Raising the Bar in 2011

It is official. 2011 is now here. The first day of the new year and of a new decade is no longer knocking at the door but is inside our "house" and is settling in for a long stay. The question that remains, of course, is what kind of visit will it be. Will it be one filled with acts of kindness, productivity, good deeds and advancement? Will it be one highlighted by needless bickering, selfishness and self-serving behavior? Or will it be one that contains acts from both columns? If history is any indication, my guess is we will see it all. There has never been a time in our nation's history or, for that matter, the history of the world when acts of good will and not-so-good will have not occurred at the same time. As a species, that is what humans do. It would help, of course, if there was a universally-accepted definition of what acts constitute "good" and what "bad." People can and do disagree on this. Individuals tend to rationalize their behavior in a positive way even if the majority of others do not agree with that perspective. Thus, at least initially, we tend to view everything we do and even feel as being "good" or making sense. Usually, the label "bad" comes into play in our assessment of the actions and views of others.

I do not see this reality changing in 2011 or in any other year for that matter. Given that, the question then becomes what can be done to increase the amount of positive behavior in our world while decreasing the conflict that arises from differences in interpretation over what is good and what is not? For me, as always, the answer is found in effective communication. There is nothing wrong with having perspectives on various matters, including behavior, that run counter to how others might view something. Conflict and misunderstandings often occur, however, when we fail to adequately explain the reasons behind our thoughts and actions and when we fail to try and better understand the perspectives and justifications of others. Doing so will not eliminate disagreement, but raising the bar on our efforts to explain and understand will, by definition, make for smoother interactions and encourage efforts for people to seek common ground with each other.

I do not know anyone who does not wish to better times for themselves and for others at the start of a new year. We all, on some level, want to "get along." Unfortunately, in big ways and little ways at times our own perspectives and justifications get in the way of connecting with others. For 2011, I hope all of us can raise the bar - at least a little bit - in two ways: our efforts to achieve a better balance between how we view our behavior and perspectives with how others view theirs; and how we turn that enlightened awareness into results that not only improve our ability to get along but also advances our desire and need to be part of positive strides in the world.