when to pick a fight...

People fight over the strangest things.

But everybody fights.

You think that what I want to fight about is weird, strange or wrong because it's not what you want to fight about. I think what you want to fight about is weird, strange or wrong because I've decided what I'll fight about and what I won't fight about and your 'thing' isn't even on my radar.

"So who gets to decide what to fight about and what not to fight about?"

The people in charge.

Right?  And that's the bottom line.  That's the toughness.  That's the thing that'll make some stay and some go.  If they feel persistently 'strongly concerned' in an area that's not on your radar that's a recipe for dissatisfaction, dissent and--ultimately--disaster.

You need (I need) to continually work to be very direct, honest, open and even blunt about what you believe, what you hold dear and what you don't give a fig about.

The last thing you want is people wasting their time, talent, treasure, and love in a place that's not going to be a 'fit' because you have different fighting rules than they do.

I feel I've got a few fights brewing.  I feel kind of tired on the one hand but resolved on the other. My hope is to stay humble and very (very) honest throughout this process.  Plus, I'm going to do my best to remember the advice of my friend the 'shaman'...

(don't worry, I just interviewed him, discarded the silliness, kept to that which was good...)

"Don't take anything personally..."

Sounds Biblical.

'Cause it kinda' is.

Sharpening my fists and softening my heart over here kids...

T