For two consecutive days, I have learned how the lives of some former and present colleagues of mine have been made uncomfortable or even miserable by power play or politics at the office.
Not being in their situations, I cannot claim to understand how much they have suffered, although I very much sympathise with them. Ever since I started working, I have always tried to steer clear of office politics. I never feel the need or find it wise to mix with some colleagues for the sake of reinforcing my position or acquiring insider information. And I try not to get entangled in silly or messy gossips. I find it much more healthy and worthwhile spending my time elsewhere. The favourite line of a former colleague of mine was: "Life's too short!" I cannot agree more.
To show how short life actually is, I have made, using a computer spreadsheet, a file showing how many weeks, days, hours and minutes I have left were I to live until sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety or a hundred. These figures change automatically when I adjust the days I have lived. These figures give me an idea about how much time I have left in different scenarios and are a powerful reminder of how I should not waste time.
The power play or politics at the office is not only a complete waste of time but also energy sapping. Of course, having said that, I understand that in some situations a person does not have a choice as he is at the receiving end of the game. To this, I can only say: Good luck then, but steer clear of it if you can.
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