Time

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Gandalf, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Shadow of the Past, The Fellowship of the Ring

Re-reading this quote today as I spend some time thinking about the past week and current events in our country. I can’t fix all the problems in our world; I’m not called to, either. I am, however, called to do what I can to do what is right and use my voice and my talents to make the difference that I can. That is freeing, but also sobering thought.

How am I staying intentional in my work, my life, and my relationships? How am I recommitting myself every day to showing up and doing good works? How am I prioritizing my wellness so that I have the energy to show up and do the work in the first place? How am I prioritizing my tasks so that I am working diligently on the right task for the moment?

Being intentional, being “sober minded” as some call it, prioritizing where I can, serving those relationships that are important to me, and giving myself grace to fail…to pick myself up the next day and try again.

This is life. This is the work.

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AI in Business

The use of AI to accomplish tasks is all around me these days.

Here are a few ways that AI is baked into my job:

  • My digital asset manager uses AI to search my images and find ones that match my search term. I no longer have to rely on carefully tagging my photos to describe it’s details
  • AI helpers are baked into my office suite offering me assistance with simple projects at every turn including writing, formulas, and graphics
  • AI is baked into my social media tools offering automatic captioning of video content, writing help on LinkedIn, and more.
  • The use of AI is readily available for writing help or with creative ideas as I see fit
  • AI is baked into my task manager offering a more automated view of my workflows

Lately, I’ve been asking myself how to use these new tools effectively and how to assist other
people in using the tools, too. Some questions I ask myself are:

  • To what degree is using AI assisting my creative work?
  • How may using AI be hindering my ability to develop my own creativity?
  • Who am I un-employing by using AI instead of asking for help?
  • Is AI keeping my tethered to my computer for answers instead of using my offline tools to think for myself?
  • Does AI inhibit me from being effective when thinking on my feet?
  • Is AI improving my digital connection with other people or inhibiting my real relationships?
  • Is AI warping my sense of time and how long it takes me to do real work?
  • What is my responsibility to the next generation in helping them use new tools effectively?

As you can see, I have more questions than answers in the use of AI as I try to approach my toolbox with discernment. These probably are not new and unique questions, but I have them none the less.