Sunday, August 9, 2009

Compromise


"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

Compromise is an uneasy agreement in which each party sacrifices
something dear to them while the central issue remains unresolved.
It is the agreeing to a current concession with the hope of gaining
something greater in the future. And, although "hope springs
eternal", a Compromise made today rarely, if ever, bears healthy
fruit tomorrow.

A Compromise can occur between individuals, between factions,
between individuals and factions, and within ourselves. And
regardless of the persons and the factions involved, Compromise
can best be described as: "sacrificing what we want most for what
we want most at that particular moment".

Simply put: if the agreement entered into is not completely
satisfying for all parties concerned, it is a Compromise.

When we Compromise, we give something of ourselves away. That
"something" is usually a concession which creates a conflict with
our Divine Nature.

And, it is not that we are unaware of the fact that we are making
a concession which is in direct conflict with our Divine Nature; we
make this concession voluntarily and grudgingly in the Hope that
"this time things will be different" and that this decision will "make
everything better". The Truth is, we have not made things "better".
We have, in fact, made things worse.

Because a Compromise is not a win-win agreement, the issue which
was swept under the carpet of Compromise will eventually erupt
again in the future; often in a more devastating manner. When we
grudgingly agree to a Compromise we are not entering into a
positive agreement. We are creating a festering sore. And as with
all festering sores it will need to be eventually cured or removed.

It is important to keep one thing in mind: Compromise, in this
sense, does not pertain to minor interpersonal differences such as:
leaving the toothpaste cap off, or using too much closet space, or
forgetting to close the garage door. The "festering sore" type of
Compromise pertains to the issues which are in direct conflict with
our Spiritual Path and our Divine Nature.

Perhaps the most critical issue for us to focus on is that Compromise
is not Harmony. It is a degree of dis-Harmony. But regardless of
the degree, dis-Harmony is still dis-Harmony. And this dis-Harmony
must eventually be resolved before true Harmony can prevail.

Any dis-Harmonious truce creates regret, frustration, and
unhappiness. It also creates a Self-Imposed Limitation for all parties
involved. Eventually all of these issues must resolve themselves.
And it is unfortunate that this usually occurs by way of a much larger
"battle", over the same original issue, sometime in the future.

In the end, when working toward an agreement, all parties are
either in Harmony with each other in their pursuit of a win-win
resolution or they are not. There is no middle-ground in this matter.

Keeping this in mind, why should any of us Choose the shackles of
Compromise, along with all the negative energy that it fosters,
when we can instead Choose to Travel along the unrestricted,
rewarding, and Harmonious Path of Our Divine Nature...the Path
of Personal Sovereignty?

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009
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