Picking Sides

It’s something many of us hate doing. And try to shy away from.

It’s easy to run with the illusion that we’re pleasing everybody.

When we’re not.

We often have to take a stand.

A stand – not in the dramatic/Hollywood sense.

But, a stand with regards to our values, how we choose to live our lives and who we choose to surround ourselves with.

And typically, when we take a stand, we are likely to piss some people off.

Of course, voicing open disagreement is not easy. It’s almost like confrontation.

But, there again, it’s not.

The problem we face here is that when it comes to people, we are likely to have a few around us who have a massive impact on our lives.

The choice few who will go to great (great, not any) lengths to help us become successful in our personal and professional lives and who will actually care for our happiness.

It generally calls for massive investments in sweat and emotion from these few people.

And that’s often when we need to pick sides.

Because, while we may be running around with the illusion that we have everyone aligned to support us.

The ones who actually do care.. are likely to feel alienated.

A little bit from everyone is almost always the wrong answer. (think: large committees)

Picking sides is risky.

Some risks, though, tend to be worth taking.

If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.