“The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities … . It is best to win without fighting.”- Sun-tzu (~400 BC) Chinese general & military strategist on how best to achieve a surrender
Today’s SFZ
HOW WE CAN WIN WHEN WE OPT NOT TO FIGHT –
“Surrender and ac-
ceptance open the door
to unity. As our trust in a
Higher Power grows, it gets
easier to let go of our personal
desires and stop fighting for
what we want. With an at-
titude of surrender, work-
ing together … becomes
easier.” (It Works, How
& Why, p. 95)
When have you chosen not to fight and surrendered to a situation, place or thing, lately?
Jamie Foxx ft. Justin Timberlake-Winner (4:15)
The Art of War – Sun Tzu (2:30)
The Ignorant Man
There was a village in a kingdom. There was living a milkman. His name was Deenu. He had built his hut far away from his village, in the woods. [L]oved the quietness of the woods rather than the noisy atmosphere of the village. [And] lived in his hut with his two cows. He fed them well and took proper care of them. Everyday he took the two cows to a nearby lake to bath them. The two cows gave more milk. With the milk that the two cows gave, he earned enough money to live happily.
Deenu was an honest man. Though he was content, at times he would be restless. “There is so much wrong and evil in this world. Is there nobody to guide the people?” this thought made his sad every now and then.
One evening, the ignorant man, Deenu was returning home after selling milk in the village. He saw a saint sitting under a tree and meditating. [S]lowly walked up to him and waited for the saint to open his eyes. [And] was happy to be with the saint for some time. He decided to wait there itself till the saint opened his eyes.
…
After a while, the saint slowly opened his eyes. He was surprised to see a man patiently sitting beside him.
“What do you want?” asked the saint humbly.
“I want to know what the path to Truth and Piety is? Where shall I find Honesty?” asked Deenu.
The saint smiled and said, “Go to the pond nearby and ask the fish the same question. She will give you the answer.”
Then as asked to do, the ignorant man, Deenu went to the nearby pond and asked the same question to the fish. The fish said, “O kind man! First, bring me some water to drink.” Deny was surprised. He said, “You live in water. But you still want water to drink? How strange!”
…
At this moment, the fish replied, “You are right. And that gives you the answer to your question as well. Truth, Piety and honesty are inside the heart of a man. But being ignorant, he searches for them in the outer world. Instead of wandering here and there, look within yourself and you will find them.”
This gave an immense satisfaction to Deenu. He thanked the fish and walked home a wiser man. He changed the way in which he saw this world as well as himself. From that day, Deenu never felt restless.
He took his best to carry this massage to the rest of his fellow human beings. All his friends accepted him as their master and consulted him to overcome their mental problems. He led them properly. (http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Ignorant-Man.html)
I hope to carry the principle of acceptance and surrender during a very important business meeting I’m having today. I pray we all win without a fight.
Good morning everyone + Happy Wednesday. The air is cooler today. It’s a bit cloudy also. May gray is at hand. But, there is always a spark within us. A light to guide on our journey. You are safe with God. Blessings. BB
Especially at work, but in all aspects of my life, I’ve learned to pick my battles. In other words, what is worth fighting for and what isn’t. And even then, if it is about winning over someone to see a situation my way, winning them over without fighting at all. I try to use humor or logic, and if that doesn’t work, reassess the situation. One quote I really like regarding this is, nobody can fight me if I don’t give them anything to fight against. It is sort of like someone punching my hand and I let my hand and arm flex. I don’t hold my hand and arm rigid.
Taking no action can be the wisest action to take. I’m practicing that now and its quite a relief.
Sometimes our business meetings get contentious; I am working very hard – pushing and pulling to get others to think as I do. Then we call for one full minute of silence and into the silence I can remember principles before personalities. Into the silence I can hear the voice of my Higher Power saying “Hush. No need to be afraid.” Into the silence I move past the fear to look for reconciliation – beyond resolution. Only when I remember the hand of my Higher Power on my shoulder can I hear the voices of others. Hush. No need to be afraid.