A chapter in "Change your Thoughts, Change Your Life," by Wayne Dyer, that I was just reading my journal writing on, encourages us to fly under the radar. The Tao tells us not to seek praise or attention. "Obscurity endures longer than popularity."
Most people, myself inclded, like to be acknowledged for a job well done. Now, I'm not a big "attention person," generally speaking. I'm content just going about my business, doing what I do, and living my life my way. But what I do have a hard time with is when other people get attention that I feel I deserve more. (A.k.a., the ego feels slighted.)
For example, at work. If I'm working hard, doing my job, and doing it well, but being quiet about it, and there's co-worker who's not working as hard as me, not being as efficient, not doing as good of a job (in my opinion), yet they get praise and acknowledgement, where I get none... that bothers me. (Or should I say, bothers my ego.)
Having experienced this many times throughout life - after all, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the saying goes - I have built up some fear in this area. Fear that others will be acknowledged, praised, promoted, paid more, etc, while I am overlooked simply because I do my job without fanfare, while others are more ostentatious and loud about it.
Yes, I could be more loud, outgoing, and draw more attention to myself. But that's not me, and not the person I want to be. I like how I am. I just have fear, at times, that others don't see me.
I am faced with this right now in my current job. There are a few co-workers who are more boisterous, outgoing, etc. They certainly draw attention. And here I am, the newbie, going about my job the best I can, quietly. Some of those "other" people have been working there a little while now. Longer than me, certainly. Granted, they are just "holiday help" and only get called in to work during the extremely busy times of year (like now), and do not work there year-round, on a regular basis. But still. Still I feel that little feeling inside of insecurity. Not that they're doing a better job than me, but that they'll be noticed and I won't.
As a quiet person - I've been this way my whole life - I often go unnoticed. Or so I think anyway. "I didn't know you were there, you're so quiet." I've heard this a time or two. I've watched others get accolades and awards for being so "good" while I get nothing. Not that the award itself holds much meaning; it's the being seen part. Being recognized. And it's not to say I've never received praise or awards myself, either.
Back to Dyer's book... The fish that endure are the ones who stay in the depths of the sea and don't come to the surface to get caught in nets.
Instead of promoting yourself and drawing attention to yourself, it's better to be interested in others. And don't compare yourself.
We should avoid telling others "how" to be. Everyone has their own spirit, their own way. Everyone knows "how" to be, instinctively. "They, too, have the anchor of the Universe within them," (Dyer). This is a good reminder for me, now especially, in a new job with new personalities around me.
My goal is to trust the Universe, let others be themselves, whoever and however that is, and just be peaceful. Be love.
"Practice allowing your essential nature to shine by not enforcing judgments on yourself that were imposed by others," (Dyer).
You don't have to be #1, or #27 for that matter. You don't have to be "better than" anyone else. It's not a competition for you to "win." Give yourself permission to just be.
Stop interfering with your unique natural being. Lighten the burden you carry to be productive, wealthy, successful in the eyes of others. All that is "out there." Beyond you. Out of your control.
What you can do instead is be you. Tune into your spirit, even in times of turmoil and discord, and be true to that. That will bring you productivity, wealth, and success. Trust it.
*Looking for the quotes that I decided to post below was a good reminder for me. They're great quotes! Words to live by, for sure. I'll keep them in my mind as I head off to work today. :)
Quotes of the Day:
"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there." (Indira Gandhi)
"Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed - there's so little competition." (Elbert Hubbard)
“Take someone who doesn't keep score, who's not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing, who has not the slightest interest even in his own personality: he's free.” (Rumi)
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