Choosing Your Battles

Sometimes we dig our heels in and draw up the battles lines in life, only to discover that we may have drawn those lines in the wrong place. Then we let our pride get the best of us and stick to our guns until we have done far more damage than if we had never dug in at all. We must be very careful, then, what battles we choose if we are to make them count. Now, before you head off in the wrong direction, this poem wasn't written about the war on terrorism or any other current event. I happen to be a supporter of our country's current war efforts. Rather, this was written for the mother of a teenager who was embattled with her daughter and was in the process of learning that you just can't fight about everything because some fights just aren't worth the trouble. That being said, I believe we need to study our causes, and our response to them, carefully prior to acting too rashly. In our homes, at work, in the political arena and even our religious and moral crusades, we are prone to take stands that sometimes don't even correspond to our professed creeds. There certainly are appropriate times to roll up our sleeves and take on a fight, but let us make sure that we only commit ourselves to the good fights. Furthermore, our resolve should never be the result of anger, for anger stirs up our pride and restricts our better judgement. Let us take a deep breath, seek council, even pause to pray. Better that we should choose to stand our ground only when it is solid ground. In this way we can save ourselves, and those around us, a great deal of misery. Let us choose our battles wisely.

Choosing Your Battles
Life is filled with battles to fight
Some we lose, and some we win
And the wise man chooses carefully
Which to avoid and which to begin
Endless frustration waits for those
Who fail to understand
When to yield the higher ground
And when to draw a line in the sand
We must learn to let the battles go
Which simply aren't worth the pain
Saving our strength for the larger ones
That offer the greatest gain
There are times to forge ahead gallantly
Without even a thought of retreat
But there are times to sidestep a skirmish
Forgoing the bitterness of defeat
Fight only the battles that must be won
Never the ones that merely save face
Knowing those motivated by our pride
Will bring only heartache and disgrace
Stand your ground when you must stand
And be ready to fight to the death
But walk away from the foolish fights
Bite your tongue, and save your breath
Then opt for the path of diplomacy
Leaving those battles unfought
Where you know the cost of victory
In the end may be too dearly bought

By Frank Carpenter ©