Meet in the Middle

The middle has always had an uncomfortable feeling associated with it.  When you sit in the back seat of the car and have someone on either side of you, you feel squished. There is no leg room or shoulder room.  The middle child seems to struggle with issues of fairness. The youngest is babied, the oldest does no wrong, and the middle child feels like no one hears them and they get left out...so I hear. The middle of anything is sometimes hard to reach, especially your back when it itches.  Divorced couples who now live on different sides of town must meet in the middle to drop off and pick up their children. But, meeting in the middle is also a phrase used for compromise.  When two people or parties are working together on a project and they think on opposite ends of the spectrum, it is important that they both walk toward one another and meet somewhere in the middle.  This takes the best of both ideas and comes up with a workable solution that both can agree on.  It often opens the door of opportunity for a bigger audience as well.  You now appeal to more people on the same subject. Do you have a family member that you seem to argue with on the same "rabbit chase" all the time?  Do you butt heads with a strong-willed child more than you care to? In your workplace do you sometimes feel your boss listens to other co-workers ideas above yours? Compromise is definitely uncomfortable when you have a strong personality for sure.  I confess, I tend to like things my way.  But, those who do not prefer to be in a leadership position will appreciate your efforts to hear them out and meet them in the middle.  Everyone wants to feel important and feel self-worth. So, the next time you just don't want to budge, try taking a few steps toward the middle and you just might find that a little compromise brings a lot of peace!