Not
For Sale
Dear
Associate,
"You're
disqualified..." the Judge ruled, "If you don't
reveal to me the person who suggested that you to talk with
the Test Speaker."
"I
will not," Ann replied.
"So
be it," was the reply back.
Ann
kept her lips zipped. Which ended her run to win the Best
Speech Evaluator contest in her district. If she would have
divulged her source she might have jeopardized lasting friendships.
And she would have secretly been labeled a snitch.
She
made her choice, yet it really wasn't even a choice after
all. She did the only sensible thing. She didn't sell out.
And in doing so she was declaring that she was "Not For
Sale."
Wow...
An
evaluator talking with the speaker is very common in her speech
club. In fact, they're supposed to get together. But this
was a contest and the rules are quite different. But nobody
in Ann's circle knew about the differences before that day.
The
powers that be not only wanted to enforce the rules—they
wanted Ann to rat on the innocent colleague who unknowingly
misinformed her. Sort of like rubbing salt on a wound. A mistake
was made and instead of gracefully moving forward they wanted
to make an example of someone.
Isn't
that what small people do?
I attended this contest. Besides her support group I didn't
notice anyone else giving positive regard that Ann did an
awesome job. She is a solid evaluator. But she was a little
put out by the sheer pettiness of how the situation was handled.
She confided that she will not compete in this contest again.
How
disappointing. All that talent quietly sitting on the sidelines.
But she will continue being active in her club. That's where
her loyalty lies.
By
keeping silent, Ann made a wise decision. She protected what
was important to her. It was really the choice between winning
an artificial tablet with her engraved name on it, or protecting
and sticking with close friends. Let's look at it this way:
One you can pawn away—the other can pay dividends for
life.
I
met with her two days later. She never even brought up the
subject. We had more interesting topics to discuss. You see,
she had already moved forward.
So
how do you handle those tough times?
Do
you lose sleep and whine about how unfair you were treated?
Maybe you threw your hands in the air and gave up all hope.
Or perhaps you decided to move forward and leave the small
pains where they belong—with small people.
Wherever
life finds you, it would be a mistake to focus on the hurts
and pains. Life is too precious and short to stay stuck in
misery. What happened has already happened.
You
have the chance to move forward. To improve your destiny.
To transform the negative into a positive. And, as in Ann's
case, to declare yourself "Not For Sale."
Warm
regards,
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