Our relationships – regardless of whether they are with the same or opposite sex – are among the most important, the most challenging, and the most complex part of our lives. None of us finds them simple; yet all of us are caught up in them with all their joys and heartaches. Friendships have their own set of complications. Deeper, more personal love relations can take a lifetime of effort to make them genuinely beneficial for both parties. In my own struggle to make my life with Jamie work, I consistently found that when I was involved in work that felt purposeful and was a real reflection of who I was, my relationship with him worked. When my focus outside of him was meaningless to me, then he became my primary focus. And those were the unhealthiest times.
When we are young adults, our career choices are important to us. Earning enough money to support ourselves is important. As we mature into the person we want to become, one thing becomes immensely clear. Beyond personal ambitions and life goals, love is all that matters. The determinant of a life well-lived is based solely on how much we have loved those whose lives we’ve touched.
I invite you now to share your own experiences and what life has taught you about making our relationships effective.