Who’s In Your Bundle?

According to legend, on his deathbed, Khan Kubrat commanded his sons to gather sticks and bring them to him, which he then bundled together. He commanded his eldest son, Bayan, to break the bundle. Bayan failed against the strength of the combined sticks, and so did the other sons in turn.

Khan Kubrat undid the bundle and broke each stick separately. He then proclaimed to his sons, "unity makes strength", which has become a commonplace Bulgarian folk slogan and now appears on the Bulgarian coat of arms.

Your “bundle” can be defined as that network of caring relationships which wrap you in support, and give you strength which you do not have alone. It is crucial in life that we take time to identify and then cultivate our bundle, to build partners for life. Your bundle replenishes you. Relationships are a crucial key in unlocking your destiny.

So, how do we build our bundle?

First, focus on building the bundle of others. Be others’-first, others’-focused, others’-motivated. Remember that if you are looking for a bundle, so is everyone else! Be a bundle for others and they may return the kindness. Ann Landers said, “Warmth, kindness and friendship are the most yearned for commodities in the world. The person who can provide them will never be lonely.”

Second, don’t pre-judge your bundle. Sometimes, bundles comes from places we would never guess! Several years ago, I went through a difficult personal season. I remember thinking that my support would come from certain acquaintances I had at the time. Not only was I shocked that the help I needed did not come from that particular group, but I was pleasantly surprised when it came from another set of friends I never thought it would come from. As Samuel Johnston said, “True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice." I had pre-judged that some would be in my bundle and others would not. Thankfully, my new-found bundle helped me through!

Third, people skills are crucial. Nobody owes you or me anything. In other words, every friend we have is a precious treasure and a privilege. The moment we take our friends for granted, and lose an attitude of gratitude, is the moment that we make it difficult for people to be in our bundle. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

There can be no doubt that at some point in our lives, something will attempt to break us. Don’t try to stand alone. Cultivate a bundle. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher said, "It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us." The support of a bundle will enable us to stand far longer than we could on our own. We will be thankful we took the time to build a bundle.