Picking Battles. . . .

I don't know how many times I have heard well intentioned people tell me, "Pick your battles wisely." I understand what they mean, but in this moment, the more I think about this statement, the clearer its error in judgment becomes, because the uncomfortable truth is this: Most people do NOT go around looking for a battle to fight! The battle picks them!

The mother of a child born with birth defects didn't choose that battle. The abused children of the world do not choose these battles either. I didn't go around intentionally looking for a dysfunctional child non-protective system as a never ending source of work stress and strife. I didn't ask to be born into family systems that have given me a never ending source of life battles. And I certainly didn't ask for this woman to become a part of my life here at what was supposed to be my working vacation bliss!

So, no. . . .we do not pick our battles...they pick us! The only choice we have in the matter is how we choose to respond to the battles that pick us.

As a spirit warrior, this insight has particular relevance for me, because I would honestly like to understand why there have been (by all accounts) a clearly unfair number of battles throughout the course of my life that have picked me :) So I wonder. . . .Did this life of battle become the crucible that forged the spirit warrior? Or is it because I was born a spirit warrior the battles then naturally migrated my way? I don't know, but I all too often end up feeling like it's me against the world.  . . .

Last night, my friends and I watched "Scott Pilgrim Against the World," a wacky film about a young man who unexpectedly finds himself fighting seven battles that picked him. And as quirky as this film was, there were some important nuggets of truth that I found to apply to me and my life as a spirit warrior: (1) A successful defeat only brings on battle with stronger foes; (2) A successful defeat delivers unexpected change upon us, and the harder the battle, the greater the change; (3) The strongest weapons that we have are pulled from our heart; (4) It is important to fight the battle for the right reason; and (5) The most powerful foe we will ever meet is ourself.