This week’s spotlight is all about relationships. What kind of relationships do you have and what sort of relationships would you like to have? Most of us have family, friends, business cohorts or associates, and acquaintances that we chum around with from time to time. We rather nonchalantly, and typically unconsciously, classify these folks into different categories depending on our sense of trust and closeness. Now we also have relationships with fellow churchgoers, political parties, fund raising groups, sports organizations and so forth. We even have a sort-of relationship with the charities we choose to support. Indeed, when you examine things closely our lives are all about relationships for we also have our favorite brands, retailers, etc.
The Three Rs
In my book, The Little Black Book, I suggest that, after careful evaluation, you will find that life (our reality) is relative to relationships—I refer to this as the three “Rs.” Reality is Relative to Relationships. Think about that for a moment. When you have completed this lifetime and are crossing over to whatever might be next, you do not take your degrees, your trophies or prizes, your material things, and so forth with you. No—if consciousness survives the death of the physical body, and I am most certain it does, then everyone’s consciousness survives. As such, our relationships survive and in just this way define our reality and much of the meaning of our lives!
So okay, now if I frequent a given restaurant and they treat me poorly, I have every right to say something and/or cease visiting this restaurant. The same case applies to groups of all sorts and we generally recognize that—but what about our friends?
Tough Questions
Let me ask a few tough and sensitive questions now. What kind of friend is it if you tell them that you are voting in a certain way and they lose it with you? Again, what is friendship after all? We like to think of a friend as one who will stand by you through thick and thin, but if that’s the case, then we should be able to share our truths with them, such as who we intend to vote for without some vitriolic condemnation that insists we’re stupid at worst, and terribly misinformed at best.
I find myself once again wanting to encourage everyone to find civility in his or her relationships, especially at this time when the country seems to be so divided and nasty about that division. A difference of opinion is just that—it’s not some nuclear declaration designed to end a relationship, or it shouldn’t be!
Perceived Needs Define Attitudes
Just today I visited my family doctor for my routine annual check up. He informed me how bad the Affordable Care Act has been on the practice of medicine. He feels that he has been made to practice insurance; something I’ve heard from several MDs of late, and further his job description should be changed to data entry clerk since the paper work required today is overwhelming. His daughter has just changed her major to pre-med and he’s unhappy with that because he believes she will hate what medicine is becoming in America. Because of this, he is voting one way in this upcoming election. In other words, his need decides his vote.
Please reflect on this for moment. We all have needs and desires. Our needs may differ from our friend and if they do, does that mean our friend is stupid or misinformed? I think not. It is time for us to begin to at least try to understand those around us and show them the respect that we would like. There is no better time nowadays than during an election cycle to practice the Golden Rule: Do unto them as you would have them do unto you!
That I guess is my sermon for this week. I hope you will join me in accepting that we are all entitled to respect—even when we feel quite differently from those around us. Just remember, when you allow dishonorable behavior you have condoned it’s use on yourself!
As always, thanks for the read and I appreciate your feedback.
Eldon Taylor
Provocative Enlightenment
NY Time Bestselling Author of Choices and Illusions
www.eldontaylor.com