I Think the iPad is Changing My Life

iPAD

It's bizarre.  When the iPad first came out, I was one of THE most adamant "that's ridiculous" skeptics out there. That whole tablet thing just smacked of commercial b.s. for hard core gadgeteers... techno-freaks. And the money... for "that?"  Oh my gosh, how ridiculous !

That was then -- before so many of my photographer colleagues had them and told me the incredible things they were doing with them; the energy saving, productivity boosting things they were accomplishing. That was before I went to a two-day photo workshop by my friend Tasha Prescott and watched her run the whole thing from her iPad, interfacing with her mac and that big screen TV, running slide shows from the iPad wirelessly and seamlessly.  That was before I saw how perfect those apps were for niche tasks... and all the things the iPad could do with the apps -- thousands and thousands -- developed for it. THAT was before I held one in my hands... where upon I promptly lost the "that's ridiculous" battle and started drooling uncontrollably.  Luckily, another photographer friend told me about price reduced, refurbished units (generation 1) I could get from the Apple Store at the time (just after the iPad 2 came out).

No one has ever accused me of being an early adopter, but once I'm sold, I'm a heck of an evangelist, and I am absolutely sold on the iPad. Now wondering... how did I ever get along in life without it. I SHOULD have known, since the iPhone -- when I got my 3G just after the iPhone 4 came out -- was the first cell phone I'd owned in 10 years where I didn't want to take it back to the store (or throw it against a hard surface) within 24 hours of getting it fully charged.  The iPhone just worked "as advertised." At this point Apple could sell me just about anything because they make good on their promise. Period.

But enough hyperbole (that's for my friend Mitch).  The iPad for me is a great mix of technology, ingenuity and selective focus, not to mention it's just plain beautiful. It's about as comfortable to take around as a pad of paper.I'll sit up and browse the news sitting on my couch, watching tv and get informed.  That's big for me, since I don't watch the news. But I can pick a specific app that does exactly what I want it to do -- and that's all it does -- and it makes it easy. It makes so many things pleasant. And you might say, "but Kelvin, you could do that with a laptop..."  No you can't. Comparatively, the laptop is big and bulky, inconvenient and SLOW.  When I want news, "touch" and it's there --NOW.  A dedicated, specialized app for nearly any purpose. Browse the web, see something, print to my wireless printer from the iPad.  Snap!  Done. On the PC, it took 15 minutes to install that printer software, and program it, and set it up to wireless operation.  iPad app, downloaded in about 30 seconds for that manufacturer.  Tap the app, it FOUND the printer in about 10 seconds, and when I hit print, it printed. No muss; no fuss.

AND NOW... with the upcoming iOS 5, Apple is making the iPad completely self sufficient via the cloud and I won't even need to hook it up to iTunes to sync it? That's just too slick for words, and I don't even NEED the other 200+ enhancements.


So the iPad is changing my life. It's making cumbersome things easy, tedious things fun and it replaces my computer for about 80% of the things I use a computer for, and let's me do them with the ease and comfort of flipping through a magazine. And I'm reading this on the iPad that I said I'd never do -- like news (ugh) but only in small doses (see 6 Steps to Being Positive) It just makes it easy.

But that's me. Unless I need to do some heavy duty writing (like this blog post) when I want a full sized keyboard, or I'm editting images from a photo shoot and need the disk storage space for the images and the power to run a program suite like Photoshop and related programs, the iPad lets me do my other stuff -- quick stuff -- quickly, and simply, and conveniently.  And that's all I have to say about that (sorry, Forrest.)

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

6 Days Before Christmas and...

Six days before Christmas and all through the house...LOL. Fooled you -- no poem.  Maybe next time. But a couple of days ago I published a Vitamin K (Daily Dose of Positive )-- and wished everyone a relaxed, stress-free weekend. One of my friends (you know who you are) wrote me back and said, "Relaxed? Stress-free? It's 7 days before Christmas; are you daft?"  Hmmm.  Well, first I had to look that up (sometimes it's the little words that get you).  Definitions were: senseless, stupid, or foolish, insane; crazy, merry; playful; frolicsome." And my answer is YES! All of the above :-), but NOT stressed!  And perhaps not stressed for the first time in my life, at the this time of the year; but for whatever reason, I'm not.  

Perhaps it's the retired status, or perhaps it's just my awareness that I can only do what I can do.  Then again, perhaps it's because this year I'm not so concerned about other people's expectations and more focused on my piece of mine (<-- that was for my friend Mitch. He likes to catch my mistakes. Make that "peace of mind.")

But, we're smack dab in the middle of THE season of peace, tranquility, love, appreciation, gratitude and good will for all mankind. Somehow, "stress" just seems so out of place.  Perhaps I am just fortunate not to be living a stressful life right now, or perhaps... I've just chosen to be stress free. Don't get me wrong... I KNOW there are people in the world who are deluged in stressful, painful situations right now and they can't be totally stress-free life at present, but for most of us... most of the people I know... the stress is optional... but for the "things" we're focusing on, and the meaning we are voluntarily assigning to those things. LOTS of people are giving gifts this season that are attached to so much stress they can hardly see.  But, I'd like to suggest that... no matter what you BUY this Christmas... that the gifts you GIVE are love.. warmth... appreciation... gratitude... and acceptance.  Those will go further than the material thing(s) you attach to them, and I guarantee you'll feel better about you.

Incidentally, you also need to give yourself the gifts of love, gratitude and acceptance; because despite what most marketers and some of your acquaintances might tell you... you're okay. Even precious diamonds have imperfections. Then again, it is we who define imperfect...  And if you're having some challenges with that... perhaps you might enroll in my Daily Dose of Vitamin K. We cover those points often. It was planned  to be on sale now, but it's not yet... so take advantage of it for now and we'll just call it my Christmas gift to you (and anyone you pass that link onto between now and when I finally get the sale page online.) You can check out a few comments here. And who knows, maybe by the time you get there...there will be a few more.

So that's it, my friends. I wish for you a stress-free holiday season; focused on the things that really matter, as you give the gifts of  love, gratitude and acceptance... regardless of what "physical" gifts you attach to them.

Have a beautiful week.  And incidentally... there's an excellent video on Mitch's blog that it would be good for everyone to see, this time of year especially. So if you didn't click it, go ahead and click on his name / link and watch it. Take a stress-free 16 minutes and check it out.


Love and Light to you ;-)
Kelvin

A Gift for You for 2010

This morning, I woke up at about 7:30.  Typically, I roll over, look at the clock, take a deep breath, then get up and start doing something -- coffee, turn on the laptop, walk around the house and find my planner so I can plot my day, kick the cat (just kidding; I don't have any animals -- not even a mouse; yay!).... just something besides waste time laying in bed. This morning was different.

This morning, I looked at the clock, took a deep, leisurely breath, turned back over, laid there, quiet, cozy and relaxed. As I did, I noticed the warmth of my bed (I'm probably the last remaining human on the planet with a heated waterbed) while I listened to the quiet of my house. Sometimes "quiet" has character.  I noticed that I was breathing slowly and deeply; and I felt my heart beating, strong but quiet. Then I noticed that I wiggled my toes, and I tuned into that feeling; and felt the blood moving through my system. I felt the texture of the covers on my skin and listened to the soft, rustling sound they made when I moved under them.

I opened my eyes and looked around my room and became aware that I could see things. [Normally we just "see" things, but we really don't take an active appreciation of the process.] The light through my bedroom windows had "life" and substance, and weight, and I contemplated the wonder of eyesight and how that all worked, and considered what magic really happens in my mind and body that allows me to feel the textures of those covers over me.

Minutes later, the quiet, muffled sounds of street activity seeped through the walls and floated into my consciousness as I heard -- actually felt -- the low vibrations of the distant vehicles driving down my street. Still noticing my breathing, and the textures on my skin, and my skin itself, I enjoyed the awareness that I was alive -- smiling with each new revelation. Was this meditation? or just relaxation? or what ?

Altogether, I laid there for about 10 minutes -- maybe fifteen -- then got up, and headed for the kitchen to make coffee. I made an aromatic pot of freshly ground "Vermont Maple Nut Crunch". I realized tonight -- as I was cleaning up my kitchen -- that the pot was still FULL. After all that, I didn't pour a single cup. That's how relaxed I was when I got up. I forgot I wanted coffee!!

I know what you're thinking... but there was no alcohol or foreign substance of any kind :) involved -- I just turned my attention inward and focused on "me" with new awareness.  Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes."

We are often taught, in our society, that it is improper to turn our attention to ourselves. We are taught that turning attention to ourselves is SELFISH. I submit that that concept is in error. I submit that we NEED to turn some of our attention -- and sometimes ALL of our attention -- inward, to ourselves, in the manner I've described here, so that we can realize what truly magnificent creatures we are -- YOU are.  Even the most "messed up" of us.  If we spend more time tuning in to the miracle of us, many of our self-image issues will disappear; and this year, I PLAN to spend some time pointing out the miracle of you and helping that happen.  But not now -- this post is already longer than I intended, so we'll have to wait until I write more, to hear more.

In the meantime, here is a gift you can give to yourself for 2010: WAKE UP, Slow Down, and TUNE In... to the miracle you are, and see yourself with new eyes.

That's it for now.  Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

Have a Frivolous Friday!

I was talking with a friend a few weeks back, and she was telling me about one of her co-workers who as upbeat and positive and liked to add adjectives to his daily greetings, like marvelous Monday, terrific Tuesday, wonderful Wednesday and the like. After all, "marvelous Monday" is much more uplifting than, "Ugh... back to the grind."

I thought it a rather smashing idea, and considering you shouldn't use the same adjective each week, can become quite challenging coming up with new ones. BUT... I love it. Yesterday could have been a thundering Thursday, for instance.

At any rate, today I borrow the thing that my friend borrowed from her co-worker. I wish you a Frivolous Friday! Do something fun today -- make someone smile ! (someone new, not just the normal crowd you pal around with.) Make it a movement to SPREAD a little joy!

I'll be listening to see how creative you got :-)

Have a happy!

Kelvin

The Pursuit of Happiness

When we're running the race to be successful, sometimes we get so wrapped up in the pursuit that we forget about the happiness part. It has been said that happiness is not the destination; happiness is the journey. The journey should leave us energized, invigorated and excited about life and it's possibilities.

If your journey (pursuit) is leaving you drained and unhappy and unpleasant to be around... something is out of whack. Maybe your goals, maybe your "why", maybe your expectations, or your balance. Or maybe you're just running so hard that you forget that every once in a while your batteries need re-charging.

Take a day off from the pursuit; take an intentional moment to sit and relax, concentrate on and enjoy the parts of your life that are good. Get back in touch with -- appreciate and be grateful for -- the good and positive things, people and circumstances that already exist in your world. Take a day to enjoy your existing happiness... then get back to the pursuit "tomorrow."

It will be a good thing. Trust me.

Kelvin