Driving with the kids in Canada led to this question from my son. ‘Dad, why do you drive on the wrong side of the road in Canada?’ This led to a discussion about ‘wrong’ and ‘different’. But it has also led to lots of discussions about different words used to describe things – like pants and trousers. Different, not wrong or right.

After visiting nearly 60 countries and working in over 20, I’m convinced exposing ourselves to different ways of living, working, being, and seeing the world helps us ‘see’ differently. It can lead us to being judgmental, wanting to classify that which makes us uncomfortable as ‘wrong’. Or it can help us ‘see’ more fully, to have a richer life.

Sometimes change is easier when we experience many different ways of doing the same thing. It could be in a different family, community, department, or organisation. Change is uncomfortable, but that does not make it wrong.

This is not earth shattering insight. Most of us ‘know’ this with our minds. But not in our behaviours or way of living. We know that being uncomfortable can be a good thing and is part of change. And yet, we actively avoid it.

Perhaps it’s time for ‘knowing’ with our actions. For intentionally being uncomfortable so we can ‘see’ anew.

The choice is up to us.

Photo by Nick Fewings