There’s something on my to-do list that I’ve been dreading to do. 

I’ve put it off for nearly a month, but today’s the day I must tackle it. 

I must set up my brand new laptop computer. Just thinking about it gives me hives. You see, I’m a bit tech-challenged. Plus, I really like my current laptop. I’ve had it for nearly eight years. Like me, it is a little tattered and slowing down. It occasionally requires some extra patience and TLC (also like me). But it is comfortable and user-friendly. And I know how to run the thing.

The new one has bells and whistles that intimidate me!

In addition, I have huge, irrational fears that when I attempt to transfer all the info from the original to the new model I will lose something valuable. After all, my life is on this hard drive! I run my business from this little hunk of metal. It contains my speaking contracts, scripts, books, notes, blogs, and accounting. And photos, years of photos. In case you’re wondering, I do back it up, but that doesn’t seem to squelch my fears. What if the back up doesn’t actually back it up?!? (I told you it was irrational).

All this computer stuff has me thinking about my computer classes in college. You know, back in the days where we went to a computer lab since we didn’t own individual computers. The mainframe computer was the size of a VW Beetle, and it gave off a strange hum as it calculated. Perhaps you are my “vintage” and remember sitting through confusing lectures on MS-DOS.

Maybe you even still have a collection of floppy discs!

There’s one concept I remember clearly from those classes. It was a simple concept taught by our teaching assistant about paying attention to details and carefully entering correct data. 

“Garbage in, garbage out,” he said.

That was it. If you enter incorrect, inappropriate or outdated information, you will not get accurate results. The same concept still applies today—both in computers and in life. 

You cannot have a positive outcome if you fill up with garbage.

Garbage in=garbage out.

You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind. 

Here’s something to process and ponder…What are you filling your mind with? What are you reading? Watching? Listening to? Could you do a better job of sorting through the garbage? How? Would it be beneficial for you (and the people around you) if you’d seek more positive, appropriate data to input? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Please let me know how you get rid of the garbage and where you find positive motivation. 

In the meantime, wish me luck. I’m headed to my office to set up that shiny new computer. (Yes, I have the awesome folks at Apple customer service on speed dial). 

Gotta love technology!

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