"When you finally understand that life is all about people, everything in your life changes."

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus in his book, Mind Shift (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And that is what we want and need. We look at our lives and realize there are some things that need to change.

Going back, Erwin said, "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."

He then continues, "What does this shift look like in practice? It’s choosing to be kind. It’s tipping well when people serve you. It’s taking time to acknowledge the people around you and remember their names. It’s speaking well of people when they are not in the room. It’s remembering who helped you when you needed them, and returning the favor. It’s making time for friendship. It’s refusing to have the mentality that it’s not personal, it’s just business. It’s making sure it’s always personal. It’s listening. It’s being present. It’s seeing life through the template of relationships."

Yes, people really are important to God and to us. We really do need each other.

He then says, "If you wait too long to come to this realization, you will find yourself looking back with at least some degree of regret. You will see where you chose things over people and wonder what you were thinking. The things you attained at the cost of the people you genuinely counted as friends were not worth the exchange. Most likely, those things no longer have the value that you perceived they would have, and they certainly did not bring you the happiness you expected."

He says, "Experiences are actually quite nuanced. I have an incredible appreciation for great experiences. Yet, what I’ve come to realize is that the greatest experiences are the ones that are shared. Even the best experiences do not bring us a sense of fulfillment when we experience them alone. After all, what makes for a great experience? What makes it unforgettable? What qualifies it to become a lifelong memory? It’s not the experience itself. It’s the people with whom you shared it."

And have you found that to be so very, very true? We really do need each other and we really do need to understand that. Yes, yes! #continuethought

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