Got Relationships or Got Partnerships?

Defining how we connect with each other and the world….

Relationship: the state of being connected.

Partnership: an arrangement in which parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.

I was exploring the differences between being in a relationship and being in a partnership, when bam! – 22 years after my first kid was born and here I am processing my birth experiences, finding new revelations from way, way back.

When I look back at both of my kids’ birth experience, I feel good knowing that I did everything possible to make the pregnancies and births a natural and healthy experience for the well-being of both myself and my children.

However, I realized that what was lacking and gnawing at my ability to find great power and pride in the experiences, was that at the time, I didn’t get that there was another human being having an experience with me that was as deep a partnership as any partnership gets.

Even during the most intense moments, it was mostly about  “my” birth experience and how “I” was going to get through the birthing of the kids. I don’t remember thinking about how my babies must have been feeling as they were “getting through” the birth canal –  and that even more so than this being “my” birth experience, it was truly theirs!! I look back now and wish (yes, wish) that I had been able to approach these two experiences as a partnership.

My brain went to “Can I do this? Do I have what it takes to create a positive birth experience?  Did I prepare enough? Can I handle the pain?”  Lots of “I’s” going on for me then…not anywhere enough “we’s.”

But I was scared and didn’t know any better. I didn’t have a clue back then that there is a much bigger, powerful source of all life that is here to serve me, and partner with me, if I will only ask and allow. Like most of my life and experiences up until then, I felt that “my” birthing experience was something that “I” was doing alone and it was up to me to create a healthy human being…

Looking back over the past 22 years, THANK GOD I’ve gotten much better at creating partnerships. How did this happen? Well, I opened up to creating a partnership with source energy and “my” started becoming “we.” Once I started partnering with source, and realized that “I” am never, ever alone, it got much easier to learn new ways to “relate” to people, places and things in a way that served both parties best and highest interests.

Bottom line: you can be in a relationship with someone and still feel pretty alone. But when you commit to being in partnership, that’s when “me” becomes “we,”  “I” becomes “us” and relationships can evolve into life-giving, soul-nurturing, deliciously evolving connections that deepen the meaning of all of our connections here on planet earth.

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Ali Skylar (242 Posts)

Ali Skylar’s mission is to use inspirational words, positive affirmations, mindfulness exercises and positive songs to help you learn how to change your life and have a true spiritual awakening! Ali uses her Shiftitudes -uniquely crafted self-affirmation acronyms - blog, books and courses to help keep you committed to your spiritual journey! Also, her Quotitudes – inspirational sayings, encouraging words and inspirational quotes about life - gently aid in helping you to achieve a positive mental attitude essential for personal growth and presence of mind. Chat with Ali on Google+ | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube