The place where two roads meet is often the beginning of a small town. Add a stop light and you have one for sure. Roads aren’t the only kinds of intersections we have in our lives. They occur between business partners and opposing priorities, even spouses encounter places where their past experiences intersect in their new union. There is also a degree of intersection that takes place between the misaligned forces in our life. Just as with roads, the point of intersection is not always perpendicular.
How do you handle points of intersection and competing forces? How can we work with people and agendas that are headed in different directions than we are? Success also means being able to navigate a world full of people that have differing views than we do. It’s important to examine your inner self ahead of time, to prevent a head-on collision when your paths eventually cross. Even though I am a competitive person, I have learned that winning isn’t always the best outcome. If I can work with people that are not traveling in my same direction, the best outcome may simply be that we both walk away from the interaction unscathed. I’m okay with this, and neither of us needs to be damaged from the interaction. Too many times highly passionate and competitive people feel like every interaction must lead to a victory.
Are you currently working with people in your life that you don’t completely agree with or align with professionally? How have you managed to navigate your joint goals and are they helping you or hurting you?
Our lives intersect with all types of people, and I must confess that when I first came out, I found myself gravitating to LGBT people more. Lately, I have found my perspective circling back around. I try to value every intersection that occurs in my life. Some because they are new clients and my business is growing and others because of the personal connection we have. More and more this has nothing to do with their social politics or relationship preferences. I suppose I benefit from being able to blend well, and I’m quite sure that many people I encounter don’t even consider the fact that I could have a husband.
This blog is part of a series from the book Discover Your Best Life by Mike Hintz. His personal, professional, and spiritual growth tools are also featured in Northlink Retreats. If this topic resonates with you consider reading the book or attending one of the upcoming retreats.