Building Healthy Relationships

• The most important thing in any relationship is the sense of community it brings.

Importance of Appreciation and Genuine Connection

• Recognizing whether you appreciate and genuinely love spending time with someone is very important.

Communication Importance

• Communication is important when someone has done something that upsets you, or communicating good things.
• Saying something nice to someone can be valuable.
• An example: "wow you said something really nice to me the other day; I really appreciated that and I appreciate you as a friend."

Handling Offenses and Disagreements

• Holding in jokes that you find offensive can lead to a grudge that slowly builds up, and that usually leads to an argument.
• If someone has violated a boundary and you don't tell them, it's not fair to them because they don't know they've done something wrong.

Being Present

• Being in the moment aids in building a healthy relationship.
• It's really important to put your phone away and to actively listen when you are hanging out with friends or sitting with family at dinner.

Recognizing and Admitting Wrongdoing

• A challenge to maintaining healthy relationships is being able to recognize and admit when you're in the wrong, because sometimes it can be hard.
• Sometimes you don't realize when you're wrong or when you've made a mistake, and even sometimes you realize it but you don't want it to admit it.

The Value of Time and Processing

• Giving someone that period of time to process what they're feeling helps them feel like they can rely on you, and that your support isn't conditional.

Balancing Time and Commitments

• In high school and in college you are so busy with academics and extracurriculars that it's hard to make time to see others, but it is so important.

Boundaries and Self-Worth

• Setting boundaries that are good for you and personalized is kind of knowing your self-worth and knowing how much love you deserve.
• Sometimes you do need just time to decompress and be by yourself or do an activity that is solely for your own joy and your purpose.

Generosity and Attention

• Showing generosity by talking to others, spending time with them, or giving them attention prevents you from becoming so distant.

Effective Communication Skills

• Learning how to talk to somebody about how you feel or about things that are going on in your life and it's important to let them lead.
• It's important to let them trust you.

Self-Reflection and Application

• Ask yourself "What are some things that this person does that makes me really happy?"
• On the other end, "what are some things that this person does that make me really upset?"
• Then consider how to take these feelings and how to apply it to your own relationships with friends.

Explore the importance of community, appreciation, and communication in relationships. Learn how to handle offenses, set boundaries, and be present in the moment to foster genuine connections. Putting your phone away and being in the moment are crucial for cultivating healthy relationships.