As soon as someone walks out of your life without actually leaving, you realize the impact and importance of relationships.
I continously say I value family. Family is the word I use for relationships. It is one of my core values. A foundational life principle.
The core of my foundation is rocked as my heart weighs heavy.
In all that I do, I seek to positively impact others and develop relationships. I attempt to build relationships through unconditional love and support. Yes, sometimes I do falter; but, I try. One foot in front of the other. When I fall, I get back up again. [Stop singing the song lyrics.]
I do not focus on relationships with only my family or my 'friends.' I place equal importance to all the relationships in my life. I am very fortunate that in my life, I am surrounded with hundreds of people on a daily baisis. Many of those people I see daily are not mere acquaintances. I invest time and energy to develop lasting, meaningful relationships.
Then, one day, it became obvious... others do not value relationships equally as much. The importance of relationships was thrown in my face. One day I was told I played an important role in your life and you value our relationship. The next day, silence. Value, well... what value?! My heart weights heavy as I realize how unimportant my role really was. Or, with others... how unimportant my role really IS.
As I question myself, I sink in my seat and the smile fades. I ask myself if I'm really meant to pursue my passion. I ask myself if I should focus my time and energy on something other than the relationships. Was the importance of my value thrown in my face for a reason? Is the relationship -- trust and faith in others, support of others, etc -- something I am not effective at. And, then the mind wanders to the question, if I'm not effective at it, should I stop wasting everyone's time? The doubt continues to fill my every thought.
Then, I pray about it. Each time I pray about it, I realize, again, it's about the relationships. It's about family. I'm praying because I have a relationship. The most important relationship. With this relationship, I realize my foundation is solid. I may face trying times. I may stumble. But, still, with a focus on the most important relationship that is Father of my family, I know my foundation will always hold strong against the greatest test.
As you journey through life's adventures, you will be faced with adversity and times of celebration. Through all the experiences, surround yourself with positive, uplifting people who will support your growth and success. The unconditional love and support you receive from family and friends is equally as important as the affect you have on someone else's life. Therefore, as you travel down life's path, always strive to have a positive impact in others' lives. Live the good life and guide others to live theirs'.
Unfortunately each day doesn't have an optional reset button. You can't call, "Mulligan," if you don't like the results of a day. You must finish the day and learn from it.
Use a 'bad day' as a teaching moment. Reflect on what went 'wrong,' what could have gone better and what was actually within your control. Use the opportunity to prepare yourself to respond differently and improve your interactions in future similar situations. It's the difficult times when we struggle and fall to our knees that we have the most opportunity to learn.
If we fail to use the teaching moments, we have failed ourselves. We failed because we didn't use a chance to improve our actions, character and life.
It's important to realize that a vital component of teaching moments is learning to utilize your resources. In countless instances, your resources are people. People that support you. People that love you unconditionally. People that care. They care about your happiness and your personal growth. Sometimes these people are your sounding board. Sometimes they are a source of comfort. Sometimes they are there to 'keep it real.' They may have to tell you exactly what you don't want to hear, but they are your greatest resources because they tell you what you need to hear.
On the days you're searching for the reset button, use your resources. Lean on the people that were put in your life to help you and support you as you grow.
There are no Mulligans, but there are lessons to be learned. Take advantage of what's given to you -- the opportunity to grow. Most importantly, move forward. Tomorrow is a new day. Maximize the opportunity to grow tomorrow too. Grow daily, whether it's a great day or a 'Mulligan' day.
