Previous Marriage Advice Post
We’ve all heard the words of the song, “No man is an island, no man stands alone; we need one another.” These lyrics were inspired by the words “no man is an island, entire of itself”—a quotation from John Donne (1572-1631) that appeared in his Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII. The message is simple yet profound and quite clear—that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others.
During our lifetime, we have been blessed to have known many successful people. Each would define success in their own way because it’s personal to each individual. But regardless to how they might define it, there is one thing that they all share in common. They have become successful in their endeavors because they have opened themselves to receive the support of others. In fact, the most successful have attracted the greatest number of people to support them.
While a commitment, a steadfast focus, personal determination and perseverance are required of each individual to achieve their goals, the greatest amount of success will come to those who are open to receiving the support of others. We want to be quite clear, however, that not all help is supportive. In fact, it is important to determine whose help is supportive and that which is not from among those who come your way. One way to help you decide is by paying attention to what & how you’re feeling inside when in the presence of this other person(s). Do you feel inspired or depleted? You must carefully and thoughtfully open yourself to receive only the assistance of supportive people. And if you can find creative ways to be of mutual support, you, as well as those around you, will achieve your goals much faster and easier.
So open to receive the support of others and offer your support to them as well. By doing so, your success and theirs is an absolute certainty.
