I really like the song No Man Is an Island by Tenth Avenue North. It’s all about the importance of relationships and opening ourselves up to other people. The final line of the chorus says, “We’re not meant to live this life alone,” which is a reminder that I find very helpful. Plus, it’s just a catchy song!
I’m all about promoting fitness in every area of a person’s life, and that includes relational health. Some people may be surprised to see relationships included as an area of fitness, but to me, it makes perfect sense: We cannot live healthy lives if we don’t have healthy relationships with others.
It’s understandable that we want to be independent and do things on our own. Depending on other people is scary, and we feel more accomplished when we do things without asking for help. But we can do so much more when we come together than any of us can do individually. Together, we’re simply better.
Focusing only on ourselves leads to selfishness. When all we care about is our own needs and our own goals, we become self-centered. And let me tell you: Self-centered people are not healthy people. Selfishness and fitness simply cannot coexist.
The truth is that we were created by God to be in relationship with others. It’s a part of our DNA. We need others in order to live healthy, happy lives. Without meaningful relationships with others, our lives become dull, meaningless, and even depressing. And the longer we try to act like we don’t need other people, the worse it’s going to get.
So why don’t we choose today to put our pride aside and admit that we need other people to be healthy? It may be scary, but it’s also relieving. Once we recognize and admit our reliance on others, we open ourselves up to form healthy bonds and become relationally fit the way we’re meant to be.
Don’t get me wrong. Fostering healthy relationships takes work, as any married person can tell you. Maintaining a healthy level of connection with friends, family, coworkers, and others takes time, energy, and effort. But it is so worth it.
And it all starts with taking our relational health seriously. How we relate to others is just as important to our fitness as what we put into our bodies and how often we exercise. What we’re looking for is comprehensive wellness, fitness for the whole self.
So let me ask you: How are you doing relationally? Are you nourishing those close, healthy relationships that you so desperately need? What can you be doing to improve in this area of your fitness?
I’ll have more to say on this subject in the future, but for this week, I just wanted to establish the importance of relational health and get you thinking about how that looks in your own life. Thanks as always for reading, and until next time…
To your fitness!