It's Not Always Right to Be Right

Chapter 13Bring On the Grilling

I don't know about you, but I am always amazed at the breadth of qualities and attributes possessed by others.

Dōgen Zenji was a Japanese Buddhist, priest, writer, poet, philosopher and founder of the School of Zen back in the 1200s. As a Zen Master, he was also one of the first to promote the practice of zazen — sitting meditation.

What appeals to me is his outlook on lessons derived from harsh truth and realities. As he said, ‘We must always be disturbed by the truth’.

We can gain insight from anywhere, and exceptional leaders will know where to find it.

Even if it's painful to do so.

THE MESSAGE

We all dislike being told off. It restricts our perceived levels of freedom, and although this sounds somewhat childlike, the older we get, the more it seems to piss us off. (If this is just me, then maybe you should skip this chapter.)

I know of no ideal way to handle being told off. At any age.

Do I push back? Should I question and challenge authority? Possibly argue with attitude? Could I play the victim card or go after the sympathy vote? Or maybe I just take it, let my eyes tear up and hope like hell it stops quickly. I imagine it depends on the situation and who's involved, but to be honest, I have little clue. This doesn't bother me, though.

What I do know is that many benefits come from getting a serve. (A grilling, roasting, scorching or whatever you want to call it.) There is always a golden nugget that comes from it. I'm not talking ...