The Secret To Success Is Watching The Flotsam Float By

We have two choices in our lives and careers.

1. To empower every nasty, ugly, rude or selfish person we encounter to get under our skin and permit revenge to become a major focus of our days.

2. To ignore the lion's share of these nuisances for the acts of petty and unhappy people that they are and free ourselves to use our energies and our brain cells to create, enjoy and think of the goals we can achieve.

I have learned over the years that option two is the only sensible choice. And though it can be difficult to let go of the people and the issues they purposely present to upset us, I have found a highly effective way to accomplish this.

Imagine yourself observing flotsam floating down a swollen river. There are sticks, branches, weeds, leaves and odds and ends of all kinds in the mix. If we get down into it, we get tangled up in the ugly mess and, in effect, become part of it. That's  when we decide to become active players in the lose-lose games of office politics and personal vendettas.

The other far wiser choice is to imagine yourself rising above it all, standing on a footbridge and simply watching the waterborne gunk pass by.

In all of life, we are tempted by ego, pride, anger and the like to engage in senseless battles and destructive relationships, when we are perfectly free to walk away. Over the footbridge, that is.

It is, in effect, the art of letting go. And when we master it, our lives/careers become more focused, peaceful, productive and happy.

We are no longer slaves to the flotsam.