Old Dog. New Tricks. Possible?

"You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks" - TRUE or FALSE?

You have likely heard that old saying, right? And, maybe like the masses, you have accepted it as TRUTH without really questioning it's validity.

I say that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! But only if ONE key factor is in place. 

And that ONE KEY FACTOR is "motivation". That's right, MOTIVATION. 

Yes, right now, specifically talking about dogs (or ANY pet), if the motivation is strong enough, it IS possible to teach that pet - regardless of age - a new trick. If, however, what you offer as motivation is not a strong enough motivation for that dog (pet), then, guess what? That dog will likely just lie there and give you a "I don't think so!" look. 

And, friend, the same is true for YOU or for anyone that you know - REGARDLESS OF AGE.

For a lot of us that are a little older (I'm 56), the challenge may be with technology. I don't know many that are MY age that have refused to learn how to use some of the new technology available but, I have to admit, I'm not as ready to learn some MORE "new" forms of social interaction as I have been in the past.  But, again, it depends on how strong the motivation is that is connected with the use of that technology.

For example, my mother is 83 years old. She does not own a computer or anything more technical than a "simple" cell phone. And, that's o.k. - don't get me wrong. I was visiting her recently and she was talking about how her younger brother - my Uncle Jerry - knew more about what was going on with her kids (my brothers and sisters) than she did. Why? Because he was connected to all of us through one of the social media sites. I don't really know for sure how much younger he is than my mom, but still, he is one that would be considered older - especially when it comes to technology. 

I don't know who talked him into getting connected the way that he is but, whatever it was, the "motivation" and "desire" was strong enough to get him to work past and through the learning curve along the way.

Maybe for you it's the same thing. Maybe it's just a way for you to keep up with family and friends. Maybe you need to be open to learning new things so that you can learn a new job skill or even have the ability to SEARCH for job opportunities or even just hobbies,  that you can't really access any other way. 

Whatever the reason, IF the "motivation/desire" is strong enough - YOU WILL. 

Perhaps this applies to you in other ways than with technology. Maybe you have some health issues that you need to address and, as a result, you don't have to learn a "new trick" BUT you really need to adapt to a NEW WAY of doing a lot of things. Like eating better or exercising more. It's not easy, especially if you haven't done either of those things in a long time. But again, IF your motivation is strong enough - YOU WILL. 

Let me share another graphic with you that features a quote  by C.S. Lewis...

Have you given up? Let me ask that same question again and put a different emphasis on it - "Have YOU given up?" YOU. Yes, I'm talking to and about YOU!

Hopefully you haven't bought into that lie that you can't "learn new tricks" or that you are too old to follow a new dream. Heck, maybe it's just continuing to follow an "OLD" dream that you've had for many years. YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD!

You know, this idea kind of goes along with my phrase, "As long as there is breath, there is hope."

I don't plan to die with ANY regrets but, at the same time, I hope that, on my death bed, there will STILL be some dreams that I have not yet had the chance to make a reality. I hope I ALWAYS have dreams ahead of me that are motivation enough to keep me moving forward.

Yep. That's just me. 

Now, what about YOU, you "old dog"? 

And, by the way, even if you are not "there" (old dog age) yet...keep this idea in your head and close to your heart and don't you EVER give up!

And, whatever you do, as always, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

Smart Phone Dumb

Don't forget! Today is "Thankful Thursday"...express thanks for all that you have for which to give thanks!

Be sure to listen to today's podcast if you haven't done so already. Although the blog article is on the same topic, I don't use a script so that both are the same word for word. You can follow the podcast here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 .

Well, I finally "gave in" after much refusal and bought a "smart phone" the other day.Why? For one, the phone I have been using is one that I've had since 2006 and, as you know, in technological years, that is a bit out of date and almost obsolete. But, hey, it did what I needed it to do...simply MAKE PHONE CALLS! But, I also have never gotten a new battery for this phone and the battery that is in it has really been weak for some time now. I've "limped along" for the past several months saying that "soon" I would replace it but I still was fighting the idea that I needed to get a phone that would also text, among other things.

It seems that the world around me has gotten so "hooked" on texting that everyone ASSUMES that I am able to text from my phone. I'm not sure how many times I've had people say to me, "I'll just text that to you" to which I would have to tell them - much to their surprise - that I did not test.

NOT ANYMORE! This old dog is learning new tricks and, due to some phone companies now offering flat "unlimited" rates that is as cheap as my "calling minutes only" plan with a major carrier - I caved and bought the smart phone.

I don't feel any smarter, though. As a matter of fact, as I have been working on getting this "smart phone" set up I actually feel DUMBER! But that's o.k. I didn't buy the phone to put on the appearance of being "smart". But, my guess is that there are many people in this world that have done just that...bought some phone or other gadget in hopes that it would make them appear to be "smart".

Guess what. It didn't.

I've come across so many people that complain about being "broke" and "barely getting by" and on and on while sporting one of these expensive-plan "smart phones" at a cost of $100 or more each month to have the privilege of doing a lot of nothing. (By the way - another pet peeve of mine is this: if you have one of these things PLEASE learn to PUT THAT THING DOWN around other people!).

How is it "smart" to have to try to scrape money together for something that you could get for a lot less with a lot less of the "bells and whistles" on it? Friends, I don't care who you are - that is NOT smart!

So, a "smart phone" won't make you smart or even LOOK smart. Neither will "fake glasses", a certain kind of computer, tablet, car or name brand of clothes. Nope. Not one bit.

As I get older I realize that what really makes a person smart is how they live based on what they have learned. What they have learned from others and what they have learned by living life. A person is smart that has learned that this world does NOT revolve around them and that we can ALL learn something from each other along the way.

A person is smart who, after such observation as was just discussed, has learned to treat people with kindness and respect and, for those who have not learned these lessons yet and "push our buttons" by their own selfish behavior - to sometimes learn to bite our tongues and try to help guide them along the way.

A smart person will not always feel the need to TELL you but will often rather SHOW you by example.

A smart person will be slow to judge because they realize that they, themselves, are an unfinished project.

How "smart" are you? How is THIS "education" coming along?

In case you didn't know, school for THIS education is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and it is being held wherever you are at any given time.

Enjoy. Learn. Grow. Strive to become "smarter" each and every day and, as you do so, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike