COMPROMISING POSITIONS

We may hear phrases like, "Go with the flow"..."Don't be so stubborn"..."Why do you always have to stick to your principles?"...and the like. What do YOU do when faced with that cajoling, thinly veiling the underlying implication that your position is too rigid and should be cast aside?

I do not pretend to say that which is a principle for you, a truth for you is absolutely a principle or a truth for me. Certainty, except in foundational matters, is in the eye of the beholder. But YOUR principles are your principles.

Trust your instincts. You can recognize the difference between a preference for which you will yield on occasion versus a bedrock principle for which you would lay down your life. Throughout life we are faced with tension from others (and occasionally from ourselves, our "inner demons") when the temptation to set aside that which is right for us appears to be getting in the way of what other options beckon.

He who pushes you to abandon that which you hold dear may simply mean well and want company on his journey. But beware the alternative, the insidious invitation designed to separate you from your principles. One might think of matters of faith, honor, chastity perhaps. Each of us knows in our hearts how we define those positions for which compromise is not an option we would choose.

Compromise should always remain an option for matters of mere preference. But do not fall victim to the urgings of the misguided or the miscreant, but instead hold true to your own uncompromising positions.

TODAY'S QUESTION: What ideals or truths are you unwilling to compromise?

WIN BY LOSING

No, I haven't lost my mind. Like many of you, I enjoy my creature comforts and lifestyle perks. We live in challenging economic times full of societal upheaval. For many of us, the "rules" appear to have been broken. Good people are hurting, but instead of languishing in the pain of economic hardship, we collectively must strengthen the foundation upon which our lives have been constructed.

I am suggesting that you take a step away from your material world and close your eyes and imagine your world if your status symbols, titles, accolades and possessions were severely diminished or taken away from you.

Who would you be? Would you still be happy with yourself? Could you be? Certainly.

How would your friends and loved ones view you? Critical in that response would be the realization of who your real friends truly are. What about your spouse? Children? Parents? Would they still love you? Again, certainly.

Only you have the power to denigrate your personal power and potential to rebuild yourself. You spouse and children love you. Your intelligence and education, as well as your experiences, cannot be taken away from you. You must identify how much of your life you truly control. You must rewrite the rules while abiding by your integrity so that you can rise anew.

We often will not make critical changes in our lives until we are faced with crisis. Sometimes we can only win by losing.

TODAY'S QUESTION: If you lost every material possession and every mark of status, what would YOU be left with?

THE MYTH OF SPEED = QUALITY SERVICE

• If you were to visit a noted surgeon to have a delicate operation performed--especially upon an organ whose destruction would prove painful or incapacitating--would you be seeking "speed" from your surgeon?
• Are the most enjoyable visits with longtime friends the visits shoehorned between other pressing appointments?
• Would you describe as a factor in your most joyous and memorable interludes of intimacy the expediency of your partner?

If you answered "NO" to at least 2 or 3 of those questions, then you comprehend why the corporate mantra equating speed to the ideal customer/guest experience may be the very myth that I claim it to be. Don't get me wrong...I like my drive-thru at Dunkin' Donuts to be reasonably quick, and I run into Little Caesar's for a "Hot and Ready" for exactly the reason that the name implies, but there is a reason why Borders Bookstores have couches and cafes.

Additionally, there are still many of us who relish the human dialogue that occurs naturally when you make a purchase, mail a letter, or go on a date. I subscribe to renowned author Stephen Covey's notion that you cannot rush the harvest.

It may very well be that the very business leaders who tout speed as the equivalency of quality service may be masking the very lack of true sustainable quality in the service itself, or simply in the character of the speaker herself/himself. Authentic quality need not be set to an egg timer to be appreciated by its purchasers.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Are your most satisfying and relaxing personal experiences in life always...FAST?

THE MYTH OF THE 24/7 LIFESTYLE

You have seen this individual: always moving, always talking, always "connected" via various gadgets. Advertisers and futurists would have us believe that EVERYONE is living the 24/7 lifestyle. Images of smart phones buzzing at 3 a.m., text messages, email, PCs that are never powered down amidst the perma-glowing screen. Fast. Available. On the go.

Really? No, I mean REALLY?

Is that really what life is about? Are the seasons, the oceans, the mountains, the sunset, the full moon, streams, rivers, foliage, ski slopes, ponds...all created simply to be backdrops to concrete, glass and asphalt office parks? Certainly not.

Again, picture the individuals you see allegedly living this 24/7 lifestyle. Do they appear peaceful? Do they enjoy hobbies? How are their family lives? How are they faring physically? Beneath the steely veneer of being a "go getter" lies deep-seated insecurity. The whirl of activity and work may mask the individual's inability to relax, converse, bond, until viewed more closely...in slow motion.

At the hour of the final judgment, will the Creator look this one-dimensional corporate "titan" in the eye and exclaim "well done"? Or will the Creator look beyond the trappings of earthly life, and see the broken spirit that would have benefited from more friendship, more healthful living, more balance? This mystery is not for you and I to judge, but from which we can certainly learn to shun.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you choose balance or will you pay the price for life unbalanced?