Go back to the lesson where you wrote down your Highest Self and Ideal Life; no doubt you included the quality of some of your relationships in that vision.
At the end of our lives, we can be pretty sure that we’re not going to wish we’d spent more hours at the office or that we worked even harder than we already do. We’re not going to wish we shopped more, watched more TV, or posted more on Facebook. More likely, we’re going to be very focused on the quality of connections: our relationships, the love in our lives. We’ll contemplate what we gave of ourselves and what we allowed ourselves to receive.
Connection is what holds families, friends, and societies together.
No amount of success in other areas will be as fulfilling without the thread of connection we have to others. Humans are tribal creatures, dependent on each other for companionship and support. We have the most to give and to learn by our interactions with others.
I am someone who has always been convinced that I don’t fit in. I’ve often felt lonely in rooms full of people, struggling with how to connect with someone of like-mind. I’m solitary to a fault and trust issues have kept me from reaching out when I most need help. What I’m slowly learning is that the deeper I lean toward connection and dare to be vulnerable enough to trust that others are there for me with open arms and hearts, the happier I am. In turn, I get to reciprocate, causing a love-circle that feeds my life in ways that are far more satisfying than other measures of success. In fact, I know that at the end of my life, this will be my highest measure of success.
If who you aspire to be is someone who is deeply connected in their relationships yet you feel you’re not acting in accordance with that truth, then what steps do you need to take to be that person? Who in your life needs more attention? How can you make sure that even when you have limited time, it’s quality time?
Conversely, are there relationships in your life that are toxic? Are there some that drain you rather than uplift you? I wrote about this very phenomenon in my paranormal series, Scintillate, Deviate, and Illuminate. Most people have experienced the energy drop from being around someone who is an energy taker. When I speak at conferences and ask the audiences if they have experienced this phenomenon, invariably hands shoot up and heads nod. Course correcting in this area may mean letting go of some relationships that aren’t in your highest good or at the very least, setting firm boundaries around those individuals who bring you down.
One of the reasons I was dedicated to course-correcting in the zone of ‘Spirit’ was that intuitively felt that I needed to cultivate softness and openness with my spiritual practices so that I could be more soft and open with those around me. I knew that I wanted deep relationships based on trust, love, and connection and that I had to make time for it because it’s so easy to take for granted the people close to us. Living my best life meant making connecting with others a priority.
Action Item:
· If this is true for you, write down three to five changes you know you need to make in this zone.
