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Center for Enlightened Leadership
 
THE LENS – A QUARTERLY E-NEWSLETTER/JOURNAL

Reflections on Battles
By CHRISTA METZGER

  Christa Metzger
  Christa Metzger
Guest Contributor

I had a difficult time writing about the theme of this issue. Both key words—“fight” and “right”—evoke strong images. My first draft began, “I never liked to fight.” Then I recalled how my colleagues in administrators’ meetings used to tell me not to speak up so much. Did I maybe relish those verbal fights? Didn’t I write letters to editors about issues that I cared about, and wasn’t that fighting for what I believed was right? Don’t I still donate to causes that touch my heart—matters having to do with the environment, wildlife preservation, and fairness for the oppressed, the hungry, and the homeless?

On the other hand, it scares me when I see the terrible hurts inflicted by fanatic believers who know they are “right” and fight to destroy anything that does not agree with their convictions.

In our professional and personal lives, we are faced with both daily and long-range conflicts that make us ask, “What is the right thing to do here?” Several years ago, when I was a superintendent of schools, I wrote a poem titled “Reflections on the Battle,” inspired by the story of Arjuna—a warrior in the Bhagavad-Gita, a sacred Indian scripture—who talks with the Lord Krishna of his confusion and moral dilemma before an epic war.  (I don’t recall the specific battle I myself was facing back then—there were so many.) As Arjuna discovered, one of the dilemmas in any battle is that one can find truth—familiar faces and loved ones—on both sides of an issue. As leaders, we recognize the good intentions in each viewpoint and the worthy causes that don’t deserve to be killed. It’s sometimes hard to know which side is the most “right.” I believe it’s a good thing to be open to all perspectives, while being aware of the anguish to choose one on which you need to take a stand, and then live with the knowledge that some cherished ideals and deep-felt convictions may be sacrificed on both sides.

Here’s something else that has sometimes puzzled me: Would the outcome have been the same, or better, if I had just left it alone? Maybe if something is truly “right” it might win on its own merits without a battle. But I was rarely patient enough to wait for such a resolution. Over the years, I learned to look at situations with a more long-range perspective and accept the uncertain conclusions of many battles, even those initiated with the best intentions.

Fighting for something always means fighting against something. It’s a law of nature that there will be resistance if any force is exerted. Things tend to push back. Before beginning a battle, it is important to assess the likely consequences of your “fight for what’s right.” Who will be fighting back—and how might you address that?

And what battles are worth fighting? In my career, I sometimes disdained colleagues who failed to speak up or take action about perceived wrongs. Yet, now and then, I found myself in untenable positions by being engaged in too many battles at the same time. You can’t right all wrongs. You have to set priorities based on values, purposes, and on the likelihood of a desired outcome.

What are you fighting for, not just against? It’s no great art to speak out against something—there is a proliferation of such voices around us today. That seems the easy way to go. A good example is the recent Tea Party movement, which is clearly defined only by what it’s against. But to carefully deliberate and approach a condition with strategies for solutions is much more challenging.

How do you fight for what you believe in? How do you keep from being discouraged and overwhelmed by vital causes that are difficult to influence (e.g., equality and justice, poverty and ignorance)? Do you give up or fight (and how?) when you are faced with policies and mandates that you believe will damage something or someone you love? What are some small ways you can fight to improve societal or educational issues you care about? How might you work with others to make a difference?

Knowing what is right to fight for requires thoughtful consideration, using both the mind and the heart. Our inner landscape is certainly our primary and foremost battleground. What are all the dimensions of our being telling us about what is right? Sometimes our well-trained intellect is leading us in one direction about a decision, but there might be a gut feeling we cannot ignore, a deep moral conviction that wants to point us in a different direction. Or we sense that we should just wait a bit before engaging in a battle. We are fortunate if we have an inner guide and a trusted friend who will listen to our dilemmas, so that we can reach clarity about our choices.

But finally, when it’s time for the battle, when we cannot flee or hide, when we know that we need to fight for something we believe in, we have to give it our all! After that, there’s no use in looking back, wavering, or vacillating. That’s when you have to do what Arjuna was instructed: trust the outcome to the fates, to a higher power, even to factors that are out of our control. That’s when we need faith that we will find strength and wisdom to live with the consequences of the battles we have chosen.


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