Being a Giant

 Everybody chooses what kind of person they are going to be.  Are they going to be willing to make a stand when it counts?  Or are they going to be pushed over?

I think... in life we have to decide what kind of people we are going to be.  There will be situations where we have to make a choice about whether we are going to make a stand.  Sometimes it pays to let things go, but if that is our defining characteristic- that we never make a stand even when it's something worth making a stand for, then we will never get anywhere.  How can you tell the difference?  You need to look at the big picture.  How will making a stand here, or letting this go, affect the kind of person I become?  Is making a stand here going to have a significant role in where I end up?  

I remember a situation, where I was kind of screwed over by the court system of Idaho.  I sent the letter about the ticket, including money for the fine, in a timely manner.  They conveniently misplaced it, and didn't "find" it until I called them about the letter they had sent me about the fact that, according to them, I didn't pay their fine.  They didn't offer to send the letter to the judge or offer to help me.  Now in hindsight, part of me regrets not forcing the issue.  I do have to remember though- as annoying as how it worked out was, the truth is I probably was only going to get $20-$30 back from my fine.  Would that have been worth the fight?  That's hard to say.  I admit it- rather than press them about the crap they were feeding me about how they didn't receive the letter in a timely manner, I just let it go.  And truthfully, I can honestly say there wasn't much at stake there.  That probably wouldn't have been worth the fight.

On the other hand, right now I'm in a fight to get my therapeutic needs met.  The agency I'm working with is trying to tell me I can't see an outside therapist, when the therapist they set me up with was useless.  I think, in this scenario, it is ABSOLUTELY worth the fight, because it is my own mental health that is at stake.  I'm going to fight tooth and nail to get the therapy that I actually need.  I can see that the treasure on the other side of me getting this need met is no small thing and I've got to get this need met.  Can you see the difference?  It's the size and scope of the treasure.  If you can evaluate the end result, you can make an effective decision about whether something is worth fighting for.  If something is worth fighting for though, if you don't fight for it, you are no giant.  You are a coward.  But if you fight for the things that matter, then you can be a giant, which I would hope everyone would aspire to.  Whatever you want in life, you should fight for making your needs get met and for becoming the type of person that people will really be grateful to have around.  Be a giant.  Stand for what is right.  Don't let others push you around when it comes to principles and things that are really important.  Let go of the unimportant things.  Be a giant.