Life is about RELATING...
I think that may be all.
It is what we need for ourselves, and what we need to give...
We are born.
We relate.
We die.
And, yes you can put spiritual meaning and substance to what happens before, during and after...
But, in practical terms... that is the "the PLAN" ;-)
RELATE - Do you often think about that word?
I don't.
But, for some reason, it is very much on my mind.
RELATE
It is what we do to create RELATionships.
It is what we do to feel connected.
It is what we do to feel appreciated.
It is what we do to feel valuable.
It is what we do to feel useful.
It is what we do to feel worthy.
It's, I believe, the purpose of ALL that we do.
I think RELATING to people makes us not feel alone...
And, no one wants to feel alone.
Our greatest pain seems to be when RELATionships end, when people walk away from us, betray us, die... and we feel the pain less when relationships fade into the background of our lives.
I think we feel that pain, because we feel the LOSS of that CONNECTION... that opportunity to continue RELATING.
We get educated so that we have some meaningful way, some way to ADD value by relating to people with a certain expertise.
We tend to watch sports - because it allows us to relate to the athletes, and possibly more important to the tens, hundreds, thousands or millions that relate to them as well.
Being a FAN makes us feel RELATED with minimal effort.
I am convinced that RELIGION and our passion and need for it - is very much tied to RELATING - and religion does a great way of creating a huge community that relates with each other and with the spiritual needs and questions that we have as humans...
RELIGION - if you embrace it - helps us relate. (I struggle there...)
We read, we learn, we workout, we travel, we LIVE so that we can share - RELATE.
Those who are better at RELATING - realize that the most effective RELATING is by allowing people to tell you about them... They are generous. They "connect" / "relate" by making other people come closer... by letting other people SHARE.
Those who struggle with RELATING - are too often eager to tell their own story... they want people to RELATE to them - by them telling you about them...
It's a fascinating thing about RELATING...
It requires EXCHANGE - and the exchange is deepened by our genuine interest in the OTHER person. Which - by definition CREATES the RELATIONSHIP.
It is silly to try to RELATE to you by focussing on ME. I already know me.
We are all very interested in ourselves. It's where we start our relationship... RELATING to our own EGO.
But, I don't think EGOs relate. I think SOULS relate. And, we must find a way to put our EGO aside as best as we can.
That is why WISDOM - is gained through time...
AS WE REALIZE THAT LIFE IS ABOUT RELATING...
JOY IS ABOUT MOMENTS OF MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS & CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE THAT SHARE YOUR VALUES...
THEN WE LEARN THROUGH TIME TO DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM OUR EGO...
Being "enlightened"... I am convinced... is simply being aware of the importance and criticality of RELATING... of CONNECTION... and the necessity of controlling, minimizing - or at a minimum BEING AWARE of our own EGO in the process.
How would your life change if you accepted that it was all about RELATING...
And that joy and success only come from RELATING in a meaningful and valuable way...
Which only occur when you in some way start to care MORE and MORE about others...?
How well, how easily do you RELATE?
Who do you seem to RELATE to best?
Why do you think that is?
What can you do differently... better... if indeed, you embrace the idea of RELATING at the core of our time here on earth...
So much to learn...
Such an amazing journey...
It's one of the primary reasons I write...
when I think about it...
because I want to RELATE to people that share my curiosity...
that share my passion for understanding life better...
I write
because
I want to
RELATE...
I get it a little bit better...
every day...
in harmony,
Nestor