limits

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The past two days have left me with "there's a lesson in here somewhere" bouncing around in my head.  I think I've narrowed it down to something to do with tools we use - and take for granted - in doing whatever we do in a business setting.

It's no surprise to followers of Just A Minute that photography is one of those "things" I do.  Several years ago, I made the jump from eyeglasses to multi-focal contact lenses to aid with extended periods of outdoor nature photography.  The complicating wrinkle is that I can only wear the contacts for taking pictures - my prescription is that specific.  I'll spare you the details if you're willing to take my word for it.

Rewind to Saturday night.  The Great Easter Vigil is a liturgical event like no other Catholic Mass.  Knowing I'd be taking pictures for close to four straight hours, I decided to pop in the contacts for the evening.

I really thought I had it all figured out.  I planned ahead.  I was prepared.  I had my mirror, contacts case, eye drops, cleaning solution, and my eyeglasses to change into for the drive home.  I've done this many times, and had no reason to think things would be different.

Wrong.

I found out how wrong I was when someone asked me a simple question.

At this point you're probably wondering where I'm taking you with this little story.  The kink in the works was that the question had nothing to do with photography (the focus of my preparation).  It had everything to do with something I needed to read for my other role, providing liturgical support.

Did I mention I can only wear the contacts for photography?  Translation:  I can't read regular-sized print while wearing them without a pair of "cheater" glasses, which I never thought to bring with me.

This small change of wearing my contacts at St Matthias had consequences I had never anticipated.  

Eventually, the person asking the question understood what I was trying to communicate about my compromised sight.  She got a good chuckle out of having to read something out loud for me to give her the answer she needed.  Still, she had to endure some confusion with the situation until it became clear to her that I couldn't do something that would usually require little or no effort on my part. 

There's a lesson in here somewhere.

The Great Easter Vigil begins outdoors with the Blessing of the Fire.
Catholic Community of St Matthias, Somerset NJ
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Jane A. G. Kise's 12th Leadership Lens, Balancing Limits with Opportunities, takes on so much meaning when I think back to my marching days.  One thing in particular, though, sticks in my head and won't leave.

As mentioned in earlier posts, we had a great sense of loyalty to one another, and to the vision of being champions.  Particularly in the Saints Color Guard, the more adept we became at handling our equipment, the more we experimented on our own.

During breaks in rehearsal, or even before or after, it was common for members of different sections to "play around" with their flags, rifles, or sabres to come up with "work" - the movement and handling of equipment to match the music and a particular part of marching drill.  Discovering different movements or equipment positions was fun and exciting for us.  Execution of those movements required quite a bit of practice to perfect the work to a level high enough to include in competition.

At first, the limits on what would eventually make it into the competitive drill were set by our instructors.  Having a better sense of what it would take to achieve championship status was the wisdom they brought to the process.  By our final winter season, though, we, the marching members, had achieved a strong enough sense of balance between the opportunities for creative movements, and the limits imposed by the judging system, for us to choreograph much of the equipment work.

Did we succeed?  You bet!

A moment in the drill when simplicity spoke more strongly than equipment work.

Saints Color Guard, in our earlier days.
Interested in how my consulting services can help you
improve focus on leadership skills?  Contact me at parentehrg AT gmail.com.