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The earth was designed to be co-dependent.

Humans inhale oxygen exhaled by plants. Plants inhale Carbon dioxide exhaled by humans.

Recent discoveries now prove that a bulk of the Carbon dioxide we live on come from plants deep within the ocean. Interesting, isn’t it?

Perhaps one of the most striking examples of this co-dependency is the food chain where animals on the top tier depend on those on the bottom to survive. Archaeologists now have reasons to believe that the Jurassic age did not end because of the fiery struck the earth but because the surviving dinosaurs could not find enough plants to feed on. And so, they perished from hunger.

This primal principle of co-dependence is what makes relationships essential for our survival and success.

Realize it or not, you were born out of a relationship. As soon as you let out your first cry, a relationship nurtured you to this point. A relationship saw you through school. Fed you. Probably landed you your first job or contract. Maybe you made your first million through a simple endorsement.

Long story short, you are who you are today because of a relationship or a network of relationships. You learned all you know today through relationships. When things go south, it is usually because of a relationship or the lack of it.

Here’s why.

Most of the world’s problems today are based on relationships. Revolutions erupt because citizens no longer trust their governments. Nations go to—full-blown, trade or cyber—war because of a breakdown of diplomatic ties.
Employees begrudge their employers. Parents are unhappy with the actions of their unruly children. Children are also unhappy about the actions of their parents they don’t understand.

Divorce rates have soared because couples can’t get along. Most children born into these broken marriages are exposed to the wrong relationships. Our youth are getting submerged in vices and substance abuse because there was no relationship to nurture them off that path.

Our young women are getting caught up in webs of prostitution because, among other factors, there was no father figure to stand-in as their first love. Law enforcement and other counter efforts—against crime—are only correctional measures. The real problem began with a relationship or the lack of it.

Although relationships are meant to be a platform for mutual exchange of value, they also serve as systems of advantage. The right relationships will give you access to platforms you never knew existed. Relationships will give you assets you would have otherwise paid heavily to get.

Relationships can shorten your journey to success.

Goodwill is a major ingredient of success. Sadly, only few understand this.
Many young people today are making the mistake of the prodigal son. They trash relationships and embrace money. As the story goes, the prodigal son eventually ran out of resources and began feeding pigs; sometimes eating from the pig’s portion.

Good for him, he realized his wrong early enough to reconcile with his father. The lesson is clear; success is born and sustained by relationships. To be sustainably successful, you must value relationships over possessions.

That said, here are 4 basic facts about relationships you need to know.

Ready?

• Relationships are living things. They feed, grow and—when starved of the right doses of time, words and attention—they die.

• Relationships are investments. You only get out of them as much as you have invested.

You may also like: 5 Keys to Cultivate a Mentoring Relationship

• Relationships are vehicles. They do not reduce the distance of your journey. They only shorten your expected time of arrival.

• Relationships are platforms. You can see, learn and take advantage of opportunities you never knew existed.

What else can you add to the list.

Please leave a comment.