A silly math joke: there are 10 kinds of people–those who understand the binary system, and those who don’t.
You don’t have to appreciate the joke to understand the tendency to draw absolute lines. Yes/No. Either/Or. This/That. In/Out. With us/Against Us.
Binary thinking makes things simple. Two categories, no muss, no fuss. Cross my line in the sand and …
About That Line In The Sand:
The beach is really big. Are you sure it’s in exactly the right spot?
It’s kind of windy, and with the waves and the tide and all, your line seems sort of temporary. Will your line be there tomorrow, or next week?
Most of the “clear lines” we draw aren’t all that clear. People and issues mostly don’t fall into two neat categories. So here’s a good resolution as we move into 2017.
Beware Either/Or Thinking
When someone tells you there are two sides to an issue, it’s likely more nuanced. If they claim you have to choose sides, seek the other options.
Shades of gray. Different perspectives. Dialogue. Empathy. Hard work, but worth the effort.
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I’m thinking about this as we look toward FREEDOM TOUR ’17.
I wonder if people draw lines in the sand. I wonder if they say I’m not the kind of person who cycles 500 miles.
What if we could erase those lines that don’t exist anyway? What if we could help people understand that nobody is the kind of person who cycles 500 miles–until they are–and that getting there isn’t about stepping over some silly line?
What if we could help them know that you follow a dream by taking one step, and then another, and then another? That it’s about training, and nobody’s ready when they begin.
What if we could show folks it’s about Moving Toward instead of Already Being There, that no one ever really gets there anyway? Suppose we could show them it’s called “following” because it’s a journey and we’re all traveling the same path.
What if we could do that? Help folks to stop drawing lines about In or Out, Good Enough or Not Good Enough.
Following God-sized dreams isn’t about stepping over big obstacles. It’s about perseverance, doing small things, day after day.
How about a New Year’s Resolution to avoid needless lines? Maybe to show someone else that the lines are imaginary and they can do more than they imagine if they’ll just take the first step.
Might be a good way to expand the FREEDOM TOUR circle. Or start a conversation about Jesus.
I thought of Scott when I read this, Rich. No one knew, not even Scott, if he could pull off this world bicycle tour. Tough? You know it is! Yet there he goes, pedal by pedal, mile by mile. Thank you for being such an inspiration to him!