“A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?” Barbara Moore

((The Steampunk Tarot, Moore and Fell))

Friendly competition is fine but be sure to keep an eye on it; if competition turns ugly, make sure you remember why you entered in the first place. Ask yourself questions such as

• What will I actually win (or lose)?
• What happens if I don’t (keep fighting)?
• What is the cost of the battle?

We can become so embroiled in the battle, so focused on “the win,” we may lose sight of the original goal or intention. We are taught “NEVER GIVE UP!” and that is truly lousy advice. (Don’t believe me? Google Pyrrhic victory, and get back to me.) We should be teaching (and learning) to assess as we move along, and recognize the walk away point (if there is one) as well as opportunities for improved positioning (if they exist). Discretion remains the better part of bravery because it allows you to fight another day.

TAKEAWAY: Choose your battles wisely.

((All images courtesy of Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy of Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy of Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy Google Images and Facebook.))

((The Steampunk Tarot, Moore and Fell))

Whether we realize it or not, people are always taking things from us – our time, our energy, our ideas, our office supplies, etc. – and most of the time, we really do not care. Most of the time, we allow our time and energy to be lost, our ideas to be stolen, and we just pick up a different pen, not a big deal…but maybe it should be a big deal. Maybe, just maybe, we should require a better standard of behavior from those around us.

Of course, we would have to start at the source – we would have to behave better ourselves. We must be the change we want to see.

We are all thieves, each and every one of us, and if we want people to treat us differently, we must first behave differently ourselves. We must value time as the ultra-precious resource it is. We must respect our own needs as well as the needs of others. Create a culture of mindfulness around you by not only being mindful yourself but also being patient with those around you as they learn to be mindful as well.

And while it is true some people will never embrace mindfulness, do not allow them to stop you from trying; do not sacrifice the changes and improvements that can be made because of the ones that cannot.

It does not matter if you cannot fix the entire problem, every little bit helps.  

((All images courtesy Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy of Google Images and Facebook.))

((All images courtesy of Google Images and Facebook.))