Are you wanting to be right about anything right now?

I’ve been committed my whole life to being right. Not only did I want to be (and think I was) right, I thought striving to be right was right.

Ugh.

With age, experience, and a bunch of bumps and bruises—my own and those I’ve inflicted on others- , I’m just starting to turn this rock over and consider the alternative.

So today- just for today- will you join me?

Our journal prompt* is this: Are you wanting to be right about anything right now?

What comes up for you? A trickle or a flood of thoughts?

My first thought was about a current situation at work.

I thought it and then dismissed it because, “Well, that’s a bad example because I AM totally right on that one.”

Can see how deep these grooves are carved in my brain???

So, I went back and wrote a bit more about it because here’s the thing…

I’m realizing that my pursuit of being right is a distraction to what matters most. I’ve wasted so much time in imagined arguments, proving my points over and over again. Is any of that familiar?

And for what?

So here I am facing a different choice.

By letting go of being right, I can increase my self-awareness, curiosity, and ability to learn something new (while reducing all that inner, angry chatter.)

Or I can double down on my commitment to see this situation (and so many others) as something that, once again, is happening to me… with all the defensiveness, certainty, and swirl that comes with it.

I don’t expect my reflexive response to change overnight. Like everything, though, I know by bringing some awareness to it through journaling, coaching, or meditation, I can buy myself enough time to notice the pattern and make another choice.

“IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING RIGHT, IT'S ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT.” - ELIZABETH SPELKE