( Who’s distracting you from your goals, and why are you letting them?)
3/1/2015 (c) Graveyard Press
By Deacon Gray
20 years ago I had certain goals in the community. BY goals I don’t mean a status I wanted to achieve, status inside the community is an illusion, no, I had things I wanted to accomplish. Some of those goals have been met, and turned out well, some into a bad direction. Some of those goals got left behind, but the goals I resent not achieving, the most are the ones I allowed myself to be side tracked from. I have allowed myself to get drawn into the bickering, the name calling and such, but what did it serve but to make myself look childish? Was it ultimately a good use of my time?
Each day we spend a lot of time, killing time. Sure some people have more of that time than others, but we all have it, if you are on facebook you can’t really deny it. Yet how often is pursuit of those goals put on the back burner for something silly or all out ridiculous? How often have you spent a great deal of focus and energy on some argument, or debate that really didn’t lead to any growth or development?
Recently we have seen an increase in the total amount of distractions with in the community. I find it easy to be drawn into the debates, I like to discuss things, to work past the conflict and meet resolution. My very path is based on doing exactly that, even if conflict first has to be met in order to be re-directed. Still, how much time is wasted in doing it?
Most of these conflicts we are seeing either based inside or outside the community are only holding our attention because we personally put in the energy to keep them going. We the same conflicts being ruminated over, and regurgitated on post after post, group after group, and to what end?
Ask yourself, honestly, what is your goal within your community? Did you go there to learn, to meet people, to interact with your fellow seeker, or to bicker over little things? It’s your time, how are you using it?
Consider how using your energy in this manner has helped you. Has it helped you at all? All the way around the level of respect others have for us drops as we bicker. The outsiders aren’t going anywhere simply because you gave them an energetic way to pass the evening. In the end what is gained?
If you have an agenda, someone you are targeting, or if you have enemies in the community or among those surrounding it, where is your energy really going? Is it toward you goals, or is it wasted time you won’t even remember next year?
I don’t expect everyone to get along, I know I won’t get along with everyone, I never have, but I do ask that when you find yourself engaged on day two, or even hour two over the same stupid topic, that you consider how it works toward your goals. Ask if it perhaps works toward someone’s goals that aren’t even in line with your own.
Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by contentious people, there are better things to spend your time on. I know it isn’t easy, it isn’t easy for me either, but vendetta’s just waste your time. Respect isn’t gained by being a bigger mouth, it is gained by doing bigger things, but having goals and reaching them.
My friends whether its politics, or community or any number of pursuits, there will be distractions. We will be pulled into those distractions but it is up to us to see when it is getting in our own way. There is a time to take your own path and follow it away from pointless bickering and confrontation.
The Graveyard Press 