When did you graduate from college? Or even think back to your high school graduation.
For some of us, it’s been more than half of our life ago that we finished those integral years.
Now think about all of the relationships you built during those formative years. Some of your best friends came from those days, weeks, months, and years of sharing common experiences, trying new things, and learning lots from making tons of mistakes.
Best Men and Maids of Honor from your weddings. Godparents to your children. Business partners.
Perhaps even spouses.
What is a Relationship Worth?
Do some simple math. Divide the number of years since you’ve been out of college (or high school) by the number of people from those years that you still have regular contact with. You don’t have to be as close as family, acquaintances, or current “running buddies” but do you still stay in touch at all?
If the result of your math problem above is less than 1, you’re doing a great job making your investment in college much more valuable than the “education” you (or someone) paid for.
This works for other organizations, volunteer groups, churches, or neighborhoods you’ve been involved in throughout your life.
Relationships aren’t a one-time engagement. Just like the pyramids in Egypt were built one block at a time, we need to be building relationships daily. One engagement at a time.
Once Relationships are Built, They Must Be Deepened
Birthdays? Anniversaries? Regular social media contact? Meet up annually or even more often than that?
Remembering kids’ and grandkids’ names, keeping up to date on life’s changes, and finding reasons to stay in touch is how a relationship grows stronger.
These high school or college relationships were never built with the goal of earning future business opportunities…but if that would ever happen, that’s not a bad side effect.
What you learned back in college is important. What you spent (or invested) to learn had a price.
But those you met back in college could end up being priceless.