It’s been a long road for me.  My journey has driven me to various places in my mind, in business and in my personal world.

As I traverse this journey, I’ve learned one thing, live knowing your truth and who you are.  Sure you can have a daily job, you can have a business that’s paying you lots of money though the question still remains… are you happy?

In this busy world that it feels like we are connected every minute of our life, when do we have time for your happiness?  Sure I can lecture you to do this and do that to make you happy.  The reality though question is, “What makes you happy”?

If you go to the About Us page in my website you will see my story.  You will see that through I journey I have gone through various phases and now truly am happy in what I am do  So what makes me happy?

I have the ability to translate all this geeky techno speak into English.  I enjoy introducing and educating people on how to balance their life with Technology and how to use their technology to build communities,  I also love simplifying life using Technology tools where you do not need to learn all that Techno Speak. I am your Geek Translator, I know that when you come to me you learn one thing… How to manage your technology properly.  Whether is reprogramming a website, creating a store online, creating a community or learning how to use your technology in a balanced way where you do not have to use it all the time, I am here to help you.  I’ve been through what you are experiencing right now… getting in all the gadgets, tools, buzz phrases and Internet jargon.

So To answer what makes me happy? In simple terms, I love to help you with your Technology Overload and ease that burden.

Please feel free to contact us for more information and see how we can help you balance technology in your life.

If you have noticed, technology is used in all forms of communication.  Texting, Facebook, Twitter along with other social media platforms has allowed everyone to connect around the world.  No longer is the person on the other side of the world inaccessible or even delayed in receiving a message, or so we think.

Due to technology integrating into our lives, it makes it seem that everyone uses it and everyone understands it.  To some of us technology is very easy to use, those menus, that click, that app, it’s all easy to some of us.  Some of you reading this are probably saying, but it’s so easy to use how can some people not understand it?

There are various considerations that must be taken when using technology to communicate.  For this blog post, I will use Facebook.  Facebook probably has the best group to work with to understand this.
Facebook has grown not because of its technical aspects but for its simplicity to use and connect with.   Yes, there are people that struggle with it.  You cannot blame age, or gender.  Facebook demographics show that everyone wants to communicate.  The 13-17 age group population in

Facebook is about the same amount as the 55-64 year olds.  The largest population is now the 18-25 followed by the 26-34 and then the 35-44’s.  Understanding that you have that much variety in age groups it must be understood that technology experiences vary dramatically.

When you communicate through Facebook, it is a common “look and feel,” everything looks the same to everyone.  The Facebook user might change a picture here or there, but overall it’s the same interface for everyone.  Some people are comfortable because they grew up with the daily changes of technology while others grew up in different era of technology where it was only utilized to acquire, interact or design information for their fields.

So why be aware of this?  When you are communicating using Texting, Facebook, Email or Phone, it is very important to understand the person or people that you are communicating with.  While some people will respond fast, other people might respond slower.  Sometimes it could be because of their experience with the technology or they might not feel comfortable addressing the message in the current form.  Those are just a couple of examples.

There are so many factors to consider when communicating with technology and you must be aware that when you send any form of communication, especially with technology, you need to respect and understand that the person receiving the message(s) could be busy or might not be able to respond properly because of the “way it comes across.”  There are different forms of communications and using the proper form is important to get the proper response.

So join me next week, with Journey of Possibilities’ Chief Inspirational Officer Sheryl Sitts, to discuss, the human side of technology and how you can decide the best form of communication to whoever you are talking to.

This is your Tech Zen Mario, disconnecting.

Are you wondering sometimes why people are not responding to your text message fast enough?  Do you worry why people do not respond to your emails as soon as you send them?  If you are worrying about this you should think about a few things.

1. Not everyone uses technology the way you do.
2. Some people do not feel comfortable with certain technology.
3. People do not respond on your time, they respond on theirs.

With our connected world, the human factor still is involved.  The reason many people do not communicate in the speed you want them to is because they are busy doing what they are doing.  With our Instant gratification society developed by what I call the Internet Phenomenon
According to Facebook statistics 1 in 13 people have  a Facebook account and log in daily and according to a Microsoft Blog Names “Microsoft Tag” 91% of mobile Internet is to socialize and 86% of Mobile Internet users are using their mobile devices while watching TV.

Steve Jobs passed away October 6, 2011 around 7:30 pm.  As I read the news of his passing I began to think of some of his history and how I grew up with it.  It’s incredible the things he has done.  I lived through all the changes.  The one thing I definitely remember is the 1984 commercial.  The Apple “1984” Commercial came to be as a “Here we come IBM” statement.  If you have seen 1984 that commercial makes so much sense. That commercial was historic in the way that no one expected.  It was going against IBM they were the powerhouse back then.  Apple had decided who there enemy was and went after them.

Time would surprise everyone and of course Microsoft and Apple started going against each other.  Now, Apple is king in the areas that other companies never targeted or were slow to move into it.  Apple takes a market and creates demand.  That is what Steve Jobs brought to Apple.  He was the magician that brought that demand, the hunger, the need for something you did not know you needed.

I am not going to sugar coat what Steve Jobs was.  Steve Jobs was a very difficult man to work with.  He had high expectations and he expected his employees to work extremely hard.  He was also known for being an extreme perfectionist, and was said that not even one product would be released without his approval.

Apple itself also has its problems.  They have cheap labor in China and other areas.  They have even had issues with child Labor.   Of course, we cannot forget that Apple still has a very anti-competitive environment.  With their massive legal team they slow their competitors or stop them completely by going to court.  The other tactic; completely demolishing markets by absorbing functionality into Apple products, they have been a very difficult company to work with.

Whether you believe in Steve’s philosophy or not, you have to admit that the man knew what he wanted, where he was going and had the guts to go into areas that most people never wanted to touch.  He took existing technology and he improved it.  Apple might have not invented most of the technology they offer today but they made it in a way that is easier to use and created the demand for it.

Steve Jobs might not be the perfect man, but who is?  What Steve Jobs did to the technology industry was amazing! He brought technology to the next level, the portability of music and videos with an integrated market place.  He made the computer a tool that would look sexy not techy.  He made technology look like a piece of art not like a piece of metal.  He made technology to be trendy, how many people can do that?

If there is “one more thing” to remember about him is this:  Most companies now-a-days go into a market only if they see opportunity to make money.  Steve Jobs did not do that.  He went into a market to CREATE the opportunity to make money.  He created the demand, he created the market and he created the only thing that keeps a product alive—-The following.  He was a true creative genius and was always able to be a few steps ahead of competition.  He did not fear the unknown; he was the visionary and a true risk taker.  Steve, may you rest in peace and thank you for taking technology and converting it into an everyday tool.

Steve Jobs passed away October 6, 2011 around 7:30 pm.  As I read the news of his passing I began to think of some of his history and how I grew up with it.  It’s incredible the things he has done.  I lived through all the changes.  The one thing I definitely remember is the 1984 commercial.  The Apple “1984” Commercial came to be as a “Here we come IBM” statement.  If you have seen 1984 that commercial makes so much sense. That commercial was historic in the way that no one expected.  It was going against IBM they were the powerhouse back then.  Apple had decided who there enemy was and went after them. 

Time would surprise everyone and of course Microsoft and Apple started going against each other.  Now, Apple is king in the areas that other companies never targeted or were slow to move into it.  Apple takes a market and creates demand.  That is what Steve Jobs brought to Apple.  He was the magician that brought that demand, the hunger, the need for something you did not know you needed.

I am not going to sugar coat what Steve Jobs was.  Steve Jobs was a very difficult man to work with.  He had high expectations and he expected his employees to work extremely hard.  He was also known for being an extreme perfectionist, and was said that not even one product would be released without his approval.

Apple itself also has its problems.  They have cheap labor in China and other areas.  They have even had issues with child Labor.   Of course, we cannot forget that Apple still has a very anti-competitive environment.  With their massive legal team they slow their competitors or stop them completely by going to court.  The other tactic; completely demolishing markets by absorbing functionality into Apple products, they have been a very difficult company to work with.

Whether you believe in Steve’s philosophy or not, you have to admit that the man knew what he wanted, where he was going and had the guts to go into areas that most people never wanted to touch.  He took existing technology and he improved it.  Apple might have not invented most of the technology they offer today but they made it in a way that is easier to use and created the demand for it. 

Steve Jobs might not be the perfect man, but who is?  What Steve Jobs did to the technology industry was amazing! He brought technology to the next level, the portability of music and videos with an integrated market place.  He made the computer a tool that would look sexy not techy.  He made technology look like a piece of art not like a piece of metal.  He made technology to be trendy, how many people can do that?

If there is “one more thing” to remember about him is this:  Most companies now-a-days go into a market only if they see opportunity to make money.  Steve Jobs did not do that.  He went into a market to CREATE the opportunity to make money.  He created the demand, he created the market and he created the only thing that keeps a product alive—-The following.  He was a true creative genius and was always able to be a few steps ahead of competition.  He did not fear the unknown; he was the visionary and a true risk taker.  Steve, may you rest in peace and thank you for taking technology and converting it into an everyday tool. 

For some of you, technology is part of your daily lives.  For others, it’s just something you use for work and for many, it is “the lifestyle”.

I am not here to preach that technology is bad.  Technology is wonderful to us.  Technology gives us that extra time to do more things.  Though, in this ever connected world it does not seem like it.

Let’s take a normal day for someone.  Most of you are waking up in the morning and you turn your computer on, reply to emails, surfing the web, checking your favorite sites.  Since the Internet is slowly replacing the Newspapers, it is only natural that you read your information through the Internet.  You consume information.

The next level is when you feel a connection.  This connection comes from the Facebook status changes, twitter updates, the chat board, dating sites, etc.  You tell yourself, “let’s share what I am doing or feeling with other people.”  At that time is when people start feeling a connection.  No longer are you just consuming information, you are becoming part of the information.

That is when it changes.

You begin to feel that writing your feelings out there or a routine in your daily life is what gives you that connection.  Your connection to the world becomes the “sharing.”

While there is nothing wrong with sharing, you have to realize that it is one way “sharing”.  No matter how personal it is, it is going to the world being read and translated in their point of view.  The connection you have is a “virtual connection”; you cannot see how people are reading it.

I do not deny that sometimes that connection is very strong.  When I update my status and I get responses it’s fascinating to me.   It makes me feel great when people respond to me.  It makes that bond to the “virtual connection” stronger.  Then that strong connection is sometimes what makes it hard for some to disconnect.  You feel like the world is there for you.  You feel that the connection you have cannot be broken, because you want to know what the world is doing.  You begin to get the rush of what is going on… let me see what someone else is doing.  It becomes a cycle, you update, they update, you comment, they comment, always there, always in your hands, always a connection away.  You begin to get a rush, what is going on, what is she or he doing, let me do this let me do that, send this email, respond to this text, I am talking to the world!  But yet, it is still a “virtual connection.”  That rush you get from checking your email all the time, the replying to texts or status all the time can be dangerous.  The moment you are always checking everything all the time means that you have no time for yourself.  As humans we need that.

It is very important to have the time for yourself to relax.  If you do not believe it, think about how much stress builds up when you are not connected?  Turn off the phone for an hour and see how you feel.  It will relieve you, it will relax you.  It’s ok to disconnect, that world will be there when you come back.  So do disconnect and see what other world is out there.  I think Sherry Turkle said it best, “The network is seductive.  But if we are always on, we may deny ourselves the rewards of solitude.”

I wish you an hour of disconnection for you.

This is your Tech Zen Mario, disconnecting.

I attended TEDx The Woodlands yesterday.  It was a great experience!  Not only did I get to experience some powerful speakers but I also got to speak in front of a TEDx Audience.  The experience is amazing!  You get to meet some great people and you connect at a level that you do not experience in other places.

My speech was called “We’re too busy to care” I talked about my experience that has resulted into this website: TechLifeBalance.net.  (I will post the video when it becomes available)  It was an interesting feeling speaking in front of a TEDx audience because this was the first time speaking directly from the heart into a much bigger audience.  I always talked from my heart but it’s usually one to one not close to a 100 people!  Needless to say, yes, I was nervous!  I have shared this story many times but knowing that I was sharing it and I was going to explain what brought me to where I am now was very personal.  The part that made it easier is speaking from the heart.  I did not speak about numbers, I did not speak about science, I just talked from the heart.

I felt every feeling throughout my speech.  It was not easy talking about my experience without feeling those emotions.  I did not break down or do anything like that but you have to remember it’s been a couple of years of learning that have taught me to manage those feelings.  We never lose those feelings, for that matter, any feeling; we just learn to manage them.

After my speech various people came up and talked to me about my speech and told me that my speech made them think of where they were in my life.  I only had two slides, the one before when I was very busy to really care for me

This one which is where I am now.

So just like asked the TEDx Audience.  Is your life the 1st slide, or the second slide?
Before

As I sit here going through my NEW Facebook layout, I start thinking about how Facebook is so much part of our lives.  It also says how we react to change.  Do you embrace it?  Do you run from it?  Do you not like it?  Think about it.

At first glance, I thought to myself, this is a pretty drastic change.  Then as I started examining the changes and what they were doing, I learned to adapt to it.  Now think about that for a moment.   Our lives are pretty much like Facebook.

Let me explain.

Facebook, like life, is always changing and just like in our lives, we sometimes do not want that change.  Sometimes those changes are so drastic that it causes a certain reaction from us.  How we react to change is sometimes how you deal with change.  Time and time again it has been shown that we do not control our lives, just like we do not control Facebook’s layouts.  What happens after we are with “it” a while?  We either adapt, not like it but still use it, or the drastic and sad move of leaving Facebook.  Now do not think I am putting the same value of Facebook as our lives, but the way we react to Facebook changes is probably how you react to life.

Change is a constant in our lives.  Sometimes we will not like it but we must learn from it.  Sometimes we want change and we do not get it, so embrace and love what we have.  We must let go of what WE want to happen and understand that only God can really give you what you want.  All you can do is give love.  Love the change!  Love the people you have around you!  Love the uniqueness of who you are!  Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the stress of change; just allow it to come in.  Adapt to it because one thing that we all know about our lives, that just like Facebook, life will never stop changing.

Now go, disconnect, enjoy the changes in your life and embrace them!

This is your Tech Zen Mario, disconnecting.

Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TechLifeBalance or our twitter account @techlifebalance.

Technology is everywhere in our lives.  If it’s not a cell phone, it’s a computer.  If it’s not a computer, it’s a tablet.  If it’s not a cell phone, it’s television.  The reality is that we are inundated with technology in our daily lives.

How many times do you check your Blackberry, IPhone, Internet gadget?  When you go on vacation do you respond to e-mails because you think your workload will be smaller when you come back?  Is that really what happens when you come back?

We are so connected that we forget that we need to rest.  Our body is not capable of handling work 24/7.  It is not meant to be a workhorse all the time!  Study after study proves that we need time to unwind.  I like to compare this to exercising 24/7.  You know the body will not be able to handle exercising 24/7 and that is just the muscles that “move” your body.  We cannot forget that the mind is also a muscle and if you overwork it, just like your body muscles, it will be exhausted.

Unwind means relax, detach, remove yourself from your day to day routine and have time to think for yourself.  Do not be afraid of that time by yourself, it is when we let our brain recuperate.  Just like exercising, you brain needs time to heal itself.

So tell me, What are you doing to relax your mind?

This is your Tech Zen Mario disconnecting