More Than One Way
“It’s not our differences that divide us. It is our inability recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” ~Unknown
Not to put you to sleep with my folksy brand of wisdom, but when my kids start to complain about how the other is not doing something the right way, I tell my kids that there is more than one way to get to Florida. What I mean when I share this golden nugget of wisdom is that just because one sister does a task differently from the other sister doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way to do it. Usually the offending task in question has more than one way of being accomplished and I’m just trying to stress the idea of neural flexibility, the ability to think outside the box if you will…as long as the task gets accomplished in a satisfactory manner, I don’t care. The catalyst for this conversation comes from a book I was reading and the idea of taking this notion of more than one way to do the same thing bubbled to the surface. In a moment of introspective wandering, I realized that there are times when, I too, suffer from the notion that my way is the right way, but as we all know, this is not always the case. I understand on a rational level that there is more than one way to get things accomplished and it is to our benefit if we can objectively observe others who accomplish the same job via a different method…learning opportunities abound when we can open our eyes and our mind to new processes and procedures.
How do you get to Florida? (Pick whatever destination you choose to be your end point…) What’s the best way? What’s the right way? The point being is that there is no one correct way to get there… a person can drive to Florida, fly via Buenos Aries, walk, run, bike, stow away on a freighter, or sail on a tiny boat…there is more than one way to get to your final destination and each method has its own merits. Each method has something to be celebrated and learned from and there is no one correct method. As a society, we tend to do things in a certain manner as our culture (as we understand it) expects us to act. In other words, we tend to emulate and do things like our neighbors or community do them. When a strange custom enters our comfort zone, what reaction do you typically display? Be honest with yourself…do you feel as though the foundation of your civilization is starting to crumble, maybe a spike in your anxiety levels? Or do you feel excited and are filled with curiosity and wonder? I can’t answer these questions for you, I can only present them and hope you can examine yourself honestly.
The to observe the different cultural approaches to events such as celebrations (birthdays, religious observances, or special recognized days) or memorial observances, or even common events like a family meal, we can all learn something about each other. Obviously, if your constructing a house, you need to put in the foundation first before you build the walls or put on the roof…I’m not talking about things like that…what I’m discussing is understanding that different cultures coexist in communities all over our country and the meshing of ideas and traditions. I’m talking about the ability to see and recognize those differences, try and understand those differences and then make the jump to accepting those differences. Accepting differences for what they are reduces the anxiety we feel and opens the door for us all to coexist in a happier state. If we were all the same, life would be pretty darn boring and we resisted new ideas from different cultures, we would be a world in perpetual war. Throughout history, humankind has always adapted ideas from other cultures to help create and foster peace…today is no different. Just some ideas to think about. I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Please take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com