Of all the professional speakers I came to know in the National Speakers Association, the time I spent with Bob Ball was a highlight, especially his book, Walking on Water, where he focused on a duality om our relationships: "doing for" and "being with."

Central to his premise was the story of Jesus's visit to Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) where Martha is busy with preparations (doing for) while Mary is sitting at Jesus's feet "listening to what he said." (being with). Whjen Martha objects to Mary's behavior Jesus replies, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

This concept of doing and being is the core of relationships. Another example of the idea is found in the work of John Bradshaw whose work focused on healthy participation in life. I have been his line, "Remember, we are human beings, not human doings."

While there is controversy surrounding the concept of self-esteem, consider it's definition:

self-esteem (n): Confidence in one's own worth; self-respect [OED]

How important is this for successful relationships in our lives? As our original journey unfolds into the next event, seeing ourselves and others realistically is an essential. Easy to write; hard to achieve, but worth the focus.