I was reading an awesome blog post by entrepreneur Penelope Trunk when it literally slapped me in my consciousness:   Relationships matter!  Now before you even try to say “Duh” and close this post, that statement is undeniably deeper than what it appears.

I saw Avatar in IMAX 3D last weekend.  (If you haven’t seen it, I will try to just pick up on the underlying theme and not the movie plot.  To digress just a little, the movie was AWESOME.  James Cameron did an outstanding job with this movie and I am sure it will be in the hearts and minds of all that have seen it for a long time to come.)  But what simply “grabbed” me and most people who saw the movie was how beautiful, simple, and intriguing life would be to live on the planet of Pandora!   Relationship is one of the basic underlying themes in the movie along with using relationships to belong.  I truly believe this is why people stumble away from the theaters in amazement.  They are baffled by the simplicity and beauty of how the relational aspects encountered in the movie were basic life fundamentals (along with the astounding 3D effects).  These fundamentals are not followed on Earth—in reality—to the extent that they are in Pandora although they could be.  But what a minute—isn’t social media networking modeled to enhance and create relationships?!

I’ve figured it out!  Our need to be engaged with social media technology is a way for us to gain, cultivate, and create RELATIONSHIPS!  It goes so much deeper than finding a job or voicing an opinion or simply just “being”.  We are relational beings and using the many social media options and avenues allow us to “relate” to each other on levels never even obtained before.  The needs to communicate, explore, and expand “our horizons” are satisfied.  And most importantly, we are able to LEARN from each other.

Relationship is defined as “a connection, association, or involvement.”   We all have the need to belong—to be a member or part of something.  We all want to share our beliefs and opinions and feel that we really matter.  It’s not just “who you know” and “what you know” but sharing both of these concepts in a relational way to others.  Networking.  Real networking in its purest form.

It’s so much more than gaining thousands of followers on Twitter, having hundreds of connections on LinkedIn, or hundreds of friends on Facebook just so you can say you have a large following.  It’s about RELATING to those followers, connections, and friends.  If the relational aspect is taken away, what does it matter?

I’m so glad I saw Avatar and if you haven’t seen it yet, make it a point to.  It’s awakened so many things in me especially knowing that each person that I know, have known, or will know relationally matters to me.  I hope after reading this you will share in my passion of truly making all of the relationships you have matter.