Relationships Are Like Pencils
After giving it some thought, I had an epiphany concerning modern day relationships. What I have discovered is that many modern day relationships are treated like they are common everyday pencils. I’m sure you’ve never thought about it this way but let me explain what I mean. For some people, a relationship is of little true value just like the common pencil. It’s just something people use to make a statement, to express their feelings and opinions and a way to leave a mark in history. Modern relationships are treated just like pencils. If lost, pencils are easily replaced and if you need one, any will do. Not many people are picky when choosing pencils. Here are some additional comparisons between modern day relationships and common, everyday pencils.
Pencils are best utilized when they are sharpened but many people are too lazy or too busy to sharpen them so they resort to using dull pencils. Just like in relationships. I’ve seen people working really hard to write with a dull pencil. They hold it a different angles to try to get it to write. All this effort when they can easily get a pencil sharpener. So it is with relationships. People are working super hard trying to make a dull relationship work instead of taking the easy route and getting a sharpener. There are so many readily available tools and resources out there to build and sharpen your relationship. This site is loaded with tips and advice for those who need to sharpen their relationships. Hopefully you will take advantage of these resources if you find yourself in a dull, unhealthy relationship.
Relationships are meant to be sharpened and maintained as time goes on but many are too lazy, too busy, or just not interested in putting forth the energy to sharpen their relationships. Over time, just like pencils, they become dull and loose their ultimate purpose. (The point of the relationship is lost.) Many people have taken the time to sharpen their pencils only to put so much pressure on them that they break. The same with relationships. Many people have taken the necessary steps to sharpen and improve their relationships but in the meantime have put so much pressure on themselves or their partner that the relationship is broken just like the pencil. Once you break the pencil it takes quite a bit of sharpening to get the point back. Just like a relationship. It takes time and effort to rebuild after it is broken.
If you repeatedly break the pencil point and have to resharpen it, you will soon notice that the pencil gets shorter and shorter and harder to handle. Just like a relationship, too many breaks will result in a short lived relationship. Remember, the longest lasting pencils are the ones that are used delicately and with care. This also holds true for our relationships.
The heart of the pencil is the lead. It comes in various types, some soft and some hard. The smoothest writing pencils are the ones with the soft lead. Just like in relationships, the smoothest relationships are the ones where the partners have soft hearts. The are more willing to forgive and support each other in the relationship. The great thing about the pencil that makes it so different from the ink pen is that on the other end of the pencil is an eraser. It can erase all the mistakes that were made and allows us to make corrections. This is the part that love plays in our relationships. It gives us the ability to erase and forgive mistakes and affords the opportunity for us to make corrections. But remember, the eraser can soon wear down and become ineffective if too many mistakes are made. The eraser can also harden over time and instead of erasing the mistakes, the eraser can worsen the mistake by smearing it all over the paper. Just like in a relationship; Too many mistakes can cause the person’s love and forgiveness to wear out. If the love is allowed to grow hardened and indifferent, instead of erasing and forgiving the mistakes, a messy smearing of the mistakes will result. I see relationships all around us that are plagued by hardened erasers.
Finally, If you are currently in a relationship, think about these comparisons and answer these questions. How sharp is your relationship? Have you sharpened it lately or are you writing with a dull point? Are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself or your partner in the relationship to the point of breakage? Or are you treating your relationship delicately with care? What type of lead is your relationship built around? Hard or soft? What’s the condition of your eraser?
The next time you see a pencil I hope it will remind you to consider your ways.
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Tags: Advice for Men, Advice for Women, Dating advice, dating tips, improve your relationship, modern relationships, Relationship tips, sharpen your relationship, unhealthy relaitonship
