Clean Lines and Chaos, What a Wonderful Lesson

There are people who find peace and contentment in the straight lines of order. They see the world in consistent lines and this allows them to navigate through the chaos of day to day life. For them everything has a place and there is a place for everything. Knowing where everything belongs brings them peace and allows their mind to then focus on other things.

There are others who find contentment in the adventure that chaos and the unknown provide. They thrive in scattered items, leave everything in a state of willy nilly and grand ideas arrive when the confines of order are thrown away. The not knowing is enticing and allows their thoughts to develop new ideas that push the boundaries of a conventional and orderly life.

In all my time of working with people I see that most of us are some combination of these two. Be it in our professional life or our private realm, we order our world in such a way that we are able to function at our best. The challenge comes when we interact with others who prefer the alternative to our own thinking or habits. Chaos breeds anxiety for some, while others never notice it. Some feel confined and strangled by rules and order, while others feel at ease and actually think better without clutter. The key is knowing which is your presences and how that impacts your professional and personal relationships.

Not everyone will be exactly like us, if they were how dull and grey this world would be. It is our differences that make things interesting and frustrating all at the same time. Knowing how to navigate those differences is a true skill that requires self awareness, the giving up of control and the wisdom to realize that the other person may bring out your best simply by being different than you.

So here’s to the square peg and the round hole and the lessons we all can learn when working together to reach a goal. A sanding down of our own edges brought about by the different ways others see things; what a glorious and painful way to learn to be a better version of ourselves. Where are your edges being worn down in order for you to be a better person?