Emotional Bank Accounts

Abigail and Dolley readers I am indeed very privileged to have engaged in a mentoring relationship with a very wise gentleman.  Friday afternoons have become the highlight of my week and I have grown tremendously in just a few short weeks.  Being challenged, affirmed, and learning something in the process is one of life's greatest adventures.  We are all in the business of living and if we stop learning we become stale and boring, even to ourselves.

This week, we were discussing interpersonal relationships and I shared one of the insights I gained many years ago.  I believe we have an emotional bank account for everyone that comes into our lives.  Based on the level of importance, each person starts out with an initial deposit.  Subsequent transactions and interactions with that person are either a deposit or a withdrawal on the account.  When we are involved with people that are constantly withdrawing from the account, eventually, the account goes into overdraft and after a period of time the account is closed.

This is true in all our relationships, even with those of your children, who start out with the very largest initial deposit of anyone in our lives. If all someone ever does is take from you and never put anything back, it is time to close the account.  At some point in the future, the person may have a change of heart and seek to reopen the account, but that will require a meeting with the banking officer to determine if the necessary changes have been made in order to justify a reopening of said account.

So Abigail and Dolley readers as we approach the New Year when we all feel we have been given a new lease on life and an opportunity to begin anew, review the bank accounts in your life and close the ones that are in overdraft, send a warning to those who have reached a minimum threshold, and put deposits in the accounts were YOU are overdrawn.

Many blessings to you all,
Dolley