Fairly Legal

A few weeks ago, on one of those nights I could not sleep, I came across a new television show, “Fairly Legal”.  It was a late night re-run of that week’s show.  I watched.   I can’t say I liked it tremendously.  I can’t say I thought it was particularly well done.  I can’t say there weren’t elements unnecessary and actually detracting from the basic premise.  But it was the show’s premise that drew me in. 

The main character is a young female attorney who prefers to do mediation.  She listens to both sides of an issue, or perhaps multiple sides of an issue, and comes up with solutions.  She creates win-win scenarios.  This young woman doesn’t say she is going to figure it out.  She goes way beyond a simple declarative.  She asserts, promises if she thinks it necessary, that she WILL find a solution.  She makes me believe it.  She makes me believe that she, in fact, knows there is always a win-win to be had, if only for the sincere, objective looking for it. 

Do I see that so much in real life?  I don’t think so.  But, boy, how I like the idea!  I like the idea that whether individually, or corporately, we approach problems with the absolute conviction there is a solution that will be agreeable to all involved.  Seems to me there would be some wonderful outcomes.  Obviously, life would have a lot less frustration, friction, animosity, and stress.  What’s not to like about that?  Who doesn’t want that?  It seems equally obvious, a lot more problems would be brought to resolution.  

You know what else I strongly suspect might happen?  I think problems would eventually be solved more quickly and efficiently.  You know why I say that?  Because I believe attitude is far more important than intellect, talent, whatever.  I look at our attitude/s as the teacher/coach.  Our mind is the student/athlete.  It does the hard work for us.  BUT, just as a good teacher or a good coach can motivate and bring out the best in students or athletes, so our attitude/s can guide and train the mind to be open to other possibilities; to be creative.  By contrast, I believe “all or nothing” thinking in effect constrains the mind. That overriding attitude gives the mind no permission to do what it does best, think and problem-solve. 

Remember the 1995 movie Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks?  You know, “Houston, we’ve got a problem.”  I do not know to what extent the movie depicted the actual issues encountered by the Apollo 13 mission.  What we have come to understand is the severity and critical nature of the problem/s the crew faced.  And we also know the very limited resources available with which to solve the problem and affect a safe return to earth.  But they had to work together.  They had to set their minds to cooperative problem solving mode.  Survival was at stake. 

I just wonder if we set our minds in the same way, with the same motivation, to find a solution, where might our lives be, individually and therefore in our togetherness?  NASA, in fact, termed the Apollo 13 mission a “successful failure”.  A “successful failure”.  Sounds awfully good to me!  Sounds like a lot of wisdom in two words.  I should be so concise…