DAY
306
“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.”
— Henry Boye
Katy felt like she had run into a brick wall on her road to success. She was in a midlevel corporate job, and she didn’t feel like she had a lot of respect from her underlings or her superiors. She was stuck and having difficulty building her success.
What Katy did to become unstuck was revolutionary. Instead of concentrating on her personal achievement and finding ways to stick out as an individual, she started to take a critical look at how she worked with others. Katy realized that she was very seldom willing to meet people halfway. She did not like compromise. If she had a great idea for a new project, she tended to have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about the whole thing. She discounted any new concepts that her coworkers tried to add to the plan, because they didn’t mesh completely with her vision.
Once Katy was aware of this character trait, she started to practice compromise. She intently listened to new ideas and worked to incorporate the suggestions of others into a common solution. Suddenly, she wasn’t stuck anymore. Katy started to shoot up the corporate ladder, and she also gained the respect of others in her company. They began to view Katy as a collaborator instead of a dictator.
Is there something you can take away from Katy’s experience? Are you good at meeting people halfway, or do you have more of a take-it-or-leave-it attitude? What can you practice today that will bring compromise into your life as a tool for success?
DAY
307
“Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another—too often ending in the loss of both.”
— Tryon Edwards
Yesterday you read a bit about the positive side of compromise. However, there is also a negative side to consider. It would be far too easy to say that compromise as a general rule is a great idea. It isn’t all the time.
A compromise is usually a settlement of differences where each party makes some concessions to meet in the middle and find a common solution. It is also thought to be the halfway point between two extremes. It is the balancing point. On the other hand, compromise is a negative when it has to do with giving in to the pressures of others. For instance, it’s usually not a great idea to compromise your principles.
Do you compromise even when it comes to the things that you feel very passionately about? Have you ever compromised your ethical or spiritual beliefs?
Come up with some personal examples of compromise—good and bad—and write about them in your journal today. Think about the areas where you are willing to compromise and the areas where your ideas and beliefs are very strong and you would not be willing to compromise. It is very important for you to know where you stand on these issues. If you have a fervent belief, then it’s okay if you’re not willing to compromise. Maybe the strength of your convictions will draw people to your views. That is a leadership quality, as well.
DAY
308
“Compromise is the essence of diplomacy; and diplomacy is the cornerstone of love.”
— Unknown
Today you will have another chance to look at the positive aspects of compromise. Compromise is a very useful tool for diplomacy. But wait a minute, why do you need to be diplomatic if you’re rising to the top of the heap? As you know after spending nearly a year on the subject, you cannot reach success or maintain it on your own.
Success is not about conquering a foe and ruling alone. You do not live on this earth by yourself, and therefore an integral part of success is learning to respect others and live and work with them in a mutually beneficial way. Compromise is a very important part of living in harmony with the people around you.
What do you think about the statement above? It takes it one step further and says diplomacy is the cornerstone of love. When you are willing to give up something and meet someone halfway, it shows that person that you value them. Their views have meaning to you, and you are willing to give up some piece of your own self to take them into account. That is love in action.
Compromise isn’t always about giving up something that is important to you; it can also be about giving to someone outside of yourself. Brainstorm ways that you can use compromise to honor the important people in your life. Follow through on at least one of those ideas this week.
DAY
309
“Never cut short your waiting with compromise. Simply put, the waiting’s not over until the waiting’s done.”
— Duke Rohe
Here is an example of a kind of compromise that is deadly to your success—the shortcut compromise. If you give up on your original goal and settle for something that isn’t as wonderful but can be obtained faster, then you will linger waiting for ultimate success forever. Shortcuts don’t work when your goal is to achieve your dreams.
For example, let’s say you really want to become a doctor, but then you find out how much time it would take to obtain your degree. You’re impatient to taste success. You don’t want to wait that long to get your reward. So instead you look into becoming a medical assistant.
Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a medical assistant. It is a very worthy profession and requires quite a bit of talent. However, if you chose it simply because you would get that degree quicker than you would get an MD, then you are compromising your success. You are picking an easier, faster solution and not owning up to your true potential.
Your assignment today is to be willing to wait. Success is almost never immediate. You have to be willing to put in the work, and then you have to be willing to wait for it. Don’t be lured by temptations that look like they will get you to the finish line faster. They will not fulfill your dreams.
DAY
310
“Some people never learn the art of compromise. Everything is either black or white. They do not recognize, or will not concede, that the equally important color gray is a mixture of black and white.”
— Waite Phillips
Today you have one more chance to spend some time considering the art of compromise. It is just that—an art.
Imagine if you were an artist, and you were only allowed to use pure black and pure white in your color scheme. It wouldn’t give you a lot of choices for shading and contour, would it? How will you make your work come to life and give it dimension?
Compromise incorporates the equally important color gray into your life, and suddenly you see depth. You experience what was once a two-dimensional object in 3D. The black and white are still present, but when they combine, they offer additional opportunities for a creative mind.