Tuesday, March 03, 2009

More than One Way to Do It

I have a strange story for you today. Several years ago, I bought a little wall hanger that dispenses toilet paper rolls for the friend I stay with here in Jerusalem. It holds 6 rolls of toilet paper and 'presents' the bottom role for easy removal to put in the toilet paper dispenser.

The other day, I walked in to find that one of the fellows living in this apartment had put the toilet paper rolls in 'on end' - so basically 90 degrees off from how they should be fed into this dispenser.

I sighed and started to remove and replace the rolls 'correctly.' Suddenly I stopped and thought to myself, "OK, it's true... the rolls aren't in this thing right. But really.... who is it hurting?" I wondered why it is so important to me that the rolls be placed in there 'correctly.' The device still did it's job, although it probably held one less roll of paper than it would have if 'properly loaded.' Is that such a tragedy though? Probably not.

I decided to leave it as it was, as an exercise in understanding that not everything has to be done 'my way.' It might not be as efficient, but it still worked. I decided to relax and 'let it be.'

Many of us are attached to having things done our way. Lots of conflict between people, groups and even nations happens because of attachment to ways of doing things and ways of thinking.

What if we all work on letting others do things their way and let that be OK? What a concept. Simple, yet profound. It could change our world!

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