What Makes a Good Connection?
- swsualberta
- Mar 7, 2022
- 3 min read
By: Jessica Lee
What is the one piece of advice you would give the younger generation? Would it be to try new experiences and not fear failure? How about telling them everything will be alright in the future and not worrying too much? The other day I had a conversation with my Uncle, who is a senior, and asked him, “What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?”. To that, he said, “To make good relationships.”.
What is your definition of a good relationship? Are these the people who encourage you and push you towards the best version of yourself? Are these the people you have the greatest and deepest connection with? Or are they the ones you have a great time with whenever you see them?
Although you may not feel the impact, the people around you shape and have an effect on who you become. There’s a saying that goes, “You are the product of the five closest people around you.” This doesn’t mean that if you mixed all these five people you would be the outcome, but rather these five people shape and mold the course of who you become as an individual. They play a role in your identity.
In this blog post, I will discuss three key points my Uncle thinks are crucial in building good relationships. Although relationships can be romantic, it is not necessary to be considered a good relationship. The relationships discussed in this blog are the connections you feel with the people around you and ones that shape who you are as a person.
1. Relationships do not have to be lifelong.
Think of friendships and relationships as building blocks in your life. These are learning opportunities, good memories, and moments you hold with a certain person. This doesn’t mean you have to have a falling out in all of your connections and friendships leading to an inevitable end, but rather people can live in certain windows of time in your life. That being said, of course, some connections can and will go until the end of time.
2. Does this relationship benefit you?
Do you feel personal growth? Emotional growth? This doesn’t mean that you are receiving benefits and materialistic items in the relationship, but rather good energy and positive aspects that you consider valuable. Whether that be having a good friend that listens to you or just sharing a good laugh.
3. What can you learn from this connection?
In any type of connection, good or bad, there is always something to take away and learn from it. What did you learn? What do you want to do more of? What do you want to decrease? It is important to reflect on qualities and adjust for self-improvement. Every relationship is a learning experience.
It may feel abstract to think about how the people around you can have an impact on who you are as a person, but this is a reciprocal relationship. As these people shape who you are, you are also shaping them as individuals and influencing their identity.
The point of this blog post is not to make you fear being influenced by the ones around you, but to shed light on the connections you build around you. I hope this post helps you reflect on the connections you have around you and to cherish relationships throughout your lifespan.
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