The JJ Jailers are actually thieves. They rob us of wonderful gifts that will never see light of day. They shoplift from souls not brave enough to step out with brilliance. They pilfer talent. They rip off glory.

JJ Jailers put us in drab prison garb. Take away our soul food. Shut us in a tiny cell. Lock us in. And throw away key.

Time for a breakout.

AND TODAY . . .

What have you thought of creating that you have not because you knew JJ Jailer would show up to stop you, to arrest your efforts? Today do not be detained. Begin this thing, whatever it is.

As you take first steps in this creation (and baby steps are just fine), you may be surprised at how today you have a new degree of freedom. That freedom will grow with each step.

Look what happened because Tama, in opening quote above, took step after step after step out of store with her purchase. She has written an amazing book we all can read. She left practice of law, a profession she did not enjoy. More than that, she is now a writer, that of which she dreamed. Of what do you dream?

These kinds of steps bring exhilaration. Will JJ Jailer go away? Probably not completely. But it will not have control. You have control now. Walk, run, then soar in your release!

©Copyright 2002 Stephanie West Allen

What if you went to work each day with attitude, "I just have to find ways show everyone that I am better than my peers."? Oops, trouble ahead. This is 'need' to win. Doing your work to best of your ability because you enjoy it and you care about it demonstrates your desire to win. And, just as in golf, you are competing with yourself. Can you do better quality work? Can you pay more attention to details? Can you bring project in slightly ahead of schedule? Will you take time to be supportive to colleagues? Do you treat folks respectfully? Do you refrain from gossip and bad-mouthing? AND, can you do all that a little better than you did yesterday because you WANT to? Now, that is desire to win.

Your desire to do your best shows that you are truly on your own team. That's where you want to be--on task and on target with your desire to demonstrate what you value and who you are. You do that by living in integrity with what is important, significant and valuable to you. Your attention is not on showing others up, but, rather, on bringing your best to workplace.

Excellent golfers play to improve on yesterday's performance. Even when they are playing tournaments, their focus is on doing their best, not on beating others. They keep fun in their game, too. The best keep their competition to themselves. There's much to be learned from game of golf. How are you playing?