I recently went to Shanghai by invitation of an acquaintance of my mom, Janie, to source materials for JaLa Designs. I found some absolutely amazing fabrics and lots of other neat things.Among the many cultural differences between the U.S. and China is the act of bargaining (in fact, it's considered an insult if you don't!), and there's no better person at bargaining than my now friend, Janie. I would dare say, actually, that if you want to get a great deal on something in China, you should not go without bringing Janie along! Honestly, I've never seen anyone do it better.
Watching Janie in action made me start thinking of the various lessons one can learn from bargaining in Shanghai that apply to life, the ultimate lesson, to me, being...
You have to be willing to walk away and lose the deal...
Maybe this sounds extreme or bold, but think about it. Whenever we hold onto something too tightly, whether it's something in our professional or personal lives, we assign it too much power over us. We want it too badly. Subsequently, we don't really act like ourselves; we don't act relaxed and thus we usually (not always, but usually) don't end up getting the optimal result.
It's only when we reach the point of being willing to "walk away and lose the deal", when we detach ourselves from the outcome, that we, ultimately, achieve our optimal outcome.
JaLa is all about reminding you to be yourself. Know your value. Know that what I'm really saying is not that you actually have to walk away; you just have to know inside your mind that you would...because it's then that you feel free enough to be you and that the person you're dealing with really understands and is totally 'wowed' by your awesomeness.
JaLa doesn't bargain, but we are offering a special 25% off on our "Design of the Month" for July - http://twurl.nl/ms07ji. Just enter JULYPICK at checkout to redeem your discount!
Hurry up - it only lasts through July 31, 2009!
And don't walk away! (Sorry...couldn't resist!)
~ Rachel
