Tonight I was reminded that we are all made for each other. Human beings are made to interact with each other. To work with one another. To inspire and bring forth ideas and strengths to share with the world.
My friend, Andy and I met tonight to discuss an event we’ll be leading next week. We only met for a little over an hour, but during that time some exciting ideas and plans came out for the event.
The great part of tonight’s meeting was that it was apparent that Andy and I are different types of people. But even with our differences we were able to collaborate with each other, drawing from our experiences and creativity to work towards a singular goal.
Some key points I got to take away from our meeting tonight were:
Be Humble
Wisdom and expertise can come from just about anyone. Andy is almost a decade younger than I am, but I respect his wisdom and expertise in areas that I lack. He’ll be sharing his musical abilities during the event, I’m grateful because I’m musically challenged in every way.
I simply shared my thoughts and ideas of how we could incorporate music and Andy with his expertise, was able to really fine tune and expand on the ideas. Ultimately making the ideas more solid.
Allow Ownership
Prior to meeting tonight, we both did some pre-planning. When we finally met, we shared our ideas that we came up for the event. As we shared our ideas, very organically we embraced one another’s ideas and helped it to grow.
Where we individually were able to take the idea so far, when we shared and allowed the other person to take ownership of the idea. The idea was surprisingly changed to something better than the original.
It was when we allowed each other to take ownership of the idea and really take it to the next level using our experiences and expertise did we see the ideas become more clearer and focused.
So many times, people will get so protective over their ideas, that they won’t allow it to grow through the tending of another person’s care.
Iterate While Moving Forward
As well as the meeting went tonight, I felt that there were moments where we could’ve gotten caught up in the excitement of the idea and how it could go in so many ways or just fixate on a problem. When I felt that we were losing momentum in moving forward in the planning process, I simply reiterated the step in the plan, shelved it for later discussion and moved on.
I’m the type of person to fixate on a problem, literally trying for hours to figure out a solution. I’ve learned that sometimes, I just need to shelve an idea, step away and come back to it later. Momentum is what keeps ideas and meetings moving forward. Iterate till you can’t iterate anymore, don’t get caught up on an idea or step, simply shelf it for the time being and move forward.
The goal is to move forward and not stand still. After all, you want to respect your friend’s time.
Connect
Tonight I was reminded that we can achieve great things when we realize we were made for one another. Not in the romantic sense, but in the sense that we can share our experiences and knowledge and collectively bring forth good into this world.
Walking away from the meeting I kept picturing two puzzle pieces joining perfectly together. Individually the pieces are incomplete but when joined together, the pieces begin to make up a bigger picture.
I wonder how many times throughout my everyday life, I miss the chance to connect with another person. A person that I can work with in creating good. People I sit next to in public places, talented folks I work with day in and day out, loved ones whom we fail to see their full potential.
Who are you connecting with? Could it be possible that in the very moment in which you come in contact with another person, that you were made for that person? Doesn’t have to be for a long period but simply that moment to bring forth good into this world.