Compromise in my Relationship? Hmm...

Sometimes in life it's a whole lot easier to compromise and keep a healthy relationship than to get what we want and lose a valuable loving friend, spouse, partner, or significant other.



Before we talk further about compromising, let's first define the term compromise. .



Compromise in this context means to settle a difference between two individuals or parties involved. It means to agree and settle for less than what we originally desired. Healthy relationships function very well when it comes to compromising, that is, on the condition that we realize that we can't always get exactly what we want.



Oh well, that's life!



It's very true that compromise may be a difficult thing to do for some of us but if we're open-minded and see things from another person's perspective, we'll see a different point of view we might not otherwise see.



AHA! But...



What happens if someone wants to compromise but doesn't know what to expect? Worse yet, what if someone wants out of a compromise after saying okay? Wanting out of a compromise can most definitely cause very ill-feelings among those involved. In an effort to better understand what a compromise involves let's consider the following points before committing to a compromise in a relationship.



(A) Compromising means agreeing to keep the end of your bargain in settling a situation. Your word carries a lot of weight when it comes to trust. In order for this compromise to succeed you must be willing to say what you mean and mean what you say. You are either in the compromise or you are not.



(B) Compromising means not complaining later that you didn't get what you wanted originally. When things get a little hairy, and they will, you must remember not to complain about what you really wanted and didn't get. This behavior causes very uncomfortable feelings between both parties involved.



(C) Compromising means committing from the heart with good intentions. When you agree to settle an issue, do it with sincerity realizing that you're not the only one giving up your entire wish, do it knowing that the other person is also willing to give up part of their desire for you.



Following are three everyday examples of compromising in a relationship:



(1) Your husband wants you to fly out with him to California for his PowerPoint presentation, but you're afraid of flying. He compromises by turning his flying time into driving time, so you both agree to take turns driving and go sight-seeing along the way.



(2) Your partner is an awesome cook and you really feel like having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, but your partner is tired after a stressful day and doesn't feel like cooking. You compromise by ordering 'spaghetti and meatballs to go'.



(3) You want to build a fully solar-paneled home, but your significant other needs to have access to electrical devices for his or her business. You compromise by combining both desired features by having partial solar-paneling and partial electrical outlets in specified parts of your home.



Compromising is a wise choice for relationships in the long run, it's a whole lot easier to compromise and keep a healthy relationship than to get exactly what we want and lose a valuable loving friendship, spouse, partner, or significant other.



Here's to OUR successful and fulfilling relationships!



Writinghood