Tug of War.

Original oil painting, Yes Versus No, by Secret Seed Art.

Well, I learned an important lesson this past week…for the fourth or fifth time. It’s a tough lesson to learn, which is probably why I’ve needed a few do-overs before fully trusting it as a reliable guiding principle, but this time, I think it finally stuck.

Occasionally, as a small business owner, a sticky situation arises and I’m confronted with the difficult choice of fight or flight? Now, I’m not the kind of girl to puff out her chest or take offense easily, but like anybody, I can get my feathers ruffled from time to time, and the desire to fight back and defend myself quickly rises from the depths. Blinders go up, and all I can focus on is my adversary. My pulse accelerates, blood rushes to my cheeks, and my palms get clammy. Before I know it, professional has become personal and, in the tug of war that inevitably unfolds, all I care about is my fistful of rope and beating my opponent.

Blam! and Kapow! eco-friendly pillows by Diffraction Fiber.

I pull and pull, blisters begin to show on my fingers, and then, just when I think I’m gaining a few inches, the relatively inexperienced pilot in me shows up, takes her seat in my mental cockpit, and reminds me that flight may be much better option. For whatever reason, fight seems a lot more dignified than flight in the heat of the moment, but as I have learned, that assumption is inherently flawed. Fighting requires an enormous amount of energy and focus. You can’t turn your attention away even for a second or you’ll lose ground.

Girl Airplane Pilot Wall Decal by Graphic Spaces.

In the end, I chose flight this week. I dropped my end of the rope and raised my little white handkerchief, and funnily enough, within seconds, felt completely relieved. Sometimes, when in the throes of a tug of war, the best line of defense is just to let go.  And with the help of a little disinfectant and some Band-aids, I was back to new, and happy to swear off ropes and tugs now and forever.

Heartwarming Love Wins tee by Elefint Designs.

Filed under Blackbird Diary, Heavens to Etsy |