Finding Common Ground

Actions speak louder than words and we often forget this fact. Almost everyone goes into any situation with good intentions; however, things do not always go as well as planned. We sometimes say the wrong thing at the wrong time or get careless and do not take others perspectives into consideration. In these moments, it is important to take a step back and to think about what we should do. We need to think about what we should say. Doing this is a lot harder than it sounds. In the heat of the moment it gets increasingly difficult to stay calm.
Realization
Identifying when a situation can get out of hand is one the most important skills anyone can learn. This is not a simple task either. Knowing what to do and when to do it comes from experience and failure. We all fall down and we all make mistakes, what defines us is what we do next. Often, we get ourselves into tricky situations without even realizing how we managed to do so. It doesn’t really matter. What is important at the time is getting out of a bad situation. Once we are in a better mood or atmosphere we need to clear our heads are think about what happened. How did I get myself into this? What did I do wrong? Is it my fault? We all ask these questions in our heads and more often than not we never really know that answers. What is important is what we do to fix this problem.
Second Thought
Second guessing ourselves in the heat of the moment can cause trouble but can also be the best thing we do. There is a time for instinct and immediate response and there is also a time for prudence and analysis. When we are in the moment we often forget to think things through and we make mistakes; however, we often make good decisions. Telling the difference after the fact is important. Sometimes we need to rethink things 5 minutes later and other times it is best to wait 5 days before we second guess what we did. What makes this issue difficult is sometimes we wait too long and sometimes we don’t wait long enough. A quick apology without sincerity does not solve any problems and can sometimes make things worse. Waiting too long can often lead to the same result. Timing is everything in the world we live in and just like before we will get this wrong. In addition, just like before we need to realize our mistake to fix this. When we start second guessing ourselves It is important to think about situation and perspective.
Common Ground
All of us have something in common, opposites do tend to attract after all. What is important is that we find our middle ground and work out our differences from there. We often have the same object and goals as the people we argue with and equally as often we can learn something from them. There are multiple ways to attack a problem and usually just as many, if not more, solutions. Assuming our way is the only way is an awful way to work with others. It is important to make our points, especially on topic we are passionate about, but only a fool doesn’t stop to listen. A lot of times a blended solution to a problem is the best. Part of our way and part of someone else’s way is often the best solution. When we are stubborn and narrow minded, we surrender our ability to learn. No one is ever too old or too smart to learn something new. By finding a middle ground with one another we better not only ourselves but the people we work with as well.
Admit Mistakes
As stated earlier we all make mistakes, but we often fail to realize when we are in error. Being stubborn achieves nothing. We give up our opportunity to learn and to better ourselves. Admitting we are not perfect is not a glorious thing to do but it is important. It is hard to gain respect from others when we are unwilling to apologize to them when they are right and we are wrong. Thinking about situations in hindsight is important and dangerous. We must learn from what happened and from what we can do better but we also must be confident in ourselves. It is a hard thing to find a balance but it is important to do so. Life is a journey and we must take everything in stride. Work to eliminate roadblocks whenever possible and smooth them over with manners and courtesy when they occur. Admit when you are wrong and be forgiving to others when you are right. Think about other’s perspectives and make decisions that are rational and calm. This is easier said than done but at the end of the day making the effort to better ourselves is well worth the stress and embarrassment of mistakes and apologies.