Circles, Circles Everywhere!

CIRCLES, CIRCLES EVERYWHERE!

On our way home from school last week, my 13-year-old son started asking me about geometry. The shot of adrenaline that instantly went into my stomach was eerily familiar to a feeling I had my sophomore year in high school. Day 1, 3rd period…GEOMETRY!!!! Being the outstanding parent I am, my answer was quick, concise, and accurate. “That is a question for your mother my friend.”

It isn’t that I don’t like geometry. Who doesn’t like the word dodecahedron? Oh, you don’t know what that is? “That is question for my wife, my friends.” Geometry is all around us. Shapes and objects are everywhere. We may not all know how to measure it, but we can’t live a day without experiencing it. My favorite shape is the humble circle. No beginning, no end. It just is. Circles are also used as excellent examples to help explain things. The circle of life. A circle of friends. Venn Diagrams. I’m so sorry. Did I lose you on that last one? A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles or other shapes to illustrate the logical relationships between two or more sets of items (thank you to Google for helping me explain that better than I ever could). I’m sure you’ve seen them before.

My dear Tribe of Up friends. This week, if we were to talk about these 3 circles like this…

1. Important things to do.
2. Urgent things to do.
3. The most important people in our lives.

Do you see that part in the middle where all 3 circles share space? Who in your answer to circle #3 would be in that part of the area? That is to say, when thinking of urgent and important, who are the most important people in your life? Here is the follow-up question. Shouldn’t those people, the people who share space with all 3 circles be in their own circle?

My friends, if we aren’t careful the lessons we all learned from 2020 and the forced slow-down “The Vid” dropkicked on us will all-too-soon be forgotten. Take a moment and think about those people mentioned above. Call them. Reach out to them. Let them know why they are in the innermost part of your most important and urgent geometry. Make them a new circle and treat them with the reverence they deserve. Lastly, I would challenge you to continually make new circles. Let geometry be your friend, not your adversary. Make beautiful circles and let those inside those circles know why you think them beautiful. Circles, circles everywhere indeed!

Steve Gwisdalla is a personal and professional coach helping people love geometry. He is also the Chief Circle Officer in the Tribe of Up. Reach out to him at steve@betterplacemgmt.com
and let him know about your circles.