The Two Mirrors of Relationship

 The Two Mirrors of Relationship

How we see others—and how we act toward them—is shaped not only by how they treat us, but also by how much we value them.

Consider the salesperson who views a customer as “difficult.” If they focus on the complaints, they may avoid calls or respond with reluctance. But if they recognise that the customer is essential—the paymaster—they’ll find ways to listen, adapt, and retain them.

Every day, professionals work hard to retain customers with whom they have no personal ties. Why? Because they recognise the value of the relationship.

Now, reflect on your own life.

How often have we lost patience with family, friends, or neighbours? How many connections have weakened or broken because we didn’t pause to see the person’s worth in our world?

Yet when we truly value someone, our behaviour shifts. Our patience deepens. We listen more intently. Empathy grows.

Think of a relationship you’ve lost. Ask yourself, “What could I have done differently?” That awareness may not restore what’s gone, but it can become a guiding light for relationships now in turmoil—helping you choose understanding over reaction, and repair over retreat.

Life, in many ways, is a journey shared with fellow travellers. We often offer kindness more freely to strangers—a warm conversation with a seatmate on a train, knowing we may never meet again. But what if we saw every person in our life as someone travelling with us, even if only for a season? What if we asked:

What can they bring to my life? What can I offer to theirs?

This simple shift in perspective doesn’t just change how we treat others—it transforms how we move through the world.

We are all, always, in a relationship.

And sometimes, the most important thing we can do is remember the value of the person in front of us—before the journey carries them away.

M.L.Narendra Kumar