Driving around the United Kingdom, you will encounter the road phenomenon of roundabouts. If you are not familiar with this, it is a circle at the center of crossroads, where you yield, and if there are no oncoming cars from the right of you (yes, they drive on the left), you enter the circle and exit at the point of your choice. This is not the occasional roundabout found in the United States, but rather a multitude of them located at almost every main intersection outside the city center.
The beauty of this is that traffic flows. There is no need to sit at a light and wait, and it is all relatively orderly. It is very proper and works with effect since 1956 with the construction of the first ‘yield at entry’ roundabout. Upon the initial encounter, you may think, ok, this is interesting, and two minutes later, and seven roundabouts later, you are at this is all a little much. Give it time, and you become relatively comfortable and appreciative of the traffic flow.
Let’s add roundabouts in our loves beyond on the roads. Instead of abrupt stops, a mere pause will suffice when entering new relationships to take stock of any potential dangers. Roundabouts give us a break to reflect, and permit us to introduce ingenuity in our thinking. The brilliance is that you enter in one area, and then you can choose to exit at a different point, with caution, or even if uncertain, one could go full circle. Think of projects and initiatives—a similar concept. We don’t have to be abrupt yet; instead, take a less harsh breather and move on.
Like many things that we come to appreciate in our daily rituals, don’t knock something until you try it.
