Zebra Think

Sometimes I read something (like the title of this post) and just break out with a huge inner smile. Consider this excerpt from a post by Therese Borchard titled Authenticity and Integrity: Two Spiritual Pillars..

I try to be subtle, nuanced, and horribly honest – so honest that my prose comes off sounding at times confusing and neurotic … much like my brain. I try to stay away from black and white as much as I can, because I know that the majority of my recovery exists n the gray.

I remember being interviewed for the “Hannity & Colmes Show,” back when it aired on the Fox News Channel. The producer was grilling me on the topic of women’s ordination. I think I must have said, “I don’t know … I guess I see it both ways ….” a few too many times because, with an annoyed huff, he said, “You are way too wishy washy for our show … sorry,” and hung up.

I took it as the highest compliment. Yes! My therapy has paid off! I no longer suffer from zebra think! I have been cured!

Sometimes people in our lives, even the ones not on the television, compel us to process life and issues with black and white "Zebra Think". And when we capitulate to them we often lose a bit of ourselves in our desire to be decisive and focused on issues that are important to them and not us. Did you catch that last part? Them and not us. So often our lives can be captivated by issues that are important to political punsters, narrow religious thinkers and people who care more about their opinions than yours.

I invite you to shed your mental zebra stripes today and enter elephant gray thinking.
And no, not the political elephant type of thinking.