Relationships March 27, 2020
In the end at least we have each other.
It’s easy for me to forget that there are more healthy relationships to maintain than just romantic relationships. With social media, to me, the only posts that ever seem to pop up are people with their significant others having the “greatest time of their lives” with their “favorite person”.
I often find myself forgetting that romantic relationships are not the only kinds of relationships to maintain. I love the idea that as human beings we have the miraculous gift to form all kinds of relationships with other humans. See for yourself what other relationships you have and might want to double check on.
I have noticed that most people in a healthy romantic relationship claim that their best friend is their significant other, but you’re not limited to only one best friend. What about that best friend who will be standing next to you and your significant other at the alter on that big day? The one that’s been there for you since the beginning of time itself? The one who’s seen you at your lowest low and highest high?
According to a study done by Michigan State University “Placing higher importance on family and friend relationships was associated with better health, greater happiness, and greater subjective well‐being across the lifespan”.
Whether I’m single or in a relationship, I have my best friends to turn to always. They are the ones who will remain in my life even when times get tough. Maintain those healthy relationships and keep those friends close to you always.
For me, my parents are my biggest mentors in life. Whether or not your parents are in the picture having a healthy relationship with a mentor you can look up to and seek advice from I believe is very important. Being able to listen and learn from someone else who has experienced more than you can really give you great insight into what is to come.
I believe maintaining this kind of healthy relationship, like any other relationship, takes effort. You should want to learn and want to grow as a person in order to take advice from someone else. Like Hannah Montana so famously sings, “nobody’s perfect.”
I have always been a strong believer in holding off on love until the “one” comes along. With that, I also never want to compromise what I want in life in order to please a boyfriend. I live by never settling for someone who does not fully support me in everything I want to accomplish. And of course, in return I will do the same with their ambitions.
When that person finally comes into my life, the relationship we will share will be one of much importance to me. I am heavily inspired by my parents and the love that they share with one another. They have been married for 36 years, and growing up around their healthy relationship has given me so much in my life to look forward to. Being a team player and always allowing the other person to grow is what I have taken away the most from them.
Starting a new job has never been my most favorite thing to endure. But once the job starts and I begin to develop relationships with the people I work with, the job becomes more and more comfortable. My favorite memories from any job I have ever held were moments when I was with co-workers that I enjoyed working with. They made the long shifts feel short, and the hard days much better. Developing healthy relationships with co-workers is something I always make a point in doing in order to get through the workdays.
Of course, I saved the best for last. I personally always live by the mindset that the most important relationship to maintain is the one with yourself. My mom always told me, “You can’t love another if you don’t first love yourself.”
This has always proved itself to be true with me. The rest of the day following a hard workout, a week of eating healthy, and walking out of the salon after a bomb haircut are all moments that I have experienced my confidence skyrocket. The more I focus on all aspects of my health the better I feel, and I just hope that everyone can do the same.
So, as you can see, the seemingly never-ending couple posts don’t have to be a negative reminder that you are forever alone. They can be a friendly reminder that you are lucky enough to have so many other amazing healthy relationships with people who love you. And if you are in a relationship, I would suggest reminding yourself that it is not the only relationship you should be working to keep healthy.
Relationships come in all shapes and sizes. So remember to balance yourself and focus on maintaining every healthy relationship you have in your life.
