Head and Heart

Have you ever paid attention to the "inner workings" of a great team? There's always a core group of players who have a mastery over the game. They execute every move with technical perfection, they "get" the strategy, they read their opponents, and they consistently finish the job with predictable precision. They have the smarts and the muscle memory - and I call them the "head" players.

Then, there are those high energy wild cards, who go out there in an almost-reckless abandon - determined to use their grit, instinct and sheer determination to either win big or mess up bigger. These are the players who throw that hail Mary pass as the whistle blows - or score that overtime goal because they took a risk and tried something a little different. They are not the consistent, strategic, by-the-book players - they are the ones that are willing to lay it all on the line to follow their gut instinct. I call them the "heart" players.

I believe that every successful team - in sports, in business AND in marriage needs both head and heart players. No question - our home team has it's share of both... I am that heart player and Mark would be the consistent, reliable, strategic, methodical and deliberate head player. He reads every situation, maps out a game plan - and usually scores! I, on the other hand, rely heavily on passion and instinct - making decisions based on what feels right - living in the moment with more "Hail Mary" passes on record than I care to remember! Success is sweet, and the incomplete pass is...expected.

We recently made a few big decisions, that brought our "playing styles" to light in a big way... Good friends invited us on a cruise. 24 hours after we talked about it, we booked it...well, "we" being our friends and I. Mark would have preferred researching, comparing, studying and waiting for all stars to align. He likes time to strategize, analyze and internalize... while I just FINALIZE! The "head player" wants everything to make sense - while the "heart player" says, "who cares whether it's the very best option...it will be the funnest option because our friends will be there, and we have lots of reasons to celebrate!" My instinct says - this will be GOOD..."Hail Mary Pass" at its finest!

We recently bought a car...and all I can say is - thank goodness the head player dominated that field! Mark followed the car-buying playbook to a "t" and executed. I was thrilled with the results - especially because we ended up with the same car I had picked out in June...A few weeks before the car and the cruise decisions, our son decided to take a semester away from university study to pursue his banking interests and finish some on-line courses. I was entirely supportive, knowing in my heart that we had given him the foundation to make smart choices and knowing that - as in any recognized and respected co-op program, taking a few months away from classroom theory to put skills into practice is a good thing...Enter - "head player", firing up the debate over how things are supposed to be! Once upon a time, the playbook clearly said that after high school, you go to university, then get a job. That's the proper order and the right way...My alternative point of view was the equivalent of that annoying player digging in the corner, hoping to turn sheer determination into a goal on the scoreboard...I have no idea if I earned a point on this one - but what I DO know is that our son heard both voices on a level playing field and understands how important his decisions are to us...that's gotta be a win on some level.

I'm glad that our kids are being raised on a well balanced team. I'm glad Mark's sense is tempered by my sensibility and that my occasional "jump right in" tendency is offset my Mark's impeccable planning. I'm glad that our team can have a pretty solid play book, that allows for a bit of creativity, flexibility and the occasional crazy pass when we should have punted! I'm especially glad when Mark doesn't call me out when I'm offside or when I fumble - because, between the misses, this team executes some spectacular plays.

Time will tell whether our most recent decisions will bring home a win...but either way, the experience will help take our game to the next level!