Friday, August 12, 2016

Relationships

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful, very hot, very steamy Friday evening on the Texas Gulf Coast!

The NFL Hall of Fame Induction ceremony has become a favorite of mine. Last Saturday night I sat there for 4 straight hours, my Beautiful Bride beside me...for the most part, watching every second. You know what is funny? These begin, strong, tough "Warriors of the Gridiron" don't talk about their statistics, the game they did this or that...no, what they talk about is relationships. Those who loved them, nurtured them, pushed them, cared about them, did life with them. Oh yeah, and they cry a lot...and I cry right along with 'em.

It's interesting, in my work I have the honor & privilege of meeting some of the most accomplished, successful men & women in their respectful fields. Interestingly, they don't talk about how they did or do this or that...not the truly great one's any ways - the pretenders do sometimes. No, the really great one's, they talk about relationships too. Some speak with great love & admiration, others speak with great heartache & regret. Regardless, the conversation is almost always about relationships.

So here is my question & challenge; if relationships are so important, why don't we focus on those? You don't like the way someone at work does something...how about focusing on the relationship with them instead of the one thing, or maybe a few things, that you don't like that they do? Do you have to win every argument with your spouse? Where is it getting you? What would happen if you just focused on your relationship with them?  If you cared about their thoughts, feelings, concerns and not your own? How about your kids? So they don't do it exactly like you do, wish they would, etc. Do they know that you love them? Completely? Unconditionally? Are you losing your son or daughter because you don't like their hair? Their friends? The sport or activity they play or don't play? Do any of these things - that's what they all are...things - really matter compared to the heart, mind & spirit of the person? We are winning a lot of things that we will not care one iota about in the end and at the same time losing the most precious of all gifts, another person.

I am working through The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Earlier this week I read through a chapter on relationships and I want to share several of the excerpts with you.
  • Jesus said our love for each other - more than our doctrinal beliefs - is our greatest witness to the world.
  • Love cannot be learned in isolation. You have to be around people - irritating, imperfect, frustrating people.
  • Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships! Later, Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people.
  • Love leaves a legacy. How you treated other people, not your wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. As Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters."
  • In our final moments we all realize that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth sooner rather than later.
  • One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships.
  • The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. The more time you give to something, the more you reveal its importance and value to you. If you want to know a person's priorities, just look at how they use their time.
  • When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.
  • It is not enough just to say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them.
  • The essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves.
  • The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention. Love concentrates so intently on another that you forget yourself at that moment. Attention says, "I value you enough to give you my most precious asset - my time." Whenever you give your time, you are making a sacrifice, and sacrifice is the essence of love.
  • Love means giving up - yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else.
  • Why is now the best time to express love? Because you don't know how long you will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. Children grow up. You have no guarantee of tomorrow. If you want to express love, you had better do it now.
This week, let's stopping talking and start focusing on what really matters - relationships.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

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