Less Could be More

Ugh ... Group work ... There is nothing I dread more than a group of seven strong willed people trying to agree on something and maintain friendships.  After a two hour meeting, I needed to run badly.  I ran four miles and felt like I could have kept going forever.

I'm so incredibly happy I started running when I did.  It is always the same, and it always makes me feel better.  Every time, I put on my shoes, and running gear, prep my phone, and put one foot in front of the other, repeatedly.  No matter if I run one miles or six miles, I still experience the "running high."  Apparantly, this is part of what addicts people to running.  That incredible feeling of "I can do anything" you get immediately when you stop running.

I kept thinking today about our group meeting.  Seven people.  Four extremely engaged loud personalities.  Not a lot of room for compromise.  Two shy guys.  One seemingly indifferent, but always adding valid points.  I felt like we talked at each other for an hour and a half about an assignment that is ungraded.  There must be a better way to handle this.  I'm not sure why, but in undergraduate I always received amazing feedback from group members.  I feel like that is not so much the case here.  Before I set out on my run I sent an overly dramatic text a good friend:

Me: True of False, Group projects were designed to ruin your life.

Him: No one is dumber than the person that thinks they are smart.
Me: Thanks Buddha

Is it me?  It very well could be.  I think I'm smart and I have good ideas... Maybe I'm too aggressive.  I'm going to use this as a social experiment.  When we meet again Monday ... I am going to say as little as I can.  I'm going to switch to observing the situation and see how it works.  It's not how I'm use to acting in groups ... but maybe this group needs less of my thoughts all the time, and good thoughts when I really think they need to be brought up.

180 Miles Down 135 Miles To Go