Relationships, Growth, Happiness

I've come to realize that there are 3 major themes in life that I value most, and that I am experiencing them all at once. 

The first is relationships. This month, my boyfriend and I went our separate ways after 4 wonderful years. With that said...I'm not talking about those kinds of relationships. I mean the ones with the people you cherish most and that you know will always be in your life. I've grown distant from my family for the past four years in college, and just recently after my break-up, I've started to visit my parents and talk to my sister more. I've been in and out of romantic relationships since I was 15, and have almost lost sight of the real, lasting relationships in my life. In just three weeks I've felt closer to my friends than I have in the last four years...and it is absolutely refreshing. It is so easy to get swallowed up in romance that you forget those who came before. Relationships are the very essence of who you are. Yes, we are all individuals (blahblah), but our experiences come from time spent with others, our careers come from the teachers who teach us and the peers we network with, our joy comes from those who make us laugh, and our pain most often comes from those who've wronged us. I cannot stress the importance of sustaining good relationships with your family and friends. 

My second value is growth. Now I hate vague terms. I think they are impractical and unoriginal. By growth, I mean things like having the ability to come back strong out of a bad break-up, or having the patience to apologize during a fight (even if the other person is clearly wrong). Of course, some people are content with being comfortable. However, I find that growth is such a powerful, rewarding thing in itself. Just recently, I've gotten back into my Christian faith, guitar, ice skating, and snowboarding, and am starting to understand the responsibilities of adulthood (rent, credit, groceries, bills, independence, relationships/connections, and more). Growth is understanding that life is bigger than one failed romance, or understanding that life is bigger than what others think about your looks/behaviors. 

My last value is a mix of both relationships and growth. Happiness: Of course, happiness is different for everyone. Maybe relationships aren't as important to you as they are to me. But my happiness comes from a mix of these two. Growth to you may be different as well, but growth to me is like getting a small gold star for each baby accomplishment in my life. Did I learn a new song on guitar today? Awesome. That's one more step towards learning a second song. And a third. And perhaps eventually writing my own song. And eventually sharing my original song with loved ones. Relationships and growth are tied together. Don't forget that. You can be independent, but there's no need to go about this life alone. What exactly is happiness? For me, it's having relationships with others that are meaningful and genuine, as well as growing through my own original accomplishments (run a half-marathon, pick up a new instrument, travel to a new country, etc). When you intertwine the two, you get a plethora of loved ones growing beside you and supporting you.. I think this is happiness. 

Thoughts for the day. Goodnight