The thought of lifetime goals hit me really hard the other day as I was thinking about certain relationships in my life.
Many are amazing, and filled with –
love
laughter that sometimes hurts
joy from being surrounded with kind and caring people
authenticity when it comes to openness, opinions and constructive feedback or criticism
memories that make you smile and some that may you cry
in depth conversations that challenge you, make you think and leave you a better human being
and other relationships in my life are –
strained because of misunderstandings that haven’t yet been resolved
awkward because of personality differences that seem too great and cannot be overcome
silent due to other people not wanting to express their feelings
frustrating because you can’t make other people into what you want them to be, because that’s just not who they are
So what does this all mean?
For me, this has turned into a lifetime goal. I’m not going to try and be a savior and fix or repair every relationship in my life that needs help.
But here is what I’m going to do –
I’m going to work harder in making authentic connections that don’t rely solely on social media for information about others in my life
I’m going to make concessions, because if I don’t then how in the heck will things get any better
I’m going to try really hard to see others perspective and point of view
I’m going to reach out to people in my life that have been silent for too long, and will try to understand them a little bit more
I’m going to think about what other people have been through in their life, and realize that I don’t know every single circumstance, can’t possibly understand what they’ve been through, and see if we can find some common ground to connect
I’m going to think less about myself, and more about others
I’m going to think less about money and more about the time, the memories, the interactions, the emotions, the laughter, the feelings and the precious time that we’re able to spend together
I’m going to put my dang phone away, in the drawer, in another room, on airplane mode, way more often so I don’t miss out on those ever so glorious small moments that happen with my wife and children on a daily basis
I’m going to focus not on what I want, but what I already have that makes me happy and fulfilled and remember that so many people have so much less than I do. And it’s not what you have that makes you happy, it’s the relationships and people around you that are what make you truly happy in life
What are your lifetime goals?
