Intent and Impact

I love it when sometimes a series of events leads to revelation. Suddenly seeing something in a new light or looking at things from a fresh perspective can be very jarring. I had just an "A-Ha" moment this week.

It had been a typically busy day. I went from patient to patient, evaluating problems, addressing issues, returning pages, and dealing with employee crises in between. On this day though a pattern would quickly emerge.

"I won't move to another office." I have been here long enough to not have to change."
"Doc, I changed my meds because what you told me to do wasn't working."
"I can't believe you forgot."

Everyone had issues of hurt feelings, frustration and misunderstanding. I couldn't quite wrap my brain around it. Was it a full moon? Was everyone on staff suffering from PMS? Then I attended a meeting that afternoon. Dr Scheff was leading a discussion where we were basically trying to solve the uninsured patient "problem" in our community. At one point he stated, "It is about a balance of intent and impact."

"A-Ha." That is really where we all are, isn't it? A patient intended to get her blood sugars lower, but the impact of her actions resulted in a fainting spell from hypoglycemia. A staffer intended to make more room for additional employees by rearranging assigned work spaces of current staff. The impact was confusion and frustration by others, perceiving they were not appreciated enough to keep their desk assignments. I worked really hard to plan a good birthday celebration for my husband. In doing so, I didn't get to the bakery in time to pick up his cake. The impact - He was disappointed that this special detail was forgotten.

The list could go on endlessly for pages as this scenario applies to every human, every day. Don't get me wrong. Our intentions can lead to actions that lead to good results, too. However it is the unintended consequences of our actions that can trip us up. The contented person, I believe, has learned to find some balance between intent and impact. Wouldn't we and our relationships be improved if we lived with this principle a little more consciously? I think, for myself, I am going to try to do better.