No Need To Argue-It's Gone Now!
I came across a somewhat humorous story last week about New Moore Island, a tiny rock island in the Bay of Bengal. For 30 years India and Bangladesh have argued about who should control it. Now, due to rising sea levels over the past 30 years, the island has disappeared under water. Thirty years!
It made me think about the things I argue about-or at least wrestle with finding agreement-and how trivial many of them are when you look at the "big picture." I started making a list of questions to ask that would help me decide if a "rock island" (decision) was worth fighting over-or not. I came up with...
- Will the outcome negatively affect my integrity?
- Will the choice cause unnecessary harm to anyone? (Hurting my pride doesn't count)
- Which is more important-the relationship or the decision?
- Does it violate my purpose or governing values?
- Will the outcome of this choice matter in 10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years? (From 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch)
- Am I just trying to BE right, or am I looking at WHAT is right?
I wish I had thought this way more often over the years. It would have saved me from a lot of wasted energy trying to conquer a sinking hunk of rock. What questions do you ask when trying to decide if something is worth fighting for?
