I’m sure you’ve heard the question, “Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?”

Most of us would say happy, but I have met people who fight to be right, no matter what.

Years ago, my friend and I were laughing about our long-standing desires.

Her statement was, “I’d get everyone I know together. Heck, a whole stadium. They’d stand up in unison and chant, ‘You’re right.’ ”

My counter to that was my crowd would, on the count of three, say, “I’m sorry.”

Funny how much that reveals about our mindset. In a few words, we summed up all our angst. I am happy to report; we have matured. Still, I chuckle when I remember the exchange. We nailed it.

While mine was from a place of victimhood. (Many people had hurt me.) Hers was from a place of empowerment. (Many people were wrong.) Both hurt our chances of happiness.

Today I am prompted to ask you a few questions.

Do we push our agenda on others and cling to our need to be right?

How often do we argue about our positions; many of which are porous, at best. Only to discover how our ideas change from situation to situation?

Let’s consider how many times have we berated others only to recognize we’ve done something similar.

What example does this give to the children in our lives?

Do we press our children to be right?

Can we help them shift this mindset?

Do we pressure them to be number 1?

Do we allow them to fail?

Do we let them experience challenges?

Do we ever say, “You may be right,” to others? Maybe, just once this week, you could forgo the impulse to be right. When you find yourself ready to press your point and/or defend yourself, see if you can find an occasion to say these words. Things can shift for the better.