In August, I went to Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. to attend the amazing concert “Goat Rodeo Sessions,” the latest in creative ventures for Yo-Yo Ma and Friends. This particular group of musicians decided to make music together, each bringing their own style of music to the project; classical, Appalachia, bluegrass and a bit of Celtic. Their intention, I assume, was to discover the consistent thread between all of them that would have an outcome that was interesting and beautiful to listen to. The group decided to call it “Goat Rodeo Sessions.” I had never heard that term before, so I looked it up. According to the urban dictionary, goat rodeo refers to “a chaotic situation, often one that involves several people, each with a different agenda/vision/perception of what is going on; a situation that is very difficult, despite, energy and efforts to instill any sense of order into it. “
Ever since I saw “Goat Rodeo Sessions,” I’ve been thinking about all the experiences in life that feel like a goat rodeo. Mostly what comes to mind is how families are so much like a goat rodeo! This is probably especially true at this time of year. As kids return to school, families are faced with new schedules that are often overwhelming and confusing. Our lives can feel chaotic and disruptive as everyone involved is making “efforts to instill any sense of order into it.”
I think a few simple ideas can help us to make the transitional going back to school time less stressful, so that you don’t feel like you’re going to get kicked by one of those goats! Running a family is very much like running a business (except hopefully a few more hugs and a whole lot more love!). Creating a structure that includes a family vision is an insightful and inclusive way to graphically illustrate what you want to “see” for your family’s health and well-being, in all areas of life. It’s a simple strategy and can be utilized by all ages of family members.
Just get a poster board, gather a group of magazines, some glue sticks and beginning cutting and pasting on to the board images that reveal how you want your life to look and feel. What kind of experiences, thoughts, values and priorities does your family have? How do you want to make the picture on the vision board exist for everyone, so they feel that their voice is being heard, their vision is important and valued? It’s a great tool to use for parents as well. Being on the same page with our life expectations simplifies our life, offering us direction and clarity. “Goat Rodeo Sessions” is a beautiful example of how we can create something awesome out of something chaotic. We just have to have the vision and the commitment to work together.