There Is Always Another Approach

In the Eye of the Beholder

Before

To me, it is an eyesore positioned smack in the middle of the family room. To my husband, it is a perfectly fine center channel, just doing its job within the surround sound system.

Concluding that my chances of relocating the speaker are slim, I decided instead to dress it up with a vase of artificial orchids. Several years pass. I glance at the orchids from time to time. I begin to dislike them almost as much as the speaker.

Then last summer – our 10th year in the house – we decide to do some updating and our remodel commences. After four months of construction, we’re pleased with the results and the reassembly begins. The piles of cardboard boxes containing our possessions give the appearance of having just moved in.

The TV and stereo speakers get reconnected. We place items on the newly painted shelves and decide to switch things up a bit. A different piece of artwork finds its home on the shelf above the TV.

Then Jess gets a brilliant idea: Suspend the center channel and float it above the TV. Two large zip ties do the trick, along with one black Sharpie® to camouflage. Voila! Eyesore gone.

After

Turn Everything Upside Down

What did it take to find a solution to our pesky little problem? In our case, it took turning the house upside down. It helped that before putting everything back together, we decided to do things differently. We wanted to freshen it up by hanging artwork on different walls and arranging photos on different shelves. If we had returned the same items to their original spots, we wouldn’t have seen that the center channel could be placed elsewhere.

When we looked again, the answer was right there. It makes us chuckle that after ten years the solution came so easily.

Look Again

We don’t have to go too deep with this story to get the lesson. It’s this simple: there is always another approach. If you don’t see it now, eventually you will. In the meantime, if you’re staring at the same obstruction, try moving some stuff around.

This Week’s Call To Action:

• Whether literally or figuratively, freshen up the space around a problem. How can you move things around? Even if not directly connected, making other changes will likely produce a positive domino effect.
• Who can help you have new eyes for an old problem?

What was blocking your view is no longer in the way.
The solution that once evaded is now evident.