52-Week Challenge: Week Twenty-Three

I have to admit that sometimes these challenges make me laugh.  Some of these changes are so loaded that to list them as a weekly "challenge" seems crazy.  Take this week's challenge, for example:  "Build Healthy and Supportive Relationships."  I see this as something people tend to do naturally every day, in and out; do we really need this kind of "challenge"?  For the sake of consistency, I'll roll with it, but it seems strange to me.  I hope you all do this anyway.  But, perhaps we can all do it BETTER, so here are some tips from the author.

1.  Give and Take.  Building a relationship involves TWO people.  You should not always be doing all the work, nor should the person you are in the relationship with.  Be there for loved ones, and let them be there for you.
2.  Do Unto Others. . . Ahhh, the golden rule.  If you want a trusting relationship, be trusting.  If you want a loving relationship, be loving.  Treat others like you want to be treated.  Easy as that.
3.  Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  Be honest and respectful about your feelings.  Use active listening.  Avoid the silent treatment, holding grudges, and back-stabbing.
4.  Honesty.  Keep your word and your promises in your relationships.  Not doing so communicates that the other person isn't important to you.  Also, be honest about why you have people in your life.  Are they there because you genuinely enjoy them and want to be around them. . . or are they there because they can give you something or do something for you?  Check yourself and your relationships.

All of these things seem like common sense to me, but perhaps someone today needed to hear them.  I often think, however, that identifying and dealing with toxic relationships is harder than keeping healthy ones.  Luckily, the author addresses this issue, too.  

1.  Identify.  If an person makes you feel bad about yourself, what you do, or who you are as a person, then that person is toxic.  This often manifests itself in being competitive, manipulative, narcissistic, judgmental, jealous, disrespectful, or insincere.
2.  Leave.  If the situation is really bad, leave.  This involves relationships that involve ANY kind of abuse.
3.  Attempt to Make Repairs.  If the relationship does not involve abuse and you really want to salvage it, try to talk to the involved person about your concerns.  Be honest and respectful.  If he or she is not receptive to your feelings, it's likely time to move on.
4.  Set Boundaries.  If exiting the relationship isn't an option and neither is repairing it, minimize time you spend with him/her.