An advantage of graying and bringing one’s experience to a situation lies in the knowledge that there are multiple ways to solve any and every problem. As I listened to a colleague describe their view of a problem and the options s/he could see, my natural response was to explain the difference between a problem linked to a question and a problem which is a conundrum in drag.
If one is facing a problem with only two solution options, experience reminding whispers points me to the definition of a conundrum. I have heard this whisper often enough that my response naturally turns to a quest for the third and potentially fourth alternatives. When I embrace this question, the outcomes are always better than I imagined.
Options are often more about the how and what of my answer than the why. As a first step to seeing more, I look to deconstruct my why. In understanding the nuances and details of my why, I find myself looking at the future differently. If I add the vision of a trusted friend to the process, the possibilities go from a few to the many. What I thought was binary, a black versus white, explodes into a range of colors backed by 256 shades of gray.
Options also include the times, places, and expressions of celebration. We do not need to wait until the circumstances are just so. The psalmist described the range in one context. “Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies;” (Psalm 150.1) Experience issues a call which I find myself hearing more and more clearly. Let one’s emotions be known. It is better to be on display than buried and ignored. Even in statements of fact, one can bring one’s passion, belief, and confidence along with the detail.
A lack of flexibility is an early invitation to stress and paralysis. Embracing the opportunity to see, hear, and respond with openness is a step through a doorway into more. When one gives permission, one finds this opportunity in each moment.
