One of my favorite authors is Leo Buscaglia. Of the many authors that have written and spoken about relationships and love, Leo exemplified what true love was all about.  We live in a disconnected world and whether we look at relationships from a personal perspective or from a business perspective we face challenges in our relationships. He wrote: “Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love.”

But how do we do this in todays environment?

In our personal relationships we are attacked on a regular basis by ads, friends, coworkers who speak of meadows of green grass with streams flowing through them and trees filled with honey and endless counts of blissful moments in an environment that can do no wrong.  All meant to show us how miserable and unhappy our lives really are.

In business our relationships suffer because of economic pressures, greed, sabotage, lack of trust, mistakes, competition.  All meant to drain us of our energy to the point where we no longer care about the quality of what we put out there given the lack of respect being shown to us.

Both examples are an exaggeration (maybe) to make my point.

Yes, we are constantly presented with challenges in all parts of our lives.  This is part of our journey.  Part of learning and growing.  How could we possibly learn anything if everything went perfectly smooth with no blips in the road?  How boring would that be?  Leo had something to say about this as well:  “The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.  Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom.  Only the person who risks is truly free.”

The key though when presented with any challenges is how we face these challenges.  Do we succumb and throw our hands up in the air in a sigh of giving up?  Do we retaliate in anger and bouts of jealousy that damage any relationship?  Do we run complaining to others about the wrongs that have been done to us?  Do we scream out the victim song and look for others to chant alongside of us?

With every challenge, every opportunity, we have a choice on how we will react to each situation.

Leo summed it up this way:  “The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.”

Choose differently. Choose wisely. Make choices that are for our own highest and best good.

Follow a new or different path.  Only by doing things differently, and coming from a space of love and caring for our fellow human being can we see changes within us and we create a ripple effect that will touch all those around us.

Love is always the answer.