RELATIONSHIPS: They ALL Belong to You!

"RELATIONSHIPS: They ALL Belong to You!"

Yesterday we discussed the very obvious statement, "Relationships: We ALL Have Them!" and, today, we discuss another that SHOULD be just as obvious.

Here's the deal - when we discuss "YOUR relationships" we have declared something that is very important for us to understand. The word "your" signifies ownership! YOUR relationships belong to YOU!

Why is that important? Because this important fact helps us understand that YOU are the "common denominator" in all of your relationships. ALL of them.

Sometimes the following thought is hard for us to admit and sometimes we don't WANT to admit this fact to ourselves. But, when we understand that WE are the common denominator in all of our relationships, then we must also understand that if our relationships tend to be "less than desired" then we need to take a look at ourselves.

It's easy for us to blame everyone else. It's easy for us to say that it's not our fault that our relationships are not quite what we'd like them to be.

However, by understanding that WE are the common denominator in ALL of those relationships then, perhaps, it's time for us to get honest with ourselves and take a look at US!

Ouch!

We'll talk more about this as we go along in the next few articles so I'll move on to the other part of today's focus.

In this series I will be examining all kinds of relationships but I want to start with the "outside rim" of the relationships that we all have and then we'll work in closer and closer until we begin to discuss those relationships that are closest to us all.

So, today I want to challenge you to consider those relationships that would fit into the category of those that you have "semi-regular" contact with during the week. Perhaps your mail man (or is that "letter carrier"?) or the check out clerk at the local grocery store, or a waiter/waitress that is at your favorite restaurant.

Sometimes we get busy with our own "business" and we don't even acknowledge that these people exist. How many times each day would you think this happens to these people. A LOT!

I was very impressed at one event at which General Colin Powell spoke. This man has spoken with some of the most powerful people in the world on many occasions and has had some of these same people listen to what he had to say.

Yet, he shared how important it was to take the time to reach out to those that, many times, are overlooked. He specifically talked about the parking attendants where he worked. He shared how he always made sure he took the time to put his window down and ask how they were doing before he drove out of the garage.

Did he HAVE to do this? No.

But he did. And it made a difference. Not so much because THE General Colin Powell took time to say hello to these people but it was just the fact that SOMEONE took the time to do so.

You don't have to be a famous person in order to make such a positive impact on the lives of those around you. Why not take the time today (and tomorrow and the next day and....well you get the point) to "reach out" and say "thank you" or ask how those that make up this kind of relationship in your own life are doing?

THIS MATTERS!

Tomorrow I will discuss how THIS has an impact on all of our other relationships. Be sure to join me then.

And, until then...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

http://www.michaelspillman.com/

(be sure to go there and check out the audio/video version of these thoughts)