how do relationships work?

Most people enter into relationships with an eye toward what they can get out of them, rather than what they can put into them.

The purpose of a relationship is to decide what part of yourself you'd like to see "show up," not what part of another you can capture and hold.

-- Neale Donald Walsch --

I had the most interesting conversation the other day about a couple I know. They have been married twenty-one years. They have three children and seem as happy and in love today as they did over thirty years ago, when they first got together. My friend said they really seemed to belong together and asked if I knew how they did it. I couldn't really answer her question, but it got me to thinking about this book I read a while back about relationships. It is by Neale Donald Walsh. He says...

“When our reason for relationships is aligned with our soul's reason for being, not only are our relationships understood to be sacred, they are rendered joyful as well."

According to him, a great relationship is one of truth-telling. He says there are five levels 1) you tell the truth about yourself; 2) you tell the truth to yourself about another; 3) you tell the truth about another to yourself; and 4) when you tell the truth about another to that other; 5) you tell the truth to everyone about everything. He also says relationships fail because people enter into them for the wrong reasons; that the only way a relationship can work is for both parties "to agree, consciously, that the purpose of their relationship is to create an opportunity for growth, for full self-expression, for lifting each others lives to their highest potential, for healing every false thought or small idea each has ever had about themselves, and for ultimate reunion with GOD through the communion of their two souls"

I found this last point to be so interesting, I asked a few people I knew what they thought of this passage Did they agree with Neale Donald Walsh as to how relationships can work? I must admit it was fifty-fifty, half agreed with him and half did not. But talking with my friend made me think of this passage again and so I thought I would put it out there.

What do you think? Take a minute. Do you agree that the only way a relationship can work is for both parties "to agree, consciously, that the purpose of their relationship is to create an opportunity for growth, for full self-expression, for lifting each others lives to their highest potential, for healing every false thought or small idea each has ever had about themselves, and for ultimate reunion with GOD through the communion of their two souls"?

What do you think? Share!!!

The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you; but to have another with whom you might share your completeness."-- Neale Donald Walsch --

-- written by asd --

photographs by unknown