In our lives combat is the pivot of existence, we spend half the time alienating people and the other half trying to effect reconciliation, and before we are aware of it we reach the end of the trail. What we have lost in the process is beyond compare!! The essence of life has eluded us and we have only ourselves to blame. The situation however is not irredeemable.

One question that we need to ask ourselves is whether we are doing all that is possible to maintain and make relationships? The golden rule is to view people in the way that you would want to be viewed, think of other people in the way that you would want others to think of you. Do not be judge and jury rolled in one, for evaluating others and mirroring their faults is the best way to end a relationship. Accept people as they are. Once we do that we do not search for something that is not there and is no expectation. Life becomes simple because we just live without analyzing and dissecting. Relationships thus built stand the test of time. We begin to like people just as they are. After all it is the prerogative of every individual to retain his uniqueness.

Going one-step further, we need to recognize the worth of every human being and give due credit. We tend to take too many tings for granted and in this process lose something valuable and precious. We must learn to recognize the fact that every act small or big needs to be appreciated. A small thank you goes long way, a little bit of encouragement catalyses human goodness, a little recognition motivates people to excel, a little appreciation fuses human bonds.  However, we need to steel ourselves to travel this less traveled terrain and be prepared to go more than half the way. Our motto must be to do and not undo, to make and not to break, to retain and not discard.

This then is the secret of life—the secret that everyone knows but fails to acknowledge. Life is too short for pettiness, too brief to make too many mistakes. Let us live it to the full. We must learn to consciously cultivate

Ourselves to do the many things that we ought to do but would rather not do --------this is the panacea that augurs for enduring relationships.

persuasive essays  by M Swami. copyright indianchild.com