No Fault

“Don’t find fault, find a remedy.” ~ Henry Ford

I seem to find myself increasingly looking for the remedy as others find fault.  Tempers flair and reactions are quick and unproductive resulting in a nasty knot that seems  to have no beginning or end.  It’s a good thing I like puzzles and take pleasure in finding the remedy that allows all parties to keep their dignity and self-esteem intact.  Sometimes we become so caught up in our own situation that we can’t gain perspective.  Hands reaching out to help become threats and words offered with the best of intentions are tainted by the emotion of the moment.

Empathy is the foundation of my approach in these situations.  I work hard to see all sides, present them fairly, and help everyone else do the same.  Once we get there, the problem is usually pretty clear and a team approach to resolution prevails.  Goodness knows, it doesn’t always happen that way, but it seems to work more often than not.  Luckily for me, I had a team who wanted find a solution and they were willing to help each other succeed.

I thought about all this as I completed a few Zentangles this week – clearly I needed the perspective gained in working through the various tangles.  The Diva Challenge this week was to use the new tangle designed as a birthday gift to Maria from Rick called Assunta.  I used my sketchbook to get a feel for the tangle, it has quite a few nuances as you learn the strokes.  Even with the practice, I struggled with this one on my tiles.  Mine seemed to fall short of whatever it was I was holding as the ideal in my head.  Then I reminded myself, this is not about fault.  It is about moving forward from where you are and finding the remedy that feels right.  When you think of anything this way, it’s really not so difficult after all.