“In the space between the positions is where you’ll find the solutions.” So said The Grasshopper yesterday afternoon.

Upon recording that thought onto my phone, I initially thought it was about compromising with another, but it’s much deeper.

Seems we all have positions on something and oftentimes they are just concrete assertions that leave little space for new information to occupy.

The new information just bounces off of us and isn’t considered when seeking a solution.

Having rigid positions, by definition, means less porosity for something new to get through.

There is space in even the most densely packed ideas. We just have to stop and take notice.

“Is there room for compromise?” is an often asked negotiating question. The space between the positions isn’t the space that’s between your proposal and my proposal that needs to be explored. It’s the space that’s inside each of our tightly packed positions that needs recognition.

It’s our internal space that we have control of, not the external space that exists between our divide with another.

The compromise isn’t with another; it’s with ourselves. We have to search for the space within us in order to be more open to finding a solution rather than what we normally do: defend a position.

It’s the space that’s contained in our tightly packed idea that needs to be explored. When you look through a magnifying glass at a picture in a newspaper, you begin to see that the seemingly solid picture is composed of many dots, all of which have spaces between them. The same is true of any assertion we make and/or defend.

Our compromise is with ourselves.

Find the spaces between your position first, and then you’ll be in a better position to find solutions with another.

All the best,

John