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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.
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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.
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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.
If you are willing to give up a few of your stubborn notions through the art of compromise, then you make room for new thoughts and different perspectives to emerge and become part of your palette. A fresh outlook may completely change the scope of your reality and take you places you couldn’t imagine when you were stuck in your black-and-white world.
Your assignment today is to remove a few of your preconceived notions and make room for new ideas. Be willing to compromise when the opportunity presents itself. Try something new. Dabble in colors you haven’t used before, and find out what you’ve been missing.
