The Human Connection – More Precious than Gold

For those of you who regularly read my blog, you’ll have noticed the tree theme lately in my reflections.  This is another piece inspired by the Fall colors and the beauty we are treated to each year.

Here in Colorado, we get an explosion of gold as the leaves turn.  Our trees have been nothing short of spectacular this year.  As I sat quietly soaking in the warm afternoon sun filtering through the bright leaves, it brought me to a point of tremendous revelation.  In this world of ours, we are too often absorbed in chasing gold rewards for our efforts.  But just like the beautiful display of leaves on this tree, the money we work so hard to earn provides only a temporary moment of joy.  Those gifts of gold will soon fall from their branches, dry, and transform into refuse.  So too is the money we pursue in our lives.  We marvel at the gold before us only to have it drift away on the winds before our very eyes.

The people in our lives however are not fleeting like Fall leaves or financial rewards.  The one thing that holds its brilliance and value are the people that I’ve been privileged to share my journey with.  Relationships have eternal value and bring a depth of joy and peace that nothing in our physical world could ever come close to.  They nourish our spirits in incomprehensible ways while offering us the opportunity to return the favor.  Many have said that money is the root of evil, yet it is more accurately stated that the “love” of money is the root of evil.  To try and hold onto money hording it with greed is as futile as standing under this tree doing everything possible to keep the gold from fading and the leaves from falling.  In the end, people matter and everything else is just temporary.

Some people are like evergreens standing steadfast regardless of the change in seasons.  They are often those closest to us or that inspire us the most and are there for us when we need them.  Others are like the beautiful trees that flower and leaf in the spring, offer shade through the summer then fade into our memories with a last explosion of color.  I’ve had the privilege of having my life touched by many people who came into my life, shared just a part of the journey, then left me with wonderful memories upon their departure having added to the palette of my life.

At the end of the day, remember that the connections we have with people whether they are close or just fleeting are the most precious gifts we have.  They can bring color and joy to our lives like nothing else can.  So as the leaves of Fall offer up their last few days of beauty, perhaps you may be inspired to think about those people that have graced your life with such joy.

Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action, a strategy execution specialist at the intersection of employee engagement and executive leadership, igniting innovation as a lever to accelerate your growth.  Follow Duane on Twitter @connect2action and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.