Meaningful relationships are tough to find in the world we live in today but are always the goal, whether it’s a friendship or a romantic relationship. There are so many fake and undeserving people these days and it’s hard to tell who is really down for you and is a true friend or partner. In my opinion there are four main components to creating a healthy, long lasting bond. The first being communication, being able to talk to this person about anything and everything is very important. It could literally be about what you ate today to about an issue that you have with them or somebody else, everyone needs a person to vent to from time to time. Communication is also a two-way street so being able to respond appropriately to the person is crucial, if you react badly to what they are saying even more issues can arise. People always say “communication is key” and it truly is, having good communication is beneficial in all aspects of your life.
The second component that leads to a good relationship is respect, you have to have mutual respect and care for the person for things to go smoothly. The “Golden Rule” applies to every relationship; treat others the way you want to be treated. This stems from respecting one another and their wants and needs. Just simply listening to what a person likes and their opinions (whether you agree or not) is respect. Respect leads to supporting one another in whatever they do and the choices that they make. You would never want somebody to bring you down or make fun of you right? So why would you do that to somebody else? You're right, you wouldn’t.
The next component is honesty (this one is huge). If you can’t trust that your friend or partner is being honest with you things will never work. In this day and age with screenshots and gossiping nothing you do can truly be kept secret. Therefore it is always important to be honest and upfront with what your doing and saying about everything and everyone because most likely the truth will get out regardless of how hidden you keep things.
Lastly dependability is crucial to having a strong bond with somebody, everyone needs someone to lean on. Whether you had a tough day or an exciting one being able to count on somebody to cheer you up or cheer you on is comforting. Knowing that you can rely on this person at the end of the day makes life somewhat easier because you aren’t alone and at least one person has your back no matter what. I strongly believe that these four components are essential to having a long, strong and healthy friendship or relationship. These characteristics need to start from the beginning to have create a strong foundation for the relationship to blossom on and turn into even a lifelong, wonderful bond. So go make some friends and make sure you are using these components in your next relationship!
