The Power of Relationships

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

—John Donne,
poet

When the World Trade Center was attacked, many of those who perished realized that they were in grave danger and might not make it out alive. What did they do with the precious seconds they had left? They reached out to connect with their loved ones. They made phone calls to their spouses, mothers, fathers, siblings, children—to the people who meant the most to them. Their last thoughts were about those they loved, and those who loved them. Relationships give meaning to our lives.

This world is all about other people. We are not meant to be solitary creatures. We are meant to have people around us to love, care for, and support. We all know that there are negative people around. We must avoid them whenever possible. Instead, actively seek out those people who enjoy living, who support creative thinking and bold ideas, who are actively pursuing dreams of their own. These are the people from whom we get our greatest inspiration.

At the end of your life, it won't matter what your profession was or how much money you made. It won't matter where you went to school (or whether you went to school), what kind of clothes you wore, or how much your car cost. What does matter is how you dealt with people in your life. Did you love them? Did you accept love from them? Did you learn from them? Did you teach them?

Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.

—Og Mandino,
motivational speaker