A colleague commented the other day that he was getting mixed messages.    I thought about it for moment and then responded, “life is a mixed message”.

Basically it had just occured to me that day in and day out living lacked clarity.  I think that is good.  Sometimes I can complain and in the next breath complement. This is not a mixed message it’s just living the moment.

Confused, you should not be.  I am pretty sure everyone experiences uncertainty at one time or another.  It is just part of the human experience.

What to do?

We don’t know everything and if anyone did, well, where’s the fun in that.  The reality is often conflicting views can exist simultaneously and both be valid.

Most things are part of a balance and the way to navigate through the mire is to manage the balance of things.  That is take control, drive to an answer that sucessfully balances the conflicting facts.

Don’t let others confuse you, most importantly don’t confuse yourself.  Weigh the information, consider the impacts of various views and resolve the mixed mesages by taking a stand.

The key

Others cannot confuse you unless you allow it.  Question and probe the points that seem at odds to each other.  Check your understanding of the information share.

Maybe it really makes sense and is not a mixed message; maybe it is not even a message.

The bottom line in this post is personal accountability.  You are accountable for recieving and acting on messages directed to you, so don’t let them be mixed.