Measured

 We had an assignment this week to use a word to describe ourselves. I gave this some thought and the best I could come up with was "measured" as in how I respond to life, not so much in terms of "measuring tape." Throughout my life I think I've been measured in my responses to problems, the way I look at life, the way I undertake new projects, etc etc. I study, analyze, and execute. Some might say I execute too quickly, but usually that's because I've looked at the other avenues for moving forward and take the best option. Conversely, few have ever claimed I suffer from paralysis by analysis. When I look at the major and minor decisions that make up my life, enlisting in the Army, foreign exchange, college, MBA, the jobs I've taken, the jobs I've left, the lady I married and how we make our lives, I don't react out of passion or jump to quick conclusions. We always have a safety net but we move forward. So I think the word "measured" works for me. 

Having this attitude also plays well in the environment within which I work. My organization trains personnel for work in the petrochemical and oil refining industry. If you have never worked in this industry before, you might be surprised by how formulaic, constructed, and procedure driven it is. Having worked in the Army, Construction, Fashion, and Video Capture, this more than any other industry, has the most stringent safety training demands and safe work culture. Being measured and calm means that I work well with our training audience who live by procedure and process. 

At the moment I am seeing that my two sons have varying degrees of this trait in them. My oldest son, who is about to turn 15, is dispassionate to the point of laziness. He can achieve if he tries, but he chooses to sit back and watch others. He analyses everything and could be a victim of do-nothing from over analysis. My other son, who is 11, is the epitome of passion. In sports he plays with reckless abandon, in life he angers quickly, and has a hard time controlling emotions. I find that I try to imbue the opposite traits in both of them. For the 15 year old I try to instill impetus to do something. For the 11 year old I work to help him control his emotions. Through both of them I see aspects of that "measured" trait I have but to different degrees. 

There are times that I am criticized for my lack of verve and motivation, but really it's just that I am very calm and measured. I'm also criticized for working too independently and not working as a part of a team. For me, teams seem to get bogged down in analysis, much of which I think I've already done. Not a perfect way to work through life, but so far it's been successful for me and my family. 

So "measured" it is.