Welcome to Insights and Implications!
During the holidays, it seems we often find ourselves in situations with people who seem very different from ourselves. However, as Sandy describes below, we’re actually wired more similarly than we think.
We hope this insightful piece helps you have a restful and relaxing holiday with your loved ones and fellow human beings, and we’ll see you in 2016!
All the best,
All of us at Insight Principles
Different or Alike?
We don’t have to look hard to notice our differences. The media is a daily reminder of how humans are at odds. The differences seem so significant that we wonder how we get along at all.
I want to take a moment to illustrate how we are, in fact, very much alike. Realizing our alikeness is the path to potential world peace, but also to a more attainable goal: improved communication and collaboration with our co-workers, friends, and family.
At a fundamental level, all of us are thinkers. Images, ideas, feelings, beliefs, and other thoughts are constantly formed in our minds. All human minds work the same way – whatever we think is catalyzed into the reality we see. This is equally true for men and women, young and old. It is true whether we live in New York or New Delhi. It is true even if we don’t know it’s happening. And most of the time we don’t.
I recently worked with a client who was irritated by the behavior of one of his direct reports. As this client sat at his desk stewing, it occurred to him to look beyond the behavior to where it was coming from.
“What was he thinking?”
He asked his direct report this very question. “When you did this, what was going through your mind?” His employee’s response opened up a whole new dialogue.
My client could see how his employee’s thinking explained his behavior. What’s more, my client realized that when he thought similarly, he behaved just like his employee! This realization dissolved his upset about the behavior and brought about new understanding which allowed him to deal with the problem at its true source – thinking.
While it is tempting to see our differences and notice what separates us, there is value in looking in another direction, toward a common denominator. We all live in a reality born of our own thinking. We all feel our thinking and our thinking always looks real. Remembering this leads to humility, compassion, harmony, and fellowship.
As we share the holiday season and anticipate the new year, I’d like to end our final newsletter of 2015 with a quote from the 13th century poet, Rumi.
Beyond our ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
Peace,
Sandy Krot
©Insight Principles, Inc.