Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Relationships

Since I've been blogging about relationships the whole semester, I've given it more thought than I ever have in terms of what works, what doesn't, the different types etc. etc.  Relationships are kind of this all-encompassing entity when you think about it.  You have a relationship with everything and everyone you encounter and you can analyze all the little parts to it.  Knowing what makes a relationship work can enrich your life so much.

I think the first thing that is essential to relationships is accepting yourself for who you are, the good and bad.  If you can't do that there's no way you can accept anyone else for who they are.  That's the best thing about relationships is that you can exchange your insecurities without worrying someone will judge you.  Whether it's personal or professional, being able to be who you are by expressing your strengths and your weaknesses will only help you grow.

Step-brother

My dad recently had a son within the last year or so which was really weird.  I kind of resented him for it at first because he was in no position for that and he is irresponsible as it is.  You start to reflect back on your own childhood and upbringing and envision if that's gonna be the same scenario for someone else.  I hated the idea at first, and I'm still not crazy about it, but as time has gone by and I've been able to observe how things are going I'm warming up to it.

Now, I know I'm at a point where I need to develop a relationship with him even though he's away.  He needs siblings that love him and are willing to help him through whatever hardships head his way as he gets older.  The whole situation is weird and foreign, but I think the more I expose myself to it the better it will get.

New Family

After my parents divorce, both my mom and dad have been seeing other people which is really strange considering you spend your whole life with the same people.  My dad married a woman with a younger daughter, plus they just had child, and my mom is now with a man who has two sons.  At first, it's really uncomfortable developing relationships with total strangers who are now your family, but once you realize that they feel the same way then it's actually very rewarding.

It's also a great way to open yourself up in general.  Once you go through something like that and you know that it can be beneficial in the long run, you're not as hesitant to experience totally foreign things.  I hated the idea of everything at first, but now that I'm comfortable with it and my parents are happy it's turn out to be great.

Hattiesburg

My relationship with Hattiesburg has become so much more positive since I started interning at the Hattiesburg Convention Center.  Everyone that works there really takes a tremendous amount of pride in what they are doing for the city.  It's so refreshing to see so much optimism coming from these people considering some of the negativity that has come out of Hattiesburg recently.  I've always grown up around Hattiesburg so it is kind of easy to get caught in the trap of negativity especially when others are doing the same thing.

It's so easy to feed off other people's emotions and perspectives when you're around them enough.  The people who work for the city take their job very seriously and have a deep roots in Hattiesburg that has made them focus on the good and making the bad better.  I never really considered working for a community but it's on the table now because, assuming the people are right, it's very enjoyable.

Work Relationships

I've learned some things about developing new relationships or making first impressions with people while working at different places.  I used to, and still do to a certain degree, struggle with forming relationships with people because I feel like I always have something to prove whether it's saying the right thing or being at a certain place at a certain time.  Fortunately, for the most part, I've realized that it's much much simpler than I make it out to be.

People say "just be yourself", another cliche but true, and I feel like I've been able to internalize that in a way that has benefited me.  I used to feel so much pressure when I met someone new to make this great impression, but it's not really necessary.  I think a lot of that pressure comes from trying to establish yourself in a field where reputation and public image is a huge emphasis.  At the end of the day, we put far more pressure on ourselves than is necessary.