Sometimes we cling to our decisions as if they belong to us. We take them personally and defend them as if our lives depended on it.
Yesterday, I made a decision about a particular course of action that needed to be taken at work. However, I made the decision with partial information. When additional facts emerged and my decision was challenged, I dug my heels in.
Time passed. I clung to my version, the right version, the one that was now set in stone. But I felt uncomfortable and irritated, seeking to lay blame elsewhere. Why could I not let go? Why was I still thinking about it? I called a friend, seeking agreement and validation. More time passed.
Then came clarity. I felt the familiar squeeze of pride in my chest and I recognized the ego. For a moment, the critic appeared. But she was quickly replaced by space in the mind and with the space came the openness for a different way, a modified course of action based on all the facts, and acceptable to all the stakeholders.
How do we remember to stay open and willing to be molded into the compassionate, responsive beings the world so desperately needs?