Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Truth About Your Lying


Long ago, I was advised that people come into our lives for either a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I will readily admit that I didn't fully understand the cliché at the moment, but I have grown to adopt this mentality as way of saving myself from heartache, false expectations of others, and emotional pitfalls. Although it may seem unfair to categorize people at the onset of a relationship, it is easier to separate yourself from them if you truly understand which of these three areas they were truly meant to effectuate in your life.

Comrades: Some people come into your life for a reason. They are there to teach you an immediate lesson, to help you through a rough patch, and to either allow you to bless them or to be a blessing to you. The relationships established with these people can last for a fleeting moment or even a few years, but their purpose is clearly defined and they can be relied upon for the fulfillment of an immediate need. Knowing this, you can clearly define the boundaries of this relationship and, when it ends, you can move on unscathed.


Constituents: Another group of people can come into your life for a season. These people may linger for months or even a few years as well. Your relationships with them take on a more emotional impact and they teach you (or you teach them) long-term lessons that will impact you throughout your life. In this instance, there is often a teacher/student role established and many harsh lessons may be learned through the experiences you share.

This relationship is much like a see-saw because the roles of teacher and student are often determined by the circumstance, not the members involved.  One person’s strengths may be the other's weakness and one person’s experiences may bridge the gap for another's understanding in other occurrences in life.   Some lessons are hard learned and both people stand to gain greater knowledge of their own limitations after enduring emotional scars that may, eventually, drive them apart.   

Some of these yin-yang, heartfelt relationships are often deemed toxic by some as they come to an end, but the lessons gained by each person are proven invaluable over the course of time. Some end in betrayal or the exposure of traits that you do not wish to foster in your life.  Just remember that birds of a feather tend to flock together, so ending one relationship may require cutting toes with a few others as well. 

These relationships simply "fizzle" out as you take the lessons that you needed to learn and move on.  Some end dramatically while others simply fade with time.  As you continue to clean your house of these toxic relations, you may go through revelations and moments of shock, but just be relieved that you have freed yourself from energy that will, eventually, destroy itself.  
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Confidants: Another group of people come into your life for a lifetime.  These people are the well-defined, lifelong friendships that evolve after sifting through the reasons and seasons of others.  A true friend, companion, and/or lover knows your strengths and revels in them.  They also know your weaknesses and they have their own way of compensating for them as well.  They complete you.  You, in turn, complete them. 

Lifetime companions have your best interests at heart at all times and they temper those interests with your immediate needs and concerns as well as your long-term goals.  In essence, they may act as your external conscious as they prove themselves to be your ultimate friends.  They each determine their niche’ in your life and may appeal to a persona or characteristic of your psyche’; fueling your relationship with antagonistic energies that catapult you to move toward your end goals.

Knowing where a person “fits” into your personal make-up only strengthens your knowledge of self.  We all have good and bad influences in life but, we control their overall impact.  Know your limitations – but also know where you can draw strength.  And, even more importantly, know when and where to draw the line. 

Learn what you can from every encounter and become a better person – whether it is for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. 

But alas, this is just ONE Man’s Opinion… What is yours?
 

4 comments:

  1. Giving this equation, I think that one would really have to understand and know what category they would likely fall up under. Categories change; relationships change! My question is (1) For the lifelong relationship, how would you know if that person comes along when we've generally engaged with, in my case, many that weren't any where near who the lifelong is to be? (2) Can you really apply this equation if you don't know which category you fall under?

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    1. I do believe that we are all blessed with a spirit of discernment - defined as "an acuteness of judgment and understanding". Others may call this intuition. In essence, we all know what we want in our lives; be it good or bad, and we know who and how to pursue these things. Immediate, short term encounters can easily be identifiable as "reasons". Someone might help you pay a bill, teach you a lesson, offer advice or a shoulder to lean on, or even wean from your experiences. Their reason for being there at that moment is obvious.

      If you are having a hard time discovering the difference between a seasonal and lifetime acquaintance, it may be because of the fact that you are the determining factor in these decisions and you may struggle emotionally with the idea of letting someone go. In abusive relationships, the abuser is hell-bent on dominating your thoughts and making you believe that they are a necessity in your life. However; once a person who is being abused decides that they no longer want that relationship, they are mentally empowered to somehow escape. In doing so, their dependency on a believed "lifetime" situation erodes into a "seasonal" circumstance from which they are able to grow and learn.

      Lifetime partnerships are usually silent statements in a person's life. You "fit" together and compliment each other naturally. In some cases, you don't even need to define the parameters of these relationships because they are almost automatic. A mutual respect and trust are built with unpronounced guidelines. Examples might include childhood friends who stay in contact for decades, spouses who age gracefully together, favorite relatives, and even best friends who may be separated by miles but have the uncanny ability to always "pick up" from where they left off.

      A person - to include you - may change over the years, but how they are perceived is completely up to you and your need for their voice in your life. Knowing how to categorize a person weighs more so on how well you police your own emotional needs. If a love affair ends, don't hold onto it as if it was meant to be eternal. Instead, grow from the experiences, cherish the memories, and accept the fact that the season of growth has passed. Use this energy as a vanguard to set standards for the next relationship and maybe - just maybe - it will last a lifetime....

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  2. Thank you for posting this. I really needed to read this today. Sometimes the challenge comes with determining which category someone falls.

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