We take the time to learn how to operate all sorts of devices and gadgets in our life. But how about ourselves? A musing inspired by the purchase of a new camera? Yup… that happened.
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Welcome to A Musing.
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Today’s episode, Choose Manual Mode.
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I recently bought my first DSLR camera.
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It was an exciting purchase, especially because my kids were really hyped about it.
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My daughter has an affinity for photography, and my son wants to dress up like Frank West from Dead Rising for Halloween, so yeah, he’s got the camera part of the costume covered.
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In any case, excitement was in the air as we opened up that package and started to play around with the beautiful device.
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Now, being the nerd that I am a few days before the camera arrived, I signed up for an online course teaching how to understand and use the various settings the camera has.
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I’m a creative professional by trade, so I’ve always had a deep respect for photographers and their mastery of their cameras.
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The way that they’re able to capture spectacular shots that no one else can capture no matter how advanced that mobile phone camera gets.
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So I was eager to get into this course.
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So during what we call boring Sundays, I sat with my kids, we grabbed snacks and drinks and started the course on our TV.
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And after a couple of videos speaking about the very basics of the camera, the instructor made a very deliberate pause and he put up a sort of fork in the road.
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He said, at this point in the course, you need to make a choice.
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Do you want to learn the technical aspects of the camera, all its settings and possible functions?
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Or do you simply wish to get to the picture taking?
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If you simply want to get out there and start taking photos, you can set your camera dial to the green automatic setting, skip the next six lessons and hop over to the tip section.
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That will get you out there quicker.
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For those of you interested in learning the more technical side of your camera, I’ll see you in the next video.
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Now, as you can imagine, this led to a bit of musing on my part.
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Here’s what I thought about.
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Sometimes, life seems like one of those decision-based video games, where your choices impact the course of the story and ultimately the ending of the game.
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You’re faced with a moment, that could be an argument with a loved one, a life-altering event, the loss of a job, some financial hardship, perhaps being dumped in a relationship, situations that make us decide what path we’re going to take.
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Do I brew in my resentment, or should I dig into what that loved one yelled at me to find the pearl of truth in it?
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Do I take this as a defeat, or use this opportunity to learn a new skill set?
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Do I look at this as my ruin, or identify the flaws that led me here, so as to not repeat the same story?
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One of these paths is seemingly easy.
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We dismiss the other person as the villain in our tale and move on, telling our sob story to anyone with a bias for us, seeking out pity and confirmation that we’re the victim in the scenario.
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Or perhaps we blame our former superior for having a vendetta against us, and we prep our victim story well for when we’re asked, why did you leave your previous employer in our next job interview?
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Or maybe we blame the economy, or the president, or the gods for our misfortune, and burrow deep in a pit of pity until life stops being unfair and gives us what we’re entitled to.
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For some reason, these seem like the easy paths, but they’re not.
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Harboring resentment poisons the well of our own life.
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Blaming others for our misfortunes without ever seeing our own responsibility in situations turns us into limited human beings, never growing, never evolving, just cowardly.
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Seeing ourselves as the victims in our own story robs us of seeing the blessings and benefits life has already given us in the present.
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That’s not easy, friends.
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That’s an unhappy life.
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That’s living life on automatic mode.
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Listen, I get it.
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The manual mode is not easy at first.
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Not lying to easily get away with a failure forces us to take responsibility and assume consequences.
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Not complaining, but instead being willing to put in hard work at level A so that we can one day be worthy of level B feels like a long process.
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Swallowing our pride when that loved one is smack in the middle of their tirade so as to try and see what truth there might be to what they’re saying, albeit improperly, is a heart wrenching challenge.
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Not pointing fingers, not blaming others for our failures, not entertaining feelings and thoughts of injustice in the face of misfortune.
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None of these are automatic in nature.
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To achieve every single one of these, we have to make deliberate decisions.
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Living life on manual mode is about getting to know ourselves to the core.
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Not just the superficial basics that let us get through things quickly.
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Not just appearances.
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It’s about learning our capabilities entirely, what we can do as individuals, the good and the bad, the bright and the dark within us.
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What was the last thing you learned about yourself?
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Seriously, ask yourself that right now.
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What was the last discovery you made about your character, about your personality, about your passions, about your flaws?
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There’s a scene in The Matrix when Neo meets the Oracle for the first time.
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You know, when he goes to the apartment building and the woman is there baking cookies.
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He’s looking for a quick, clear confirmation on whether or not he is The One.
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And her answer does not please him one bit.
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She points to a sign above her doorway that reads, Know thyself.
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Neo wanted the automatic.
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Instead, she invited him to set himself on manual mode.
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And that is my invitation to you today.
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Know thyself.
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Get off that automatic mindset.
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Learn yourself.
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Like that camera I just purchased.
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You’re a beautiful design.
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Whether crafted intentionally by a god of some sort or randomly emerging out of the beautiful chaos of evolution in the cosmos, the fact remains that you are here.
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And there’s so much beauty to discover in yourself.
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And when you’ve learned what makes you tick, you become free and able to see the beauty in life in a new way.
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Sort of like the camera lens, capturing what’s in front of it in the way that only a pro who understands all the capabilities and settings could possibly achieve.
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Try this when you can.
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Next time you’re facing a conflict or a hardship or a challenge or a dark moment in your life, just pause.
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Don’t react based on the automatic setting.
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Remember that silence and non-action are part of the choices in front of you.
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Don’t say or do anything in the moment.
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Instead, find time to meditate on what just occurred and ask yourself, is there something I can learn about myself in this situation?
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Let the situation serve as a sort of mirror to see yourself reflected.
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And then ask yourself, what can I improve based on what I’m seeing in this situation?
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And be proud of yourself for not acting on instinct, but rather for choosing the path of growth and improvement.
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And I’d love to know how it goes for you.
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Let me know.
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Email me at contactamusing at gmail.com.
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Catch you next time.