Do I give them what they want or what they need?
I often find myself lost in this dilemma lately.
But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.
Parents with their kids, entrepreneurs with their employees, professionals with their clients, companies with their customers, etc.
In short, anyone with someone else they care about.
What do you do when you face this dilemma?
Do I give them what they want or what they need?
Sure, there's no dilemma when what they want and need is the same thing. I just go for it. I just go for it.
But what if it's not the same?
What if I know that what they truly need is different from what they ask for?
Do I give them what they want or what they need?
It's usually easier to know what others want because they ask for it. And I know that giving them or doing for them what they want will please them. It will make them happy, at least for a moment.
What they need, however, may be different. It may not please them right now, but I know it will be way more beneficial in the future.
What should I do then?
If I give them what they want, they will love me.
If I give them what I believe they need, they won't be happy with me right now, but they will be happier in the future.
Maybe, it all goes down to how much I love them.
Is my love big enough to hold the weight of their disappointment now, knowing that I may not be there when they reap the benefits of my choice?