Lean Quote: A Happy Life is About Leaning Into Relationships

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"There isn’t time—so brief is life—for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving—and but an instant, so to speak, for that."   —  Mark Twain   

Whether you are twenty, fifty or seventy, you might be wondering what the meaning of life is. Or rather, how would one define the quality of their life lived?

Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t fame and money. According to the psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, which is the fourth generation director of a study on adult development, it’s about the quality of our relationships that determines it.

Apart from the quality of relationships, the study showed that loneliness kills in our modern society, whereby total independence is glorified and seen as a symbol of strength. Loneliness activates “hyper-vigilance” which puts an individual in a defensive state. Whereby daily inconveniences and adverse events are more stressful. Apart from that, loneliness can also affect the brain, risking cognitive and physical decline.

Know that it is okay to acknowledge the feeling of loneliness and seek out connection. After all, humans are social creatures, and we are physiologically and psychologically primed for connection. Your body and mind would thank you for it.

Additionally, the study had shown that having higher-quality relationships with others is better compared to the number of connections we have. So how would you go about developing better relationships?

In our modern technological era, most of us are probably guilty of using our phones during a conversation with another person at least once. It might be something as simple as giving our undivided attention to others or spending time planning for activities and events together.

So, what are you waiting for? Nobody lives forever, and you might not know what tomorrow would hold. If today was your last, how would you live it or more importantly, did you live a good life?