Have your ever thought about connection between trust and risk. To have a great relationship you must take a risk...You must be vulnerable. As you are able to increase your capacity to risk you also increase your capacity to trust. As my attitudes and beliefs shifted I was able to embrace my fears, overcome my barriers and attract my soul mate. Annie believes in me and brings out best in me. We have been on this journey together for over 21 years. I would like to share with you a few of my insights that have enabled me to embrace this path of relationship. In a subsequent article I will share with you some of my insights as to what is necessary to deepen this journey.

We all want to be with someone who we think is special. Regardless of how special they are if they are not interested in you same way you are interested in them it will never work. Ask yourself if they love you in way you want to be loved? If they are self absorbed and self centered they probably won't be capable of loving you in way you want. I think most of us really know truth in beginning but we long so much for this special type of relationship that we overlook obvious.

Sometimes we start to think that perhaps there's something wrong with us so we give up on what we really want. We change our values and choose a partner that on some level we know isn't right one. We usually have a mental image or concept of kind of person we want to be with. If your partner does not fit that image your emotions and heart will be in conflict with your mind.

We all have dreams and goals. Honor them by asking yourself if you and your partner share same dream. If you have different dreams and a different vision it's going to be difficult for relationship to reach its fullest potential. Pay attention to clues. If you desire a long term relationship and pick a partner who hasn't had a relationship greater than six months, likelihood is that this new relationship won't last much longer. I know there are many books written on relationships. These are just some of my thoughts...I realize that a lot more can be said and in next letter I will focus on things you can do to enhance quality of your relationship and to deepen your connection. I hope my experiences and insights inspire possibility in your life Feel free to pass this letter on to those in your circle.

One day, world-renowned psychologist, Carl Jung, had a friend arrive at his door wholly distraught from losing his job that very day. Carl Jung, invited his friend into his home and said, (with my paraphrasing), "Come. I'll open a bottle of fine Champaign and we'll celebrate as surely, some great good will come about from this job loss."

Losing a job or feeling trapped within a job, is likely a blessing in disguise although in moment loss or fear may seem insurmountable.

When I lost my two retail stores after ten years, my $100,000., my marriage and my self esteem I thought this was one of worst things that could happen to me in this lifetime. Now, with clarity of hindsight, I see losing my stores was Divine Intervention. By losing everything I thought I valued, I discovered what was really important to me. I lost every thing but found myself.

"Three earthly losses which bring gain to soul: loss of a friend, loss of health and loss of riches."

"A Compilation of Triads," Volume I John F. Wright

Acceptance Opens Life's Door

In their book, "Life Lessons," Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler write,"change...usually begins with a door closing, an ending, a completion, a loss, a death. Then we enter an uncomfortable period, mourning this completion and living in uncertainty of what is next. This period is hard.

But just when we feel we can't take it anymore, something new emerges: a reintegration, a reinvestment, a new beginning. A door opens. If you fight change, you will be fighting your whole life. That's why we need to find a way to embrace change, or at least to accept it."

Through aspiring to accept life on life's terms we begin to move from feeling like a victim and blaming world around us. We get glimmers of a larger purpose at work in our lives. Through accepting our lives now, we learn to be kind to ourselves even amidst life's storms. Through acceptance we can find a measure of peace in this moment. Herein, we build foundation of a life well-lived and build bridges to a new future.