A handshake is a covenant—a promise between two people to hold to an agreement. It is an expression of trust between two people who might not even be friends, but who know that meeting in good faith is the basis for any relationship.
Who are you in covenant with, although you do not know them well?
The dissolution of our covenants, whether in divorce or the end of less intensely personal relationships, is often the result of our disillusion—realizing that someone is quite different than we had imagined. Sometimes things change. Sometimes we choose fantasy over a clear-eyed view. Sometimes people actively mislead us. But covenants break when it turns out that the nature of the agreement was not what we thought.
How have you been disillusioned in a relationship?
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
—Morihei Ueshiba
How has an act of self-sacrifice led you to trust in the power of love?
We enter into formal agreements by signing our names. Just that very act of declaring ourselves, putting the symbol of our self on paper, declares that we are trustworthy and prepared to commit.
When has it been a big deal for you to sign your name?
We treasure dogs for their unconditional love and loyalty, but it sure is easier to build a cooperative relationship with our canine companions through the judicious use of food.
How have you improved a relationship through the use of positive reinforcement?
