Wednesday 6 April 2016

Purpose and Passion = Healthy Partnerships

Recently, I became curious about those ingredients that make certain relationships thrive and work. I see a lot of broken relationships in my work. Marriages, siblings, friendships and work relationships all plagued by distrust, hurt, resentment and the withholding of love and service.

The underpinnings of strong and healthy relationships in my observation, are those that are drawn together by purpose and fueled by passion. Friendships drawn together with a vision to be better mothers and fathers produce a conscientious and intentional way of showing up relationally. Conversely, relationships that fall into stagnant, visionless and purposeless connections give birth to all types of dramas. The fuel for these relationships are gossip, suspicion, speculation, strategic sabotage, offense and cycles of “break-ups” and “make-ups”.

Purpose has a way of anchoring relationships and gives individuals courage to transcend hurt and misunderstanding to hold onto what is important. Passion for the purpose serves as the lubrication around areas that get uncomfortable and chaffing in relationships. I remember serving on the board where a specific individual “chaffed” me at every meeting. The organization was doing noble work which strongly aligned with my personal beliefs and life philosophy. I loved the work we did and the lives we impacted. Many times however, I was tempted to quit and walk away but the passion for the work and my own sense of purpose tied into the purpose of this organization kept me connected. Eventually, I was able to break through with this person and we remain close friends today. Outside of purpose and passion this relationship was doomed and would have become a casualty to a purposeless existence. Now we have a strong and healthy partnership and can call on each other as trusted friends.


I encourage you to take inventory of your life, of the relationships that work and those that don’t. I am convinced that you will see a theme. Those relationships that have been drawn together by purpose and are fueled by passion have the ability to endure all seasons. Consider what brings you together in relationships that are marked by conflict and drama. WHAT FUELS THESE RELATIONSHIPS? Relationships aren't underpinned by purpose are typically held together by drama. Contemplate why you stay invested in relationships that do not lead to strong partnerships and then begin to invest more intentionally in your authentic partnerships.