Is This A Hill?
I am taking a break from spotlighting upcoming independent films today to bring a dose of inspiration.
I’ve been thinking about an old friend lately, one that imparted some great wisdom on me a mere 6 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and we worked together. I would step outside a few times a day to get some fresh air, and coincidentally she would step outside to smoke, making my gesture pointless.
But, she was funny and interesting so I always stayed and listened to her talk. Her name was Margie and she was in her 60′s at the time. She was a veteran of sales, great at her job. But she knew nothing about technology. So she taught me the tricks of the trade and in return I would teach her how to keep up at work with the latest technology as she was always afraid she was one mistake away from getting fired for being “too old” to keep up.
As a hormonal pregnant woman I would get so mad to think that the company might let her go because of her age. “You need to fight, don’t let them get the best of you” I would say to her. She would just smile and smoke her cigarette. One time I heard that they had taken some of her accounts away and given them to a younger less experienced sales person. I’d get so mad and ask her why she didn’t fight for her job. She would just smile and smoke her cigarette.
A few weeks passed and I found myself in conflict with my boss. I was angry and wanted to lash out, let her know how I felt. Let her know that she wasn’t doing right by us and demand justice. Margie could tell that I was furious and pulled me aside, “let’s get some air,” she said.
We stood outside and she smoked as I tried to calm myself down. “Do you want to know why I don’t let this stuff get to me?” she said finally. “If I got mad every time someone did something stupid or wrong, I would be six feet under by now. So, anytime I get to feeling like I’m going to explode I ask myself one simple question, “Is this a hill I want to die on?” Cause if it’s not a hill I want to die on, then I need to walk away, simple as that.”
It sounded simple. I know I had been given similar advice over the years such as “Be a bigger person” or “Don’t sweat the small stuff” etc. But for some reason, on that particular day, I took that advice with me and I’ve never let it go. I take it with me everywhere and I always ask myself in every situation before I open my mouth and unleash a train wreck, “Is this a hill I want to die on?” Almost always, the answer is no. Thanks Margie for your words of wisdom. You have inspired me for life.
