*...a purposeful life...

"When US sneezes, the rest of Asia catches a cold."

There is a catalyst effect, something like a butterfly effect, in the things we do. Sometimes we do not realise it, but our words, actions, yes even feelings and thoughts have the capacity to effect certain things far greater than we've ever imagined. Without even thinking about it. Such is the power of one human being over another. If you let another person influence you so greatly, you'd either be the next success, or the next failure. Depending on who's the influencer, of course. Huntley has friends(male) who were in long-term relationships and now, recently, they have all broken up. One was in a 4-year one. The other, in a 10-year one. Seems like a really long time to me. I do wonder if they broke up out of boredom or otherwise. Well, it's been said that familiarity breeds contempt. How true. But the feelings of belonging and having someone to call your own, is a treasure in itself. I think deep down inside, everyone longs for that even though they don't want to get entangled in affairs of the heart.

Inevitably, when we are hurt by someone, we often turn to someone else for comfort. Our pets sometimes. But it doesn't talk back, it only listens. I don't want my friends to only turn to me when they need some comforting, but at the same time, I'm glad he can turn to me, rather than someone else.

Sometimes it takes that extra effort to get the catalyst effect in motion. Maybe just a few more minutes of listening, instead of worrying about your own things. Maybe just a little less sleep, and the person will be impacted for life. We all need someone to sacrifice for us. But are we also sacrificing? I think it's tiring to just take and take. Giving makes you only want to give more, and more. And if we adults cannot even learn to listen, learn to stop and value above all, human kindness and compassion, how can we learn to be adults at all? Sometimes we can learn from the way kids try to get our attention and tell us enthusiatically about their latest toys, or their day's happenings. We want to catch in the magical moment which reminds us that we once were like them - innocent, not jaded, not cynical about life, just wondering happily about every new chapter.

And I want to be like that too. If some human is too busy to cultivate a real relationship with me, it's pointless to carry on. I think somewhere along the line during their 4 years, their 10 years together, the relationship sort of stopped. When one party stops listening, he stops connecting, he stops communicating, the relationship is gone.

So each time you tell someone you are too busy to listen to him, too tired out to spend some time chatting about the day, you are losing a bit of the magic in your relationship.

You are losing the childlike capacity you have for Life's excitements. Don't forget to share with me. No matter how tired I am, I still want to be there. And I will.