Where Wizards Used to Play
Old Roman Press
I discovered that I have been doing things the hard way.
The discovery came suddenly and totally by accident.
I could have continued on doing things the way I have been doing them, being so proud of myself for being so adept, astute and intelligent, honing a valuable skill, but I would have been fooling myself.
It is a perfect example of something I have been sharing with others for years, a seed of wisdom I believed I have successfully sown, and WHAM! it hit me that I missed this one completely.
So, what is my grave sin? What have I been fooling myself about?
It is something I call the Commodity Trap.
A Commodity Trap is when something complex and difficult requires a skilled wizard one day, but then becomes automated or simplified to the point where anyone can do it the next.
The trap is laid and it waits for someone like me to step into it.
By commodity, I don't mean gold or crude oil. What I mean is something that has become so standard, so commonplace, that it no longer has the value it once had.
My discovery came while editing several video clips together, clips that were shot at the same event from several cameras. The process is time-consuming and requires careful, meticulous adjustments to get the audio tracks from each of the videos to align perfectly.
It is also quite gratifying to accomplish this task well.
O LORD, I am not proud; I have no haughty looks. I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me. - Psalm 131:1-2
Completely by accident, I discovered I was doing a lot of unnecessary work.
I watched a video tutorial of the software I was using and learned of a new feature that was added in the last release, an update I had downloaded automatically. The feature is multicam editing, and it does all the work of matching up videos from multiple cameras in seconds rather than hours.
That valuable expertise I had acquired and for which I had been so proud, became a commodity overnight. Now, anyone can do it!
What can I or should I learn from this?
I am reminded over and over again that the value the world places on my abilities and talents is relative and it forever fluctuates. As Heidi Klum tells her fashion designers, "One day you're in, and the next day you're out."
What may require highly specialized expertise one day, may be child's play the next. It is how we gain entry into worlds where wizards used to play.
I can say I get it, and I do. I have turned this concept of commoditization into a business, and still I fall into its trap.
The Psalm is a humble reminder that I am not as great as I would like to think I am. That's sobering and yet it has great value. It allows me to grow and stretch myself beyond the limits I impose on myself.
Today, I may think I am great, but tomorrow I can be better.
Humility can be liberating, rather than limiting, and I need to remember that when I encounter some other challenging task I believe I have mastered.