Large Fish in a Small Pond

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off!

A few years ago a Boss of mine who I thought was headed for the stars was invited to go to work at Company HQ in London as a promotion. The company was a UK based Multi-National and this would have given him the sort of exposure that could have meant that the sky was the limit as regards his career.  He inexplicably turned the promotion down and I asked him why? “I would rather be a large fish in a small pond than a small one in a large pond” he said and went on to explain that he doubted his ability to compete with the smart young things at HQ and that this would also mean he could not say “Jump!” and expect a response of “How high??”.  It saddened me to think that I had overestimated my Boss and indeed it lowered him considerably in my estimation.  In the event his small pond later dried up and he ended up at HQ, without the promotion, ten years later and had to ask “How high?” when I said “Jump!”.

Likewise when people decide that the only way they can become Large Fishes is to either create a small pond or to buy one then this shows a lack of ambition on their part and also a willingness to fool themselves into believing their delusions of grandeur.  That way lies ruin.

The other problem with ponds is the scum at the bottom which is infested with pond life which brings me neatly back to the prayer above which is in my opinion, rather apt these days.

Ghenghis 2010