Leadership Thought #287 – People Come and Go in Your Life and That’s Okay
Very few people are meant to take the whole journey with you. Occasionally, you outgrow people, lose the interpersonal connection, and leave them behind. Instead of regretting the loss, cherish the time you had together and keep it as a fond memory. Everyone’s life is a novel; sometimes, new chapters require new characters. It is all part of the process of growing, learning, and evolving as a human being. Almost every pivotal moment in our lives necessitates that we traverse a gap of some kind, and we often depend on others to assist us in doing so. However, they do not all make the same crossing with us.
I hope you have a close personal relationship with a lifelong romantic partner and best friend, if that is what you desire. While it’s normal to experience periods of loneliness, living a lifetime alone can be challenging and isolating. I also hope you have a strong, lasting bond with your children if you are lucky enough to have them. However, even these long-term relationships change and end at some point. Inevitably, someone will have to learn to carry on without the other person. Unfortunately, the loss of the people we love is a part of life.
You will encounter fascinating, fun, caring, and joyful people along the way who make your life more meaningful and abundant. Such interactions can happen in large or small doses. Sometimes, a small moment can make all the difference in influencing the person you become. You will have the good fortune to stumble across amazing mentors (if you are paying attention) who offer sage advice and model behavior you end up wanting to emulate. You will also have to deal with difficult people, but you will have to navigate these relationships anyway and make the most of the experience (or not). Adversity and conflict always teach us something.
We all go through stages in our lives where our worldview changes. Beliefs we once held firm begin to crumble. Social circles form, break apart, and reform differently. People who were critical during some periods end up less important at other moments. We can build and lose connections based on convenience, what we are doing, what we value, where we choose to live, our work/life circumstances, partner compatibility, and our standard of living. Sometimes ending something or allowing it to diminish is the wisest choice we can make. Accept this reality as the natural course of events. Don’t judge the other person or yourself too harshly when it happens.
There is certainly something powerful about the concept of loyalty and keeping lifelong connections. For most people, it is an exception, not a rule, especially with non-family members. Moreover, you should expect the intensity of any given connection to fluctuate. You can only go so deep with so many people at any given time. Some changes to relationships are abrupt and unforeseen, while others wither gradually right before your eyes. It’s acceptable to determine that a specific relationship has reached its peak. All you can do is be the best person you can be in all your close interactions. We all must continually strive to seek out others who are good for us rather than a negative influence.
In all life throws at me, I choose to be an optimist. I believe all people you meet at a certain level are there for a reason. They hold a mirror up to your own soul and exist to help you become a better person one way or another. When it comes to interacting with another human being, there is only so much we can control regarding the relationship. All we can do is make the most of it, whatever it is, and be open to new people and new lessons along the way. Do not hold on to your past relationships at the expense of your future growth and development.
Related articles
- People Come & Go and That’s Ok (the odysseyonline.com)
- “Is this likely to be a short- or long-term Relationship?” ~Ask Dipali (celestialspace.wordpress.com)
- Recognizing your patterns in relationships (gwizlearning.wordpress.com)
- Meaningful Relationships (qualiaforlife.wordpress.com)
- The Mirror in Us: Mirror Neurons & Workplace Relationships (intentionalworkplace.com)
