Having a win-win mentality doesn’t mean that you have to go around pleasing everyone. Working with others does require some give and take, but making decision based on making another person happy can leave your happiness in a lurch.
Negotiation is a good way to work together for the greater good. When you negotiate, you’re discussing a situation and what you’re willing to do to make something happen – such as a sale or even what to have for dinner.
Sometimes the negotiations go your way and sometimes – not, but whatever the discussion, at least you’ll have input – and that’s a win in its own way. A win-win situation should be a cooperative effort rather than one of competition and the solution to fit everyone is there. Keep discussing until you find it.
Too many people think about what they don’t have rather than concentrating on the blessings that are in their lives at the moment and those they’ve experienced in the past.
That theater-sized television, when compared to the small one you have now might seem like you’re missing something. But, in this economy, when you live within your means and forego the super-sized anything to make do with what you have is a true win for the future.
Thinking of what you don’t have rather than concentrating on what you do have is called the “scarcity” mentality. It’s a mentality that some marketers and sales persons prey upon to get you to up-size and upgrade even though it’s a struggle for you to pay your monthly food bill.
An “abundance” mentality is opposite of the scarcity mentality. When you’re more proud and satisfied with the abundance in your life rather than the lack of “things,” you win big. The love and respect of your children, a car that works to get you where you want to go and food enough for everyone should be enough abundance for anyone, but unfortunately, it isn’t.
To develop a win-win mentality, you must quit thinking of yourself as a failure because you don’t have everything your neighbors have or the career path you chose isn’t panning out. When you find yourself thinking in a scarcity mentality, you must immediately replace those negative thoughts with positive ones. It’s like a habit and will take some time to perfect.
There are so many ways to create a win-win mentality in your life. You can focus on creating win-win situations, appreciate the abundance in your life rather than the lack of things and face reality (living within your means).
Be aware of your thinking patterns and when you find yourself falling into a scarcity mentality, quickly remind yourself of the true abundance in your life.
