These words came to mind when I was thinking about how two people can look on the same thing and have quite different reactions and responses.  It turns out they’re from a Christmas song from The Little Drummer Boy.

One person looks at how things are and sees a hopeless situation.  Another looks and sees an opportunity.  One thinks they see the answer – at least the conclusion but the other sees a question..  One is travelling away from something, the other is traveling towards.

The ability to see something for what it is allows what Roy Baumeister might call aacrystalisaztion of discontent”** to take place.  Instead of being like other hopeless situations, it becomes memorable and meaningful.’^

This moment of seeing, which is elevated, insightful, masterly and connecting, doesn’t come from out of the blue but from a lifetime of living in a particular direction.  It’s simply a moment of realignment to our future hope.

Edgar Schein offers an insight for this clarity of seeing:

‘The critical thing is not to stereotype the situation even if it looks like something familiar.’**

What do you see?

(*From The Little Drummer Boy.)
(**Roy Baumeister, quoted in Chip and Dan Heath’s The Power of Moments.)
(^From Chip and Dan Heath’s The Power of Moments.)
(^^From Edgar Schein’s Helping.)