In my previous blog, I made a commitment that this site would become a resource site for identifying problems and utilize subscriber interaction to find solutions.  I am committed to ending the rants that simply pick at the problem.  The content from that blog elicited a great conversation on my Facebook site.

As we deal with the issues of our day, it is obvious most everyone is frustrated with our economic situation.  Whether there is any one solution to the mess is quite debatable (see my Facebook conversation).  That said, there is an opportunity for all of us to learn and collaborate and grow in the face of this adversity.  The economic mess is a great challenge for all of us.  Right now, as people are losing their homes, their jobs, their retirement, and their minds, the discussions around the economy are highly charged and very emotional.   To that end I would encourage all of us to try three things as we discuss the pain, the challenge and the resolution to this mess:

1. Don’t look back:  This is a new day with new issues.  Whatever decisions, choices and policies that have been made cannot be undone.  We can only create and implement new ideas and new visions to the challenges.  Knowing what you know today, what do we need to do to really address the issue?  And, how will that really help?

2. Listen for the opportunity: Too much of our communication today is about listening to people from where they have historically stood or believed.  This enables us to shut down the conversation because we already know “where they are coming from.”  Change that.  Listen and explore the opinion, the thought, or the idea.  Discuss and truly listen for the opportunity to learn, understand and adapt to differing opinions and beliefs.  Of course,  that would require a commitment on your part to be willing to modify, not protect, your opinions.  Listening for the opportunity to develop an idea or solution through interactive dialogue is how great things are accomplished.

3. Take the time to listen to a different voice: We all have our favorite editorials, media voices, and information resources.  We embrace them because they reflect what we know and believe.  They speak our language in ways that effectively resonate with us.  In this time of turbulence, the opportunity to listen to a different voice and look for the opportunities in their message is very powerful.   These are unsettling times.  It is time we got a little uncomfortable with different perspectives and explored new viewpoints.  There is opportunity in opening up to the learning process.  (Kudos to Leslie Knowlton for this suggestion.)

As Leslie says, “Until each of us understands our individual contribution to the problem we cannot move the blockages we are currently experiencing.”  Let’s enjoy and embrace the opportunity to try out a different set of opinions and truly listen to and learn from them.