The life you want to create, the type of person you want to become, the parts of yourself you’re most excited to cultivate will attract people who will help you get there.

Your relationships are catalysts — the foundations you need to squeeze wisdom from experience and failure. Authentic connection is expansive: the right relationship at the right time are wings to freedom.

Even at your very worst, you were someone’s pride and joy. Remember this when you forget the best parts of your being. Because somewhere in that fog of confusion and longing, we can help each other find laughter and gratitude. Your highest highs and lowest lows are different than mine; the value lies in sharing and discovering what these experiences were like for each of us.

Our mutual appreciation for life — the ups and downs, the hard lessons and the easy ones — might not happen at the same time. Your up might be my down; but no matter, when we do find ourselves together, we can share which lessons that made us better.

The point is to build tribes so that we can elevate and push each other to succeed.

When we collaborate, our ideas become richer. Like a prism, the perspectives we uniquely offer brings treasure. It’s our gift — and our duty — to find it.

Modified from What connect us, posted August 2013.