The Third Option

I was listening to a program last week on the John Maxwell site and he introduced a man by the name of Miles McPherson. He had just published a book titled: The Third Option. I had never heard of the man nor had I heard of the book before that day. As I listened I thought to myself “what a poignant time for him to have published a book like this.”

Although Miles McPherson had several key points to share about his book, I most connected to and resonated with the meaning behind the third option. His way of defining the third option was “Instead of winning an argument, win a heart.”

There are always two options to a discussion, to agree or disagree about an issue…democrat or republican, black or white, dog lover or cat lover, vegetarian or meat lover, east side or west side, Christian or Muslim…the list goes on and on. It’s difficult to change someone’s belief stance, particularly if that is your only motive in the discussion. But we can end at a better place if we reach out and ask questions, listen to the “other” side which leads to a better understanding. You may enter a conversation that is uncomfortable but the hope is that you have won a heart in the process of listening and experiencing greater comfort in the end.

Consider the third option as we navigate through this time of unrest and unpredictability. Instead of standing your ground and white knuckling your place on an issue, reach out, pay attention and invite yourself to understand another perspective.