The View From The Top

The view from the top; sounds powerful, alluring and almost romantic, yes?  Those of you who have reached the summit, in whatever capacity, know it’s not all that and a box of chocolates.  Well maybe it is a box of something.  What’s in the box is the mystery and opening the box could be dicey.  Getting the top spot comes with some advantages and plenty of disadvantages.  One of the disadvantages is that all arrows point to you, or is it “point at you”?  Whatever the appropriate terminology, you get a sense of what the pioneers felt like as they traversed a valley and up on the hillside sat native Americans with silent death in their quivers.

Just like in every other aspect of life there are those who support and those who criticize.  Ever notice that the critics, the ones with the most to say, are the ones contributing the least.  Unless of course you count vitriol as a contribution.  I call it poisoning the well.  And it’s especially alarming for the young and impressionable.  Efforts to nurture them are torn asunder by pompous, bombastic, egotistical and most likely clueless people claiming an overwhelming workload yet failing to produce one shred of productivity.

Sometimes it’s better to be a foot soldier than a general.  Power carries a sometimes crushing load of responsibility.  We’re strong, we can handle it.  I’m not doubting or complaining.  The purpose is to say what others may be thinking.  Isn’t that what a scribe does?  This column will be devoted to a plethora of varied topics.  Yes yours truly can get into a groove and report consonant topics; hopefully not to the detriment of my readers.

Here’s the connective tissue, the tendrils, that make this post relevant to your life no matter where you are on the professional ladder. The further up the ladder you are the less likely your fingers will be tread upon.  But you are more prone to lightning strikes, bird droppings, and other animate and inanimate objects that make occupying lofty heights not so glamorous.

Every station in life carries some modicum of responsibility and accountability.  You know it as well as I.  So what do we do?  Bury our collective head in the sand?  That will get pesky grains of irritant in your eyes and ears.  Face it, you can’t hide from responsibility.  It will be waiting for you like a dog awaits the return of its master.  Turn servitude into mastery by shaking off negativity.  There’s nothing more soothing to the ego than to give complainers and critics no nourishment.  Let their destructive words wither and die.  Eventually they will go away.  It’s up to you to be consistent in your approach.  Predictability is a good thing for most.  Realize change happens slowly and you don’t want to alienate your supporters by ignoring their needs.  They are one of the reasons you’ve reached this point in your life.

Wishing you a fulfilling Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Love and hugs, Nikki DiCaro