Theory #12

The ironic thing about this theory is that it starts out with a song by a 1960’s band called WAR, while this theory is all about the simple fact that people like to hang, bond, do business and associate themselves with people who are likable, and:

1. 1. as Aretha Franklin would say, those that they R-E-S-P-E-C-T;
   2. are giving of themselves (as in the Toy Story song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), whether it be in sharing their knowledge (as in the song “Kumbaya,” whose mantra is that of “come and help those in need”) or making a difference for those not as fortunate (as in Muhammad Ali’s quote “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”);
   3. realize that in a negotiation, understanding (a) that obtaining a good percentage of something as opposed to 100% of nothing that comes from a deal failing to be consummated can be a beautiful thing and (b) that moreover, “it cost a lot to win, and even more to lose” (as Jerry Garcia sang in a song aptly called “Deal”);
   4. when negotiating, whether it be in life or at the bargaining table, as Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We all came in on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now,” and as a consequence of that, one needs to channel the mantra of Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones (i.e., that of knowing “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you might find you get what you need.”); and
   5. lastly, that when negotiating, you sometimes need to channel the scene from The Godfather, when Tom Hagen (played by Robert Duvall), and Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino), told Sonny Corleone (played by James Caan) when he was – nicely stated – beyond upset (because their father Don Corleone (played by Marlon Brando), was clinging to life in the hospital after being gunned down by a rival mob family), that “It’s not personal Sonny, it’s strictly business.”

Simply put, it’s our belief that if you don’t follow the foregoing mantras of these iconic figures – playing off of the lyrics of the Elvis Costello song “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” – you’ll be left “searching for light in the darkness of insanity” when it comes to succeeding in life, business and happiness!