Comments on: Why Relationships Matter

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:49:48 +0000

In reply to TheHappyPhilosopher.

Thanks HP,

We are excited to hear your back is on the mend, and thank you for the book recommendation!

Jeff

By: TheHappyPhilosopher

TheHappyPhilosopher — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 03:35:00 +0000

In reply to Jeff.

Thank you Jeff! The back had been pretty good lately which is an amazing feeling after having spent so many months completely miserable.

I’m not sure I have any great book recommendations specifically on relationships, but I do know that effective communication is a big part of it. Check of the book Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. It’s a great primer on how to communicate and will make existing relationships easier.

The second part is simple awareness of the relationships that don’t serve you. Taking a step back and really examining all relationships in your life is an eye opening experience. Chances are there are many that serve no purpose and only bring negativity, yet we keep it out of habit. I hope that helps.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:41:31 +0000

Dear HP,

My wife and I read and reread many of your articles together. We love the nuance and depth of your ideas and would love any book recommendations that go deeper into this concept of dealing with relationships. I’ve read 2/3 of the books on your recommendation list but we are interested in relationships, both building the positive and eliminating the negative, specifically.

Thanks in advance, and we hope your back has been on the mend.
J

By: TheHappyPhilosopher

TheHappyPhilosopher — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 17:45:17 +0000

In reply to Alejandra. Thanks for the comment. Not all challenging relationships are necessarily bad if we are learning and growing from them. Relationships are a spectrum, and their complexity makes then difficult to analyze at times. Sometimes it is difficult to measure if they are a net positive or negative.

By: Alejandra

Alejandra — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:07:44 +0000

I feel like I can learn from all my relationships. The great ones inspire me and the bad ones challenge me. Some can be draining at times but those are the ones that I can learn the most from through contrast. Relationships with others are just a reflection or an indication of the relationship we have with ourselves. Or maybe I have a hard time letting go of relationships that I’ve had for so long. Your article has definitely made me think.

By: Ask the Readers: $1,500,000 Per Year? - 1500 Days to Freedom1500 Days to Freedom

Ask the Readers: $1,500,000 Per Year? - 1500 Days to Freedom1500 Days to Freedom — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:35:48 +0000

[…] the people that you surround yourself with carefully. Shitty people will bring you down. Good people will kick your ass into gear. Cull the […]

By: TheHappyPhilosopher

TheHappyPhilosopher — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 14:27:33 +0000

In reply to Unconventional Sustainability. Good point. Sometimes we are the problem, not the other people. It takes skill to recognize this.

By: Unconventional Sustainability

Unconventional Sustainability — Wed, 31 May 2017 01:21:19 +0000

Since people catch emotions like the flu, I have noticed myself naturally distancing myself from particularly negative or draining people. This includes friends, but also some family members. We can’t change anyone but ourselves and the more we try the more strain it will likely put on the relationship.

I spent the entire month of February focusing on my relationship with my husband as part of my Sustainably Happy Project (July will be focused on friends and family). The best thing that has helped me in my relationships (particularly with my husband) is to focus on being the person I want to attract. So if I want my husband to be loving and considerate, then I need to make sure I am doing that first. The difference has been pretty amazing.

Overall, I agree that we need to filter our relationships, but first start with ourselves.

By: Troy @ market history

Troy @ market history — Mon, 29 May 2017 10:46:10 +0000

I enter into relationships very selectively. That can include friendships or GF’s. Relationships are a huge commitment of time and I don’t have a lot of time. If I’m going to enter into a relationship I need to make sure that it is worthwhile and meaningful

By: Ms. Frugal Asian Finance

Ms. Frugal Asian Finance — Sat, 27 May 2017 21:27:08 +0000

I think about money and frugality every day in my life. Sometimes I let it into my relationships. But you’re right, relationships do matter, and we should treat them as such.