It amazes me how many people have to have things their
way or no way. What ever happened to the
art of compromise?
Dictionary.com
says compromise, as a verb, means to “settle a dispute by mutual concession.”
Mutual concession = two, or more, sides giving in just a
little, to bring about an agreeable conclusion. Sometimes, one side will give in more than another,
but if that is agreeable to all parties to make the deal work, then it’s still
a compromise.
The willingness, and ability, to compromise can be very
useful. You can compromise with a
·
Spouse
·
Child
·
Sibling
·
Family member
·
Friend
·
Co-worker
·
Boss
·
Neighbor
·
Or total stranger
You never know when the need to compromise may come up.
Just this past weekend, Jim gave in BIG TIME. We have been pet free for about 5 years
now. It’s certainly nice to have that
freedom. Every now and then I’d see
FaceBook posts of cats for adoption. He’s
been saying “No” for a long time. Then
our daughter-in-law started fostering kittens.
Yup, just made me want one more.
I kept dropping hints and comments, but Jim was pretty adamant that we
remain pet free.
A couple of months ago I restated, “I would like another
cat.” Jim’s reply was, “I want a
Corvette.” I told him that we could get
a cat and NAME it Corvette. HAHA. His comment made me wonder if he was warming
up to the idea, though. So, I kept
dropping hints.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a national “Clear the
Shelter” day, when many shelters and rescues would waive their adoption
fees. I kept sharing the info to my FB page,
and tagging Jim. He was a good sport
about it. Finally, the day before the
big event came and we had to discuss the topic of getting a cat. Much to my surprise, he let me go and pick
one out! And guess who that silly cat
prefers?! Yup, Jim. HAHA.
You never know when a little patience, persistence, and
compromise might make everyone involved acceptable to an idea. Oh, did I mention… we named the cat Cora, short
for CORA VETTE (get it?). I love my
husband! (Although I did see him looking at some car sites online. Hmmm…)
Try not having a “winner” or “loser” in a conflict
situation. Compromising can be the “not
perfect” answer. After all, who among us
is perfect? We can often be happy with
good enough or almost perfect. So, give
a little. You’d be surprised what it can
do for a relationship
*Pam and Jim are Certified Marriage Mentors.
