The Glass Makes the Team

Sam sees the glass as half full, I see it as half empty.  That's why we make a good team.  Kenzie on the other hand just drinks right out of the bottle.  Nate wonders why it has to be glass.  And Eric usually breaks the glass by putting his feet up on the table. 

-From TV Show NCIS:LA.  

Playing well with others is something we learn when we are young.  Sharing our toys.  Not hitting someone when they take our toy or do something we don't like are lessons taught to us by our parents and guardians.  By the time you are in middle school you have learned how to peer mediate.  How to talk about a problem and solve it.  By the time you are a senior in high school you have learned that there are many ways to approach a problem.  By the time you graduate from college you have learned that there are some problems that can't be fixed.  Some people who just don't play well with others.  But just because you can't solve the problem doesn't mean you haven't learned something.

Working on teams, with other people, is something that we do all of our lives.  Sometimes teams don't jive right.  Personalities, goals, visions, gifts, they just don't mix.  But then there are times where your meetings don't feel so much like meetings.  You enjoy working with your team.  Because you gel.  Your gifts balance those of the others on your team.  You see things differently and thus bring a bigger perspective to every aspect of your work.

I assume we have all experience both types of teams.  I have a team where our gifts balance each other almost perfectly.  Like the quote from NCIS:LA we each see the glass a unique way.  We compliment each other.  We enjoy our meetings and our results are better because we came to them together.

I have also experienced working with a team whose group dynamics were a little off, I had to take a step back.  Was it the way I was perceiving things that was off?  Was it someone else?  Was it a combination?  I find myself going back over pieces of the conversation hoping I didn't sound to rude, or forceful or mad when something didn't go my way.  But at the same time I wanted my opinions heard.

I see the world in order.  A, B, C.  Red, orange, yellow.  First, second, third.  It's my comfort.  Life takes many twists and turns.  Life is uncontrollable.  Organization and planning things out to the t is my way of find control in the uncontrollable.  Order in the chaos.  I try to find the logical route in an illogical world.  Sometimes I can over plan.  Over organize.  I can turn the enjoyable into a stressful situation.  But its a fine line.  One that I balance everyday.  

Remember that life is short.  It's an uncontrollable roller coaster ride.  You get on, buckle up and hold on tight for the ride.  Love as much as you can, live the best you can.  Life is precious.  Many things in our day to day lives can wait.  The sunset won't.  Remember the sunset.