"David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword"
- 1 Samuel 17
The opposition to bullying has been given appropriate attention in the modern age. When I was a youth, bullying took the characterization of a larger person physically confronting a smaller person. Times have changed.
Today, bullies take many shapes and forms: The boss who micro-manages his employees to the point of self-hatred, the HR lady who passive aggressively drives innocent employees out of organizations, the father who uses his children to fuel his empty ego, the straight A student who uses her intellect to dwarf the intelligence of others.
The wonderful thing about those who use false pretense as a means of authority is that their power is baseless.
I've never been the largest person on a team (usually the smallest), the smartest person in the room or the man with the most money. I take pride in that. I would venture to guess my namesake has given me the Underdog Mentality from the day I was born. I've learned through experience that the bully always ends up on the ground.
If that which motivates you is fueled by anger, revenge and/or a need to fix something from your irreversible past; you are on the wrong track. Decisions fueled by negativity only make bad things worse. Your anger backs up on you if you fail to address it, it multiplies if you use it against others. Passive aggression is a form of bullying, using a title as a positioning tactic is a form of bullying, using your intelligence to embarrass others is also a bullying tactic. You can be the smallest person in the room and still be a bully. If all you have is your hatred, you need to check yourself!
Each day is a battle... a competition... a great strife. It takes courage to take on each day. You must ignore negativity. The bully will always catch you off guard, they may embarrass you, but soon enough you will stand over them.
We often assess that which we are pursuing to understand if it is worth the effort. Indeed, it is meaningless to chase something that has no significant end-game. We do, however, need to investigate each day with the curiosity of a child and the willingness to learn from our mistakes. Otherwise, what are we fighting for...?
"There is Winning and There is Misery" - Pat Riley
What is your ambition?
I'm not talking about your occupation or even your motivation. We all face the mirror each morning, we all lace up our shoes and find a way to make it work.
Beyond That....
If you work each day simply to avoid making mistakes, you are wasting your precious time. If you play the game simply for the relief of not losing, the pursuit is joyless.
What do you want to do with all of your heart and soul? How would you develop the courage to behead the bully?
The thing that separates bullies from those who slay them is strength of ambition. If you want it bad enough, are willing to put the work in and challenge yourself to think differently.... you can achieve anything!
Bullies are always complacent. They gave up caring a long time ago and use each day as a temporary transition to get to their next altercation. Sooner or later, complacency gives way to complete and total demoralization and the giant is cast out into the forest alone, with no ability to recreate the temporary power he had but did not earn.
Your greatest courage comes from your genuine intent. Your ambition is driven by that which really matters to you. If you know what you are fighting for, you can slay any giant!
Slaying the giant is the easy part. Discovering your purpose....? That may take a lifetime. It's never too late!
Don't Forget to Remember!
Dave
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