From feeling worthless to being priceless.

One skill set can have different applications.

Every device has circuits that keep it functioning and needs some type of power to operate. For us, devices are our skill sets.

We can use them for our own convenience, let others use them, or to communicate with others.

Every device known to man starts with the user. You’re either using your devices optimally, wasting them, or letting someone else use them.

Certain devices can only be used for one thing like light bulbs are used for light. Or how a printer can be used to print.

Productive use of a device is based on what you use it for though like what you use a lightbulb to shed light on, or what you use a printer to print.

Technology is advanced by how people use devices to improve other devices for the use of themselves and or other people. This is no different than how you use your skills to improve yourself and advance other’s lives.

“Intelligence is a fixed goal with variable means of achieving it.” — William James.

If your overall goal is to advance in life the emphasis should be placed on the uses of the device instead of the device itself.

A device like a smartphone can access different apps. In the same way, one skill set can have different applications.

Although people can use one set of skills for multiple goals they often stop advancing when they fail to use it the way that they want to.

This is like throwing away your phone because one app doesn’t work without checking if any other ones work or checking for updates.

An ex-athlete may quit sports altogether because they didn’t make it as far as they wanted. This may cause them to throw away the skills that they used to play sports instead of figuring out how they can apply them in different areas.

Meanwhile, another ex-athlete may use their experience to apply their mindset, vision, or passion to write a book, coach, write a blog, etc.

Using one skill set to connect to different opportunities is metaphorically like downloading multiple apps on one device.

However, when it comes to skills people fail to transfer them and redirect their lust for life with it. Although each app may have different settings they’re only minor adjustments on the device.

Like life, most people only focus on up-to-date devices, that have good images and are easy to use. The majority of people don’t make room for more apps because they focus on the ones that everyone else is using.

Others focus on getting as many apps as they can, but end up just wasting space. The clueless just use their devices just to play games.

“The power of man’s learning is to be measured, not by the quantity he knows, but by the quality of his knowledge.” — William Ellery Channing.

The masses don’t understand the potential of their devices and end up wasting them. The device is more important than the apps.

Like electronic devices, when most people get bored with their skills they’d rather replace them than repair them.

When you feel your device is no longer working or is outdated doesn’t mean it’s worthless. In the same way, apps on our devices evolve and improve over time, our skill sets need constant attention and development.

Some people never update their devices and get frustrated when old apps don’t work.

The skill of effective communication for instance can be utilized for teaching, selling, persuading, and many other purposes. The specific way that the skillset is used depends on the settings.

Let’s use teaching as an example.

The way we learn is constantly changing, and new teaching methods are being developed all the time. If a teacher fails to keep up with the latest research on students, they may not be able to engage their class and help them learn effectively.

At the lowest level, a teacher can communicate a topic clearly but still fail in terms of getting their class to test well. They may teach based on data, and facts without considering how different the new students learn.

An average teacher will continue teaching how they think things should be done while an advanced teacher will learn to communicate in a way that their class can store the information.

Understanding that their device of communication must be applied in different ways is the pathway to success.

“It is impossible to progress without change, and those who do not change their minds cannot change anything” — George Bernard Shaw.

Consider two individuals, Alex and Sarah, who both possess the same devices. Alex and Sarah both have smartphones in the same color, the same year, and the same service.

However, they experience vastly different outcomes due to the apps they install and how they manage their storage.

Alex gets updates regularly and Sarah doesn’t. Since she doesn’t get the updates she can’t use the new apps.

She feels like she is only using a few apps and does not see the need to try any new ones, despite having the capacity to do so. Over time she can’t download any new apps and her old ones no longer work.

Eventually, she has to either get a new device or delete all of her old apps to update. This highlights how people often stop advancing by doing the bare minimum and end up wasting space.

People and businesses fail to advance because they don’t apply their skills to new systems. Life is constantly changing and the users need to know to operate on the same network.

Doctors need to know new medicines, models need to know new trends, lawyers need to know new laws, etc.

People like Sarah constantly get new devices to use the same apps they had on their last one. Although she feels she got an upgrade she never sees a change.

Sarah works at a job for a while unaware of what they offer in terms of benefits, education reimbursement, etc. She gets sick of the job and eventually leaves because she feels she deserves more.

However, she treats her job like her cell phone, they constantly add perks that she doesn’t check or notice. She only wants the look of an upgrade, despite the costs.

Meanwhile, someone like Alex with the same device as Sarah is constantly getting the most from his device. He downloads new apps, gets updates, and he manages his storage.

When an app no longer works or serves him he deletes it to make space for a new one. He checks with his managers and uses his perks.

He uses tuition reimbursement and although he can get paid more for the same jobs elsewhere he’s aware that his alternatives lack the same perks.

He stays at the job, gets extra education & certificates reimbursed advancing himself within his company. Although he has the same device, he has developed his applications to increase his mobility.

Electronics are just like people, if they’re not charging they’re dying. It’s common to have a device and focus on using it for systems that other people created.

Although it’s necessary to do work and align ourselves with society, focusing on one system alone doesn’t advance us.

While some like Alex know how to update themselves and successfully operate their devices within one system, they can only advance within the operating system their device is compatible with.

One device doesn’t represent technology, technology is all of the devices and how they’re used to advance society.

Read the rest of this chapter in Thunderous Actions.

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