Relationships & What Matters Most

Relationships are integral to life. 

The human experience is shaped and marked by the quality of our relationships. We exist FROM and FOR relationship. We exist as the result of relationship and we exist for the purpose of relationship. 

Relationships imply responsibility and there is an order of prioritization when it comes to relationship. Our first relationship responsibility is with God. Our creator and sovereign. The one through whom we exist. He gave us direct access to Himself, empowering us to be in relationship with Him... and it’s our responsibility to uphold our part. Our second relationship responsibility is with ourselves. To know thyself is the second great discovery of all quests. Everything distal hinges on the degree of ones connectivity with oneself. The greater the self-awareness and personal alignment, the greater the relationship impact potential. Our third relationship responsibility is with others, beginning with those closest to us, our spouse and children first. 

Relationships kept in priority are in order. Anything else is out of order and leads to dysfunctional relationships. You begin from Above (God) —> down (myself) —> work from the inside (those closest to me) —> & then go outwards (others)

After you take responsibility in prioritizing you can then begin taking root. 

The more rooted, established and secure the first relationship is (with God) the better the quality of the second relationship (with yourself). The more rooted, established and secure the second relationship (yourself) the better the quality of the third relationship (others). This is how it goes. Above, inside, out. That’s the order. Relationships kept in order and rooted deep enable one to remain “full- filled” and living abundantly. For you can’t give what you don’t have and living abundantly is the state of being filled-full and then pouring out what’s overflowing from within. 

Free refills for all when I’m full-filled. 

Abundance occurs when I am equally receiving and giving. Flourishing relationships are conscious, intentional, selfless, abundant. 

Because Relationships are an exchange of oneself, the act of receiving and giving is a collaboration, cooperation, communion. Being in a state of conscious contribution requires attentiveness at each level. You must be Conscious and aware. You also must be vulnerable. There must be a sense of safety and security in the relationship to enable vulnerability. Acceptance and unconditional love, belonging and approval are foundational and must remain independent of ones performance. 

And as we know, Love is the foundation of trust and trust is the beginning, middle and end of all enduring relationships. 

Yes relationships are the fabric that comprise every aspect of our identity and our quality of life. Longterm “success” on the grand scale of life and eternity depends on how we choose to nurture the relationships in our lives.

As business owners, it’s very easy to let our business take over every aspect of our life. To become preoccupied and prioritize work over relationship. The truth is, there’s always more to be done. However, we must not compromise the eternal for the temporal. I had to come face to face with the reality that I had put the relationships that mattered most to me on the back burner and had prioritized work ahead of them. Due to burn out and crisis I came to a place where I was finally ready to prioritize my relationships, and for me, the priorities of my relationships are God, myself, my wife Mary, & then my children. My work comes after these relationships. Peace and blessings have flowed so wonderfully into my life as I’ve prioritized relationship. It’s critical that we establish time specifically dedicated to relationships, and set firm boundaries around that time to safeguard and nurture the relationships that mean the most to us. 

The fact is relationship is the core of what life is truly all about and the relationships in our lives matter more then we could ever comprehend. When we come to the end of our lives we will be truly happy and grateful that we put our relationships in their proper place and invested in making them flourish.