To be or not to be a bigger fish

There is an opportunity to climb up the ladder. To become a slightly bigger fish in the pond. The pond being pretty big but the fish already there are well established. Except for one who is moving on to a different sea. Which means I've been procrastinating as usual, watching TV programs, films going to the pub and not putting the extra effort I should do into either doing my fat man at the gym or writing a few lines of BLOG. It's like there is a reluctance to succeed. Of course it's a different story when you're moaning about the big fish because you happen to be a little fish and all the other little fishes sympathise and agree. However, then becoming one of the large ones would throw you into a tizz.

So perhaps my reluctance is, if I am successful and get the interview I don't want all my fellow little fishes swimming in circles and moaning at me. Alternatively it could be the fear of success, where you don't try your best just in case you do succeed and then it's easier to bitch about how they threw a curve ball in the interview or how nervous you were. The real excuse being I didn't just try hard enough. OK it means I'm being a little derogatory on myself but it's a fact. It becomes easier to fail than it does to succeed, so the failure routine is chosen. Except this time I have been given ample notice of this new vacancy. And all the preparation time has been available for me. In addition I have been successful in gaining a temporary big fish suite, I'll be putting it on for size in a couple of weeks. Fortune has therefore played her wonderful hand upon me. Notice I called it "wonderful" otherwise it would of been the fickled finger of fate had played me a duff hand again. Then again a lot of things do come down to luck or statistics me thinks.

I have been consoling myself, as you do when a little fish. With the notion where ever you work, the chances of being a big fish are just as much down to luck as they are down to good performance. Unless you happen to be Japanese which is a different story altogether. Therefore it stands to indubitable reason, when you look around the giant ponds in which our working lives are situated there will be big fish who by appearance are out of place. Maybe it comes down to statistics maybe it comes down to luck or even the selection process. However, what it does emphasise to me, is no matter who you are, no matter on how intelligent, brash, eccentric or any other trait you may name, as an individual you have as equal a chance as any other individual to be in a bigger fish body. Where the little fishes either swim around sucking up, avoiding or actually enjoying your company. Lets also mention a statement of fact, when someone moves from being a little fish to a bigger fish they can and do change. Yep, you'll no longer see them chastising those people who take up bigger seating areas than others by virtue of position, or see them bemoaning the next greatest initiative which has been introduced. The reason is of course, they are no longer an equal to the little fish. They now hold a position of authority, and now wrestle in a different arena.

Then you never know what will happen. To make a difference you have to buy a ticket. Hopefully when you got it and the jackpot comes along you don't change. After all it was Loa-tzu who said:

The great leader speaks little.
He never speaks carelessly.
He works without self-interest and leaves no trace.
When all is finished, the people say, “We did it ourselves."

Which suggests I should just keep my mouth shut and get on with it. Thanks Loa-tzu.