That famous philosopher, Yogi Berra, made a profound statement in his own special way when he said, “If you don’t go to other people’s funerals, they won’t come to yours”.
Despite the impracticality of achieving all parts of that idea, the thought behind it is very appropriate. One of the best things that you can do for yourself is build a social network.
Study after study has indicated the importance of social relationships in the achievement of success and happiness. Having friends and family that we can count on provides an increased sense of meaning in our lives and enables us to share both our successes and struggles – while also giving us an avenue for enriching the lives of others during their both their good and bad times.
And yet, during times of stress, it is too common to exclude our social network and not let others provide the help that we may badly need. Sometimes we may feel guilty about getting ourselves into situations that might have been avoided with better judgment. Sometimes we may feel that we don’t want to burden others with our problems – whether they are medical, financial, or interpersonal. And sometimes we may just be too ashamed to ask for help.
Think about it. If you have a friend or family member in need, wouldn’t you want to help? If your answer in “No,” you may want to rethink the quality of your relationships.
While it is important to have quality relationships in time of crisis, that’s not the time to start building a network. Remember the research! The greatest benefit of having a quality social network is during those ordinary times when you have others with whom to share your goals and struggles and achievements and happiness.
Remember when Barbra Streisand sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world”. Her words make a good combination with the words of Yogi Berra.