Surround Yourself with People You Love and Who Love You in Return

Love is one of those things we take for granted without notice. Many times we don’t even recognize it when it happens…or worse, doesn’t happen. We tend to get comfortable in our relationships, not even noticing if they are working for us anymore…or if we’re working for them.

I encourage you to take a moment and evaluate your relationships—

• Do they bring your joy?
• Do they cause unnecessary drama or stress?
• Are they mutually supportive?
• Do they encourage good habits, or enable the ones you’re trying to change?
• Do you feel safe and secure and are you able to provide safety and security for others?

There are no right or wrong answers, but it’s important to recognize how your relationships affect you and to manage them accordingly.

When we surround ourselves with people who love us and those we love in return, we are better equipped to handle all that life throws at us. And life can surely throw us some doozies!

A supportive network of family and friends are the ones you want to keep close. The ones who–

• Bring you joy rather than trouble
• Support you in your choices to live a happy healthy lifestyle
• Provide you with encouragement and want to help rather than hinder
• Allow you to feel a sense of safety rather than fear of shame

And they should be just as valuable to you as you are to them. Meaning, you must also give and provide what they need in return.

If you are struggling with relationships in your life, take control. Share your thoughts and feelings with honesty from a place of love, not defense. Communicate your needs without making assumptions that the other person should already know what those are and how to help. Know when to walk away—or at least take a break.

Everyone deserves to love and be loved. Everyone.

Follow all the rules for living a happy, healthy, I’mperfect Life lifestyle: The Rules