Be True to Ourselves

"I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy: myself" part of Native American 1700 prayer

Modern psychologists advise a similar thing; that our work in life is to deal with our own shortcomings, rather than to judge others regarding what we think are their shortcomings.  Recently, I felt constrained by the changes a friend made in our plans.  Drive on this day; not that day.  Leave at this time; and better yet, meet her at her house.  Collaboration is something I value, but I do not like feeling as if I am being painted into a corner -- which was probably not her intention.  She was probably trying to plan something to best fit her preferences.  Recently, I read a response from Dr. Phil where he told someone if they resented what someone did, they must have had expectations of how they thought that person should behave.  That is probably accurate.  All we ever have control over is our own attitudes, thoughts and actions.  It is important to me that situations be win/win.  It helped me to realize my discomfort was that what I had proposed -- and what she had agreed to - was, subsequently, completely changed.  So much so that it was no longer workable for me.  In the end, her agenda and mine turned out not to be compatible.  It wasn't so much that I needed to fight an enemy within myself; it was that I needed to be true to myself.  What I had originally proposed was workable for me; this greatly modified plan was not. Collaboration is fine, but not at the expense of our own needs and wants.