The Relationship Factor
You may have heard of someone saying that they are completely happy on their own and all by themselves.
Although this isn’t what appeals to me, I can understand why some people would think this; the only relationship they have is with themselves and it’s hard to mess up a relationship with yourself. It’s hard to have much satisfaction from that kind of relationship too.
Relationships with others are what make the world go around, because it is a thermometer of how we "relate" to others. Friends can be just like us, or just the opposite of us, but it is how we relate to them that feeds our souls.
We can choose to put effort into a relationship or choose to walk away; but each of us needs other people around us to make us feel a part of a bigger thing.
The world is full of other people. We can decide to make friends of some of them and enhance our lives, or we can choose to remain silent in the elevator or to not speak to the person at the next table at Starbucks.
We can stay in our own little world, or we can expand it to include others, who might enrich us with their knowledge and personalities. I can open the door, or I can keep it closed.
I can choose to take what my marriage is giving me or I can put more into it and reap the rewards. I can be lazy and think only about what this relationship means to me, or I can think about how much better it could be if I put more effort into making sure my spouse gets as much as s/he gives.
You do get back more than you give to relationships and relationships will reward you for years in many, many ways. Nurture those relationships that you need to keep you happy!
