We continue to focus on the relational component of our Wheel of Life.
People have been known to achieve more as a result of working with others than working against them. ~Dr. Allan Fromme
The best self-help book I’ve ever read is–The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephan Covey.
In his groundbreaking book, Covey takes the reader through a progression from a life of dependence to independence to the ultimate state of interdependence.
Dependence means we are dependent on other people, places and things for our personal fulfillment and happiness…this is not a good thing. We often see this with people who have a “victim mentality;” a state of mind where they believe the world is against them.
Independence means we are not dependent upon other people, places and things for our personal satisfaction and fulfillment. We take control of our lives and our destination when we become independent. Covey lays this out in this first three habits: Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind and Put First Things First.
Interdependence means we’ve figured out the beauty associated with combining our independent traits with the willingness to work well with others. Covey’s detailed explanations of the fourth and fifth habits: Think Win-Win and Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood changed me forever.
For years I always thought everything was a win-lose. Someone wins and someone loses. What I learned from Covey’s book is life is not a competition and if we want to grow we need to be able to work with others.
The key is found in living his fifth habit: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Living this habit helps me suspend judgment on others and forces me to really try to understand where others are coming from.
How are you when it comes to suspending judgment and choosing to try and understand others? If you struggle, you are missing out on great opportunities for personal growth…I write from experience.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (ESV)
James 4:12, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (ESV)
