Relationship begins with people. Interaction with other human beings is something we crave and need in our lives. We rely on the strength of human relationships to survive and thrive. We are born into the world vulnerable, weak, and in need of physical and emotional nurturing. Immediately, we reach out to secure our first relationships. We also leave the world vulnerable and weak and, just as in infancy, we reach out for support from those around us. The level of support we get will often be based on the strength of the relationships we have created throughout our lives.

In Silver Linings, Terry Lees asks, in a world full of people, what can be more beautiful than knowing how to form healthy relationships and establish deeper connections with those around us?  What can be more powerful than looking at people around you and understanding that by being kind, loving and helpful towards them, you are also being kind, loving and helpful towards yourself?

Listen to the episode below, or continue on to read the transcript.

Episode Transcript:

Relationship begins with people. Interaction with other human beings is something we crave and need in our lives. We rely on the strength of human relationships to survive and thrive. We are born into the world vulnerable, weak, and in need of physical and emotional nurturing. Immediately, we reach out to secure our first relationships. We also leave the world vulnerable and weak and, just as in infancy, we reach out for support from those around us. The level of support we get will often be based on the strength of the relationships we have created throughout our lives.

A wise teacher brought balloons to school and told her students to blow them up and write their name on their balloon. The children then tossed their balloons into the hall. The teacher moved through the hall mixing them all up. The kids were given five minutes to find the balloon with their name on it, but though they searched frantically, no one found their own balloon. Then the teacher told them to take the balloon closest to them and give it to the person whose name was on it.  In less than two minutes, everyone was holding their own balloon. The teacher said to the children, “These balloons are like happiness. We will not find it when we’re only searching for our own. But if we care about someone else’s happiness…. it will ultimately help us find our own.”

What a wonderful way to teach caring for others. Our purpose in life is to make people, others, rather than things, our greatest priority and by giving priority to the needs of others in our daily lives.

In Scripture, Jesus taught once and for all that love for God and love for neighbour are inseparable; moreover, they sustain one another. God wants you to be a caring person, sensitive to the needs of others and aware of how to serve them.

We are not only called to love, but we are also called to love with all our being, to give of ourselves completely and without reserve.  This is radical and requires that we hold nothing back.

If you see a married couple still in love through the years, you may think how lucky they are. But in marital relations, there’s no such thing as luck. They made many compromises; they overlooked each other’s faults. They forgave many mistakes and endured many problems. They spent years learning to understand one another.

Love has never been a matter of luck. It’s mutual giving, compromise, shared dreams, care, respect, mercy and patience.

More and more we hear or read about marriage and relationship breakdowns, of quick divorces or extensive haggling through the legal system for division of property or custody of the children.

Maintaining a relationship is not easy. It requires effort – ongoing effort. You get back what you put in. The wisdom of King Solomon is relevant in his comment: As people think in their hearts so they behave.

The early times of a relationship are generally exciting. You do wonderful things together, naturally thinking of creative ways to charm one another and become closer. While it is normal for a relationship to change and evolve, there’s no reason for the spark to go out.

There will always be challenges and problems in any relationship. Those who succeed do so because they are willing to invest time and effort to make it work. They allow and encourage each other to be who they are, not what they wish them to be. They accept each other’s imperfections and celebrate each other’s individuality.

In a world full of people, what can be more beautiful than knowing how to form healthy relationships and establish deeper connections with those around us?  What can be more powerful than looking at people around you and understanding that by being kind, loving and helpful towards them, you are also being kind, loving and helpful towards yourself?

Love is simply given, no strings attached. Those who want to live meaningfully and well can help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. Those who choose to be happy can help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all…

There is truth in the saying that by helping others you help yourself!  Take the focus off yourself and help others in need. American author and humanitarian, Maya Angelou offers this advice: “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

Top selling author and life teacher, Wayne Dyer says: There is no greater power in heaven or on earth than pure, unconditional love.

From his book The Manuscript Found in ACCRA, Paulo Coelho says: We love because we need to love. Otherwise, love loses all meaning and the sun ceases to shine. And yet, even when Love does not appear, we remain open to its presence. Sometimes, when loneliness seems about to crush everything, the only way to resist is to keep on loving.

Our great goal in life is to love. The rest is silence. We need to love.

Look for the Silver Lining.

This is Terry Lees.

[Music: People – Barbara Streisand]