Choose Your Battles

There are things in life worth fighting for. There are times to stand up for what you care about, what you believe, and what you know is right.

And there are things that are worth letting go. It’s not worth the conversation, argument, or debate. It’s not worth the conflict.

Most people I’ve met tend to one side of the equation. We either cause too much conflict by fighting over small things, or we tend to avoid conflict even when it is appropriate.

The truth is, it takes wisdom to know which one is appropriate. Do we say something or do we not say something? There are no perfect rules.

But here’s some guidelines that I’ve found valuable:

Say something when:

• You are helping someone outside of yourself
• You are pushing for the good of the business, project, or organization
• You can do so in love
• It’s a constantly recurring problem
• It causes you material problems

Don’t say something when:

• It’s a one-time thing.
• You’re the only person it impacts.

These aren’t hard and fast rules, but they are guidelines I use when deciding whether to cause conflict.