"People must never be a means to an end."

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus in his book, Mind Shift (p. 21). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And that is so important for us to comprehend, to understand and to live out.

Here is what Erwin says around this thought. He says, "I have friends who made the conscious choice to put their relationships on the back burner while they built their personal empire. There is a lot to be said about that kind of intentionality.

"The danger, of course, is that you can become blind to the importance of the people in your life. No one succeeds alone. Yet some people take all the credit for the success in their lives. Success is far richer, more meaningful, and more sustainable when you build it in the context of healthy relationships. People must never be a means to an end. Relationships should never be simply utilitarian."

Doing it together, whatever it is, can be, as he says, "more meaningful and more sustainable".

He continues, "When I asked Mark Burnett, the producer of shows like Survivor and Shark Tank, to tell me the key for his sustainable success, he didn’t talk about his creative process or the individual genius that has helped him create smash-hit programs for more than twenty years. Instead he described the small, loyal, tight-knit team that moves with him whenever he takes on a new endeavor. When your strategy for success includes the people in your life who are willing to join you and pay the price with you, it is immeasurably more rewarding."

Erwin then says, "It’s a bit awkward for me to write this down and share it with you, but it reflects one of my highest values. I have never measured my success by how much I’ve accomplished, or how much I have acquired. I have always measured my success by how many people I can take with me on the journey. My measure is simple: Do people elevate when they are in the gravitational pull of my life? Am I investing in the success of others? When you make the mind shift that it’s not all about you—it’s all about the people whose lives change for the better because of you—it is transformational."

And that is so true. We really do need each other. Yes, yes! #continuethought