There are no easy answer

We live in an age where so much of our information is provided at the click of a button. Sometimes the information we seek is skewed toward specific agendas, and it’s hard to separate the facts from the propaganda. Often decisions are made without thought or regard for any additional input.

So many times people find themselves at odds with other people because they haven’t taken the time to explore mutually agreeable solutions. Whether it’s labor versus management, or husband versus wife or friends or roommates, it’s pretty easy to take sides and put up barriers.

Any time there is conflict, there are two sides to the story. Sometimes the loudest side wins, and sometimes it’s the quiet persistence that wins.
The concept of win/lose is a popular one and very useful in competitive sports, but it’s always determined at the end of a game. The key words there are end and game.

Unfortunately many people, organizations, companies and governments buy into the win-lose scenario, completely ignoring that there is no game and there is no end because life is constantly changing and evolving and adapting to time and circumstances.

We should strive to look for win-win situations in life. Only then can we attain a sense of balance and become better versions of ourselves.

It’s so very easy to determine win-lose scenarios, which is why so many embrace that mindset. To produce win-win situations, everyone needs to work toward a common and mutually acceptable goal. It involves discussion and compromise to get there. Because there are always at least two sides to every story, there are no easy answers. Although there are times when compromise seems easy or fair, there are just as many times when life is complicated and messy.

Over the years, there have been periods of greed and betrayal as well as eras of working for the greater good and prosperity for most.
How you react to situations says much about yourself. When things don’t go your way, it’s very easy to cast blame or play the victim role. Neither of those roles will benefit you in the long run. If you stick to those roles long enough, you’ll find the rest of the world will only ever see you as irresponsible or spineless. When your attitude is one of arrogance and inflexibility, it’s hard to get anyone else willing to work with you.

Like it or not, how the rest of the world views you will either limit or help you to get to the win-win ideal.

We live in the age of information. We have the capacity to do great things because of that access to information, but we need to see all sides of an issue and work together to reach the best possible outcome.

A year from now, we will be inundated with ad campaigns, polls and opinions telling us how to think and vote in the next election. I hope between now and then there will be opportunities to encourage open discussions with common courtesy to exchange ideas to bring about the best for everyone.