day 903: Ordinary Time

"Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" In any business or organization we want to stand out from the crowd and want to be something extraordinary.  The truth is that most businesses are ordinary in the way that they aren't the only business in the world to do what they do. And even if they are unique for a timeframe, there will be someone else. What happens though is that we start reading our own reviews and we get this persona that makes us think we are above others.  I've always admired the company that never allow that to happen to them, but instead become the "sages" of their industry and aren't afraid to share knowledge, learning and experiences with others to make the pie bigger for everyone. The best strategic alliances happen because someone decides that their ego isn't too big to work together as ordinaries, sharing their time.  We also run this same risk as individuals.  If we begin to think that we are above the ordinary we are going to be living contrary to what we are told is part of how we are to conduct ourselves.  All around us are people who are influenced by our witness and example and if we try to act above our peers, subordinates, and others, then we can be thought of as prideful, full of ourselves and worse yet as arrogant.  Let's this week work towards reminding ourselves that ordinary time is time well spent.  Reference:  Romans 12:16 (New Living Testament)