“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.” —Henry Boye
My first thought after reading the above quote was…I wish our politicians would see this! Compromise seems to be a word that has been ripped out of our dictionary. I don’t want this post to be sent to the Longhorn Corral, so I’ll just state that our leadership should take heart of this quote.
For us non-politicians, meeting people halfway can serve us well. In my early years of marriage, I could have used this quote. Most of the fights I had with my wife were about things we could have easily compromised on, but I was too focused on being right instead of seeking a way for both of us to feel good about a decision.
One thing I learned that has almost eliminated severe arguments was trying to understand where my wife was coming from. Often, I would hear something and take it in the most negative way and vice versa. Once I learned how to ask for clarification of what was just said I realized that I didn’t receive what was said correctly. This made a tremendous difference in our disagreements. Without clarification, both of us would get defensive and potentially lash out at the other.
I suggest if you get into a situation where there is a disagreement that you first seek to understand what the other is saying, i.e. ask, so what I hear you saying is_____…is this correct? You’ll be amazed at how effective this simple phrase can help you avoid conflicts getting out of hand.
The next step is then seeking a compromise whereby you put yourself in the other person’s shoes which can help you come up with a fair solution where both are happy with the decision.
I hope you all have a great Thursday!
Proverbs 15:1
TSK
My first thought after reading the above quote was…I wish our politicians would see this! Compromise seems to be a word that has been ripped out of our dictionary. I don’t want this post to be sent to the Longhorn Corral, so I’ll just state that our leadership should take heart of this quote.
For us non-politicians, meeting people halfway can serve us well. In my early years of marriage, I could have used this quote. Most of the fights I had with my wife were about things we could have easily compromised on, but I was too focused on being right instead of seeking a way for both of us to feel good about a decision.
One thing I learned that has almost eliminated severe arguments was trying to understand where my wife was coming from. Often, I would hear something and take it in the most negative way and vice versa. Once I learned how to ask for clarification of what was just said I realized that I didn’t receive what was said correctly. This made a tremendous difference in our disagreements. Without clarification, both of us would get defensive and potentially lash out at the other.
I suggest if you get into a situation where there is a disagreement that you first seek to understand what the other is saying, i.e. ask, so what I hear you saying is_____…is this correct? You’ll be amazed at how effective this simple phrase can help you avoid conflicts getting out of hand.
The next step is then seeking a compromise whereby you put yourself in the other person’s shoes which can help you come up with a fair solution where both are happy with the decision.
I hope you all have a great Thursday!
Proverbs 15:1
TSK
