Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Compro-My's and Work


Compro-My’s and Work
You’re wasting my time.
This is a waste of my money.
I hope this doesn’t ruin my chances.
How is this possibly good for my career?
I shouldn’t have to share any of my stuff.

Toward the end of last year, my buddy, Brady, asked me what the most important lesson I learned in 2013 was.  Without hesitation, I told him the ability to compromise.  Not that I have mastered it…but just that I’d learned -- Without it, relationships at work and in life are impossible, and they won’t work.
We know that to compromise means giving up something of our own – our time, our money, our stuff, or our own interests – for something or someone beyond ourselves.  It sounds magical enough, but we’d all agree it’s often difficult to do.
The reality is – it takes real work. 
We’re born selfish.  From the time we’re first learning to walk and talk, it’s all about us.  It’s all about mine…mine…mine... That’s ok.  We’re human.  However, if we wake up each day only thinking about the person in the mirror, we’ll soon only have…that person in the mirror in our lives. 
Here’s where the work comes in...
The difference between selfishness and selflessness is often the gap that prevents two sides of any type of relationship – romantic or otherwise – from prospering.
The mental OneMoreStep worth taking is to make a conscious effort to let go of the ‘my’ tendencies, obsessing over my time, my money, my stuff, and/or my career… Simple, but not very easy...because this doesn’t just happen naturally.   
In fact, it’s unnatural to lead with a Compro-My’s attitude.  It’s a choice available to us, however, in every single situation.  Either we want to put in the effort necessary to make the relationship work, or we don't.   
When we choose to do the work…to Compro-My’s; our relationships change for the better; in most cases, for good.  Something also happens to that person in the mirror.  When we Compro-My’s, that person in the mirror is also changed for good. 
All it takes is a little work.  And that work is waiting for us, within the gap between selfishness and selflessness. 
So the difference in relationships that truly work and those that don’t work is often choosing to go OneMoreStep:
For the relationships that mean the most, Compromise.  It works.
Have a great day.
Taylor

No comments:

Post a Comment