Did You Maintain Your Convictions And Steadfast On Your Belief When You Are Challenged?Ask yourself these few questions:
It’s so easy to change your convictions when you are under tremendous pressure, and when you want to please your boss. It’s so tempted when it’s harder to steadfast to the unpopular believe than to follow the crowds. It’s easy to stand your ground when things are pretty but extremely hard when you are the only person left alone defending the right/justice? Will you then maintain your convictions or you move to where the winds blow? Have you heard of Sun Tzu (544 BC - 496 BC) – who is very famous for the ‘Art of War’, the ancient Chinese military strategy? The “Art of War” had since then been translated into the art in management and scholars had taken the books and analyze it. Among the famous translated management book using the fundamental of the strategy are………………… When Sun Tzu wrote about the ‘Art of War” some 2500 years ago, He Lu, the prince of Wu at that time, was so impressed by what he read, and he wanted to test Sun Tzu’s skill in drilling troops, using women. Sun Tzu was prepared to face this challenge and Prince He Lu sent 180 ladies from his palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies; each headed by one of the Prince’s two favourite concubines. After arming all the women with spears, Sun Tze asked “Do you know what is front and back, right and left?” When all the women replied in affirmation, Sun Tzu went to instruct them “When I command ‘FRONT”, you must face directly ahead; ‘TURN LEFT’, you must face to face your left; ‘TURN RIGHT’, you must face your right; ‘BACK’, you must turn right around your back.” As all the women assented, Sun Tzu laid out the executioner’s weapons to show his seriousness regarding discipline and then began the drill to the sounds of drumbeats and shouts of commands. None of the women moved, instead they burst into laughter. Sun Tzu patiently told them that command which are vague and therefore, not thoroughly understood would be commander’s fault, and proceeded to instruct them once more. When the drums were beaten on second time and the commands repeated, the women again burst into fits of laughter. This time Sun Tzu said “Commands which are vague and not thoroughly understood would be commander’s fault. But when the commands are clear and the soldiers nonetheless do not carry them out, then it is the fault of their officers.” He ordered both of the leading concubines out for execution. The Prince, who was witnessing the drill from a raised pavilion, seeing his favourite concubines being sent out for execution, was greatly alarmed and quickly sent an aide to Sun Tzu to stop the execution. Sun Tzu replied that having received the royal commission to lead the troops in the field, he can disregard any of the Ruler’s commands as he sees fit. Accordingly, he head the two concubines beheaded as an example and therefore appointed two women next in line to replace the executed ones as company leaders. Subsequently, the drill proceeded smoothly with every woman turning left, right, front and back; kneeling and rising, with perfect accuracy and precision, without uttering any dissent. When the troops were ready, Sun Tzu sent for the Prince for inspection. The Prince declined, and Sun Tzu was disappointed and make a comment – “The Prince is only fond with words which he cannot put into practice.” Greatly ashamed and recognizing Sun Tzu’s ability, Prince He Lu appointed Sun Tzu as supreme commander of Wu armies. From 560BC, Sun Tzu led five successful expeditions against the state of Chu (Wu’s enemy). And for the next 20 years thereafter, the armies of Wu continued to be victorious against those of its neighbours, the States of Qi, Qin and Yue…… Sun Tzu was a strong believer of his own values and maintained his convictions and he wasn’t afraid of higher authority in expressing what he believed to be right. We should not compromise our values and belief to fit another person’s belief. We should maintain our conviction and steadfast if we felt strongly on our belief. We definitely face lots of challenges and decision to make in our day to day life. There maybe times when we needs to learn to compromise some lesser important stuffs but never our integrity and values. Without your values who represents “YOU” and if you compromise it, then who are “YOU”? Therefore, always steadfast and maintain your convictions! Even we need to take a difficult stands, and that maybe mean sometimes we are against our bosses and we are at the risk of losing our job, but that’s a step that we may need to take if we want to maintain our conviction!! As Marc Maron commented “It's easy to maintain your integrity when no one is offered to buy it out!” ~ how true the statement is!! So does your integrity and conviction have a PRICE TAG? In times, although they may still shares different opinions, in times, they will come to respect us and our conviction and values. Nothing worst in this world that dealing and handling or working under those people with “NO BACKBONE’. They may gain temporary respect but in long term, people will lost their respect towards these types of people. The road is definitely narrow and not an easy path but glory at the end of the path! Sun Tzu gained Prince He Lu’s respect at the end of the day. So are you aiming on short term or a long term – easy way out or hard and the path which full of thorn? The choice is up to you!! Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. ~ quote by Cecil Beaton |