It is more rewarding to resolve a situation than to dissolve a relationship. This is a lesson I
learned from John Maxwell in his book, Winning with People. The message I must too frequently remind myself is to never let a situation mean more than a relationship. I get this. The problem is my ego gets in the way. John has told a story that struck home with me. He used to pride himself on being right (so do I). And once after a moment of competitive discussion, he gained a new perspective when his wife, Margaret, shared a comment that was something like, “You may be winning the argument, John, but you are losing the relationship.” OUCH! (This story still fills my eyes with water.)
When it comes to the subject of finances, this lesson is crucial. I don’t know how to stress enough that the financial relationship between two people should not be based on how much money they have. I’ll admit I don’t know all the details about Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen, and their recent divorce, but one thing that is nearly certain, they don’t hurt for money. So the real lesson is that money, no matter how much you have, does not make a relationship successful. In this situation, I don’t think money is the real issue, but one thing that we can be certain - they do not have the same perspective on the importance of the relationship. Too bad, they really do make quite the “power couple.”