Healthy Connections

Posted on January 2, 2020

For me having healthy relationships is incredibly important. Be it college, family, or friends, these ties help keep me from feeling alone. They also keep me centered so I don’t start thinking it’s all about me. It’s too easy for me to focus on myself and forget that everyone has their own lives and viewpoints.

Regardless of whether I agree or not, I try to be a good listener, however, learning this will take time. Sometimes I wonder if I’m weakening some of my relationships by lack of trust and silence. It’s easier not to talk about difficult subjects and pretend everything is good. I know I do this a lot with my siblings and parent. I also do it with my three friends. It’s like I’m afraid to share my thoughts since it will make me vulnerable and I don’t feel like I can take the chance.

I have come to realize that some of my relationships are unlikely to ever be healthy. I wish this wasn’t true but I can choose to focus on my healthy ties to others. I’m lucky enough to have four people I can be totally honest with and don’t need to pretend with about anything. Having a few people I trust makes a big difference to me and I treasure the honesty I share with them. I think it’s important to reach out to the people I care about to let them know how special they are to me. I don’t have a lot of money but there are many different ways to show my appreciation such as paying attention to the important moments in their lives and whether they’re happy or sad.

I’ve come to realize the older I get that physical things don’t matter. What’s important are the people in my life. I hope to keep growing stronger in my ability to make and keep significant connections in my live.