believe me? Check out the homepage yourself and see the countdown rolling on "time left to order Kindle" to get free shipping for Christmas! It makes the book I bought my best friend (that I know she'll LOVE) look a little inadequate. Or does it?
I hate to say it, but doesn't it seem a little ridiculous? Are we really so advanced that the thought of reading a book that's not on an electronic screen seems outdated? Don't get me wrong, I definitely get the fact that it's flashy and convenient and much easier than searching through a line of shelves for the book you want. But when does convenience start disguising what might just be down-right laziness?
I guess that idea can be applied to many other types of technology. I'm not trying to attack all the advances that we have grown accustomed to (remember, I usually write my praises about them). I just thought for once I would sit back and take a different perspective on things. Newspapers, books, magazines, journals... they're dropping like flies everywhere. It really has become so much easier to find the information you need or want through simple technology. If you need proof, just go to newspaperdeathwatch.com to see for yourself. I don't even remember a time where I actually had to go to the library to write a research paper. Truthfully, I would write it with the information I found online in no time... then I would spend hours in the library trying to find a book to "reference" to fulfill my professor's requirements (Sorry, Professor Schuester J).
Don't ask me why I all of a sudden think the Kindle has taken things too far. I guess I just love reading a good old fashioned book. Snuggling up next to a warm fire with my Kindle just doesn't have the same feel. And on that note, the fancy shmancy Kindle can be destroyed in a fire (or water or any other damaging effect) just as easily as a book can. At least my book won't run out of battery.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other wolf however, is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
I heard this story years ago and it always seems to stick with me when times seem tough. Everyone has trials and tribulations to overcome. Whether it is having a death in the family or getting laid off. We all go through good and bad times. It is the way we overcome our trials that show our true character. Sometimes we allow our weaknesses to be our downfall rather than using them to our advantage. I once heard of a man who got laid off from his job and had a family to support. With no luck on finding a job, the man went to the corner of a busy intersection with a sign that read, "Will work for food". People who passed tried to give him money but he wouldn't accept it. Instead, he told people he wanted a job. The CEO of a company nearby caught wind of this man's story and hired him the next day proving that no matter what we are going through, it is how you react and overcome your trials that defines who you are and what you will become.
There are two types of people in this world: the ones that "feed their bad wolf" and the ones who "feed their good wolf". It is those who persevere through the tough times that we always seem to find intriguing. We sometimes ask ourselves "what is the secret to happiness?" I don't believe there is a secret. I believe those who don't look past the obstacle to find the light will forever be in the dark; they will never truly be happy with themselves. You must be content with yourself to find true happiness and success in life. We all have two wolves in us; the one we feed will determine who we are.
Tough times never last, but tough people do
Felicia Cienfuegos, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory." -Gen. George S. Patton
When visiting family in Lubbock a few weekends ago, we stopped to visit the Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial. As I walked up to the memorial the very first thing I saw was the above quote by General Patton. I began to think about what this quote truly means...not just for war...but for business. Many companies possess every tool made for success, however, tend to forget that the people behind the tools are the essential piece of the puzzle.
Now you may be questioning why I would write a blog against the tools in business as we provide them as a service at Unified360. Honestly, I find this quote true because it shows that you need BOTH tools and the right people behind the tools in business. I have been around business my entire life and have seen some succeed and some fail miserably. It always comes down to two things: the company didn't feel the need to invest in the right tools and they didn't think it was important to invest in the right people. The latter tends to be the most challenging in businesses as it takes a specific person to fit each role at a company, as well as a certain amount of money to keep them there. Tools on the other hand can be placed in pretty much any environment.
It's the people behind the innovation that enables success. Yes, we provide tools that help companies run better and more efficiently, but we depend on the right people in the right places to put them there. Companies without innovative, progressive thinkers will fail. The tools can be provided but without the right people to fight with them, the battle will be lost.
Kimberly Kelly, Marketing Director
Unified360
Two years ago, as a member of The Dad's Club, I had the opportunity to help my twin daughter's school raise funds for Elmo's for their classrooms. For those of you who do not know (like me), an
Elmo is a more advanced overhead projector. As we went from business to business asking for sponsorships and donations, I wondered if our two Saturdays devoted to fund raising would pay off. About three months later, it did, and they were able to put Elmo's in their classrooms. I also wondered how effective these would be in helping them learn. To this very day, my daughters still talk about those Elmo's and how the teachers and students use them in class.
As technology continues to make its way into the consumer market with mobile phones and PDA's reaching the 10 year old youth these days, we will see more and more technology in our education system. Today, for instance, schools are spending more of their budgets on telepresence (video conferencing) for distance learning, collaborative conferencing solutions for sharing interactive presentations and videos throughout the campus, and wireless technology allowing students and faculty to work online from any location on campus.
In the small town where I grew up in Central Texas, high school students are now given laptops. Isn't it strange that my high school is giving out laptops and I bought my first computer when I was a senior in college? How times have changed... what else could be coming to help today's youth and tomorrow's business people?
Jim Barker, CEO
Unified360