Tuning Into Now: Finding Clarity in the Present
Working with old hardware teaches you patience. It teaches you to work within limitations, to make the most of what you have rather than constantly chasing what’s next. It’s a lesson I’ve learned through countless hours spent coaxing life out of aging ThinkPads and repurposing old Raspberry Pis. And lately, I’ve realized it’s a lesson that applies far beyond just tech.
I was talking to her about something completely unrelated—some half-formed thought about what I want to do after high school, about all the skills I feel like I need to learn, all the plans I think I should be making. And instead of giving me answers, she just asked, “But what if it’s not about always knowing what’s next?”
I didn’t have an immediate response. Because really, I’d never thought about it that way.
I like knowing what’s next. I like planning, optimizing, making sure I’m as prepared as possible for whatever the future holds. But what she said stuck with me, because I’ve seen the same thing play out in my projects.
Take my ThinkPad. I was so set on getting a perfect dual-boot setup that I ended up breaking my WiFi card in the process. I spent more time troubleshooting than actually using my system. Or my 3D printer—I’ve learned that at a certain point, endlessly tweaking a print profile doesn’t improve results, it just makes things worse. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is stop over-tuning and just let things work as they are.
And maybe that’s true for life, too.
I’m still going to learn. I’m still going to push myself. But I’m also going to remember that not every moment needs to be optimized for some future outcome. There’s value in the process itself—in the small victories, the unexpected lessons, and the clarity that comes from just being present.
After all, no radio signal is perfectly steady, no circuit runs without noise, and no future is ever fully in focus. But if you tune into what’s here right now, you might just find the most important signals coming through clearer than ever.