This past week, I attended a course that focuses on preventing and managing undesirable behaviors.  As part of the exercise it stated:

Connect all dots using two lines:

.

.

.

Fairly easy. It creates a line.  Next was connecting two rows of dots, for a total of six dots.  The instructions read:

Connect using 4 lines:

.             .

.             .

.             .

It created a square.  Not too challenging just yet.  The last challenge was to still only:

Use four lines to connect 9 circles:

.        .        . 

.        .        . 

.        .        . 

Often inclined toward literal thinking, I initially believed that each dot should connect with every other dot, rendering the equation impossible. Overthinking and complicating situations, a tendency familiar to me, often leads to confusion. This inclination to dissect minutiae only at specific times of the day or to analyze human behavior can result in a multitude of interpretations.

This is where my passion for consultation and strategizing comes in. Recognizing that solutions often lie beyond the obvious, the ability to address people holistically emerges. Just as a puzzle's solution appeared evident once revealed, taking a step back to view situations outside conventional boundaries can lead to profound insights and connections that offer relief.