Work, Relationships, and Personal Maturity

Sharan Merriam and Carolyn Clark, in their fine study Lifelines, effectively show that life is fundamentally about two things—our work and our relationships. And maturity is found in having the capacity to (1) work well and effectively, and (2) to live in relationship—to know how to love and receive love.

We define our identities by our work and our relationships, and Merriam and Clark contend that maturity is found in the interrelationship between work and love, and that the key to this interplay is the capacity to learn. I would add that failure in either of these two areas—work or relationships—invariably affects the other. Though they are distinct, they cannot be polarized or compartmentalized.