“Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?” This was a question posed to a client when seeking marriage guidance and I’ve always remembered it.
The intention isn’t to rollover and never stand your ground about things. It’s more to do with that need we can sometimes give ourselves over to, of being right.
“I told you”
“I’m right about this”
“You know I’m usually right”
“Well I may be wrong but I doubt it”
etc..
In marriage as in business, as in life, I believe it’s sometimes easier to forfeit being right for being happy with those around us.
It can be exhausting constantly needing to ensure you’re right or your advice is taken and that it’s the ‘right’ advice.
Think of your children, your partner, your relations, your colleagues. How tough it can be to be regularly in the ‘wrong’ to your right..
With one of my mentoring groups we read a chapter from our book The Joy of Small Things (Hannah Jane Parkinson) about being right. And how you’d never learn anything if you were always right.
One of the ways I think it’s useful to use being right is when you’re about to give a message which may not be welcomed by your listener or audience.
“You’re right it’s time to do something about XYZ. When’s the best time to start?”
“You’re right, it’s expensive and too short a time frame, how shall we manage that?”
These examples show you how you can take something which you know needs ‘righting’ but you can give the person the benefit of hearing that they’re right, first. Not completely but an element.
So. You’re right it’s not always necessary to be right AND it’s kind to let others have some of the light of being right, even when they’re not 100% right.
Or in someone else’s words…
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A different view point!
“Hard to say what’s right when all I wanna do is wrong.”
― Prince
And in other news…
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Douglas looking somewhat ‘wrong’ in his cloak and tie at during Harry Potter theme week at his doggy daycare place last year. 🤭
