We live in a time where we want everything right now. Even those of us that grew up with dial up internet first, have now forgotten how long that process took and how easily it dropped out in the middle of what we were doing. You could wait almost 5mins to actually get online in those days and pages could take equally as long to load up. Initially, the fact we even had the ability to do these things was so amazing that we hardly noticed the time it took. Or at least we didn't notice for a few days or weeks. Then, like most things, the amazement wore off and it needed to be faster.
We now have fiberoptic broadband along with other tools, that mean we can click a button and see content instantly, not in 5mins, right now.
So you'd think we'd be very pleased with this? But we aren't.
You see the faster it has become has only helped speed up our impatience, frustration and our anger. Our expectations have been raised and when they aren't met we explode. We want everything right now.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not preaching as someone that hasn't experienced this and isn't guilty of this very behaviour. What I am saying is that I'm in a postion of awareness about this behaviour in myself and it's only when you are truly aware of what you are doing and decide that you don't like it, that you can make a conscious decision to try and change.
I had a lovely Barbecue with some friends this weekend and my friends wife and I were discussing behaviours related to this along with Maslows Heirachy of needs. For those of you that aren't aware of it it may be best to have a quick look on the internet for more info. In short, Maslows Heirachy of needs is often displayed as a Pyramid, with the most fundamental levels of human needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top.
The most important part of this for me is as follows. Those at the top of the Pyramid are not immune to the same issues that all of us in the world may have to deal with. What seperates them is the way they choose to deal with them. Self actualization merely involves achieveing ones potential.
My own Father died several weeks ago from me writing this today. So just like everyone else that has a Mother and Father, I'm not able to avoid the inevitable loss of that person. I have lost loved ones, lost jobs, money and various other things throughout my life. I will have more things to lose in the future as well. I'm not able to prevent the loss of some of these things, such as life itself. But some of the things I have lost I could have prevented or influenced in some way.
We've somewhat moved away from the title of this article so you may be asking what my point is and how it relates to the rush to get everything now?
Firstly we need to become aware of our behaviour and identify whether it is having a negative impact on our lives, or on those that we care for around us. The odd short lived rant can sometimes be just what we need to release the built up negative energy within us, which is positive. It becomes negative, if this energy stays with us and is carried across to those around us. They become the object of missplaced anger and frustration.
Secondly, be aware. Know thyself, as Socrates and many others said. It's easy to look at someone else's behaviour and make comments and judgements about what they are doing, and how ridiculous they are behaving while throwing their mouse or keyboard across the room. Yet being able to identify the same behaviour within ourselves and look to change it seems very hard to some of us. So try and become more aware of all your feelings, and look on them as if you are looking at yourself through anothers eyes, or from the corner of the room looking down.
Thirdly, change isn't as difficult as people make it out to be. Change can be the easy part. The difficult part is the first step which is above. The first is identifying that there is a problem and what the isuue really is and being able to take responsibilty.
Fourth and final one. Time is precious, but we waste our anger and frustration on the wrong things. Most of you would gladly give all the time you've spent screaming at the PC screen up, to have that extra time with someone you care about. So spend a little extra time with those you love and less wasted time screaming at the traffic in front of you.
Once you have lost time, it's gone, so focus more about the time you have ahead and less time on that which has passed which can't be changed.