A Real Look at Relationships Day Three Questions for Contemplation

Before we move any further into defining our relationships, I would like to pause and clarify what we’ve contemplated thus far. Spend time today drawing a firm line between Companion and Partner. Be sure there isn’t any overlap. Two universal factors I will use as I begin to discuss the building of an eco-system around these two levels of relationship are time and commitment. Partners are those people with whom we have long term commitment while Companions are those people with whom we prefer to spend our time. Be sure to use these as baselines in your definitions.

Next, I would like you to firmly assign the more established relationships in your life to one category or the other. Don’t worry about long-term decisions as you do this. People will organically flow from one group to the other. There might be some people who were once Partners that eventually become Acquaintances, like people you once worked with, or past intimate relationships. Today, you’re just deciding where they fit now. In addition, you may have people in your life that are both. If this is the case, let the commitment take precedence for now. So, if you have people who you prefer to spend time with, who are also long-term commitments, list them as a Partner.

As you continue throughout the day, contemplate the idea of which of these stages are the more important relationships to you. We all find different ways to commit ourselves to relationships. Partnerships come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some people may have Partners but prefer to spend the majority of their time with their Companions. Others might find that most of their Companionships are also Partners. There’s no right or wrong way to approach this level of relationship, there is only what works for you. So, as you travel through the next 24 hours, decide which level of relationship is most valuable to you.