The uncomfortable part of writing this one was admitting that the two stories run on the same machinery. The instinct that sent me to my mother's side without a moment of deliberation is the same instinct that sent me over three managers' heads in a fight about system ownership. One of those I will never regret. The other cost me relationships I had to spend years rebuilding. In the moment, both felt exactly alike.
So I will ask you the question the essay ends on, and I genuinely want the answers. Think of a decision you made instantly that other people described as hard. Then think of a fight you picked instantly that other people thought you should have let go.
The uncomfortable part of writing this one was admitting that the two stories run on the same machinery. The instinct that sent me to my mother's side without a moment of deliberation is the same instinct that sent me over three managers' heads in a fight about system ownership. One of those I will never regret. The other cost me relationships I had to spend years rebuilding. In the moment, both felt exactly alike.
So I will ask you the question the essay ends on, and I genuinely want the answers. Think of a decision you made instantly that other people described as hard. Then think of a fight you picked instantly that other people thought you should have let go.
Both came from the same place. What is it?