NEW CASTLE —
Got a second?
I’ve got a dirty little secret I’d like to share with you.
Ready?
I am second.
And I’m OK with that.
It’s taken me awhile, but I’m over it now.
Truth be told, I love being second. I used to hate it, though.
It’s no fun to be Robin.
Or Tonto.
Or Pippen.
Or Jelly.
Or Ebert.
Or Fitch.
Or Chong.
Or Yang.
You know, second.
It stinks to be No. 2.
(Yes, I just wrote that. Sorry.)
Then again, there are lots of benefits to being second.
•You have authority, but not completely. You can still be the guy who says “yes” and then let someone above you say, “Absolutely not.”
•You have responsibility, but not ultimately.
•You make suggestions instead of decisions.
•You don’t need to be “out there” or to “perform” to keep the top spot.
•The weight of the world is not on your shoulders.
Sound appealing?
Does now.
But I didn’t think so, at first.
I’ve always wanted to be The Man. The Guy in the Spotlight. The King of the World.
I longed for complete control. Making all the decisions. I thought I could handle it all.
I still do.
Daily.
Hourly.
The struggle never ends.
But I’m dealing with it, moment-by-moment.
I’m learning the shadow that covers me is much cooler than the heat of the spotlight.
I’m learning the pressure is not as intense when someone has already taken the blame for you.
I’m learning that it’s nice to wake up each morning and read “it is finished” instead of scrambling to finish it all myself.
Yep, I’m learning that it’s all right to be second.
But second only to The One who is second to none.
(Want to meet some other pretty cool people who are second? Just CLICK HERE.)
Tim Kolodziej
Tim Kolodziej: Playing second fiddle isn’t so bad after all
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