Tips for building better relationships

Having someone to turn to, laugh with, and have adventures with is good for the soul and mental health. And you don't have to be perfect to have great friends – here are some tips.

Finding someone to share your life with can be challenging, even finding someone to share a meal or activity with is difficult. But if you take a breather, here are tips for building better relationships. Sometimes we don't fully understand the art of relationships; it seems complicated. But you don't have to love yourself perfectly to love others. Women and men need others in their lives. In fact, a recent study showed that bromances are more satisfying in their emotional intimacy than their heterosexual romance counterparts. But sometimes we get in our own way of finding and enjoying relationships.

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Everyone has flaws, but that shouldn't lead to having real friends and meaningful love. Dr. Carla Manly has written a new book about how to build better relationships – with both friends and lovers, including gay and straight people. It explains that you can be imperfect and still have good relationships. And explains the need for multiple people to be present to meet our needs. The new book “The Joy of Imperfect Love” explains the necessity and process of relationship building.

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Here are some tips and insights from Dr. Manly

• Sometimes the smartest step is to invest in your relationship with yourself. Taking a break from dating and relationships can give your soul a chance to reset and breathe.

• You don't have to love yourself perfectly to love others well. The journey of imperfect love never demands perfection; It simply requires that you strive to evolve into your best self.
• No matter the past, you have the power to leave generational wounds and patterns behind so you can live life to the fullest.
• Relationships with others typically reflect relationships with oneself and the world. Choosing to lovingly invest in relationships can be life-changing.
• When we enter relationships with honesty, courage and respect, we cannot help but change and evolve.
• Love – or its absence – is the beginning and the end of our lives. It is never too late to promote love in your inner and outer life. In today's fragmented world, where material success and excess often take precedence, millions suffer from empty, false or broken promises of love. But no matter how much you have in the outside world, the lack of love from a partner or friend is hurtful. Everyone has the power to reimagine – shift priorities – and focus on fostering real love in all of our relationships, from romantic partnerships and family bonds to our vital friendships.

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Finding the right relationships requires patience and research. The first step is to consider what you have to offer – what you have to give in a relationship. The second step is to determine what you want. The third step is to put yourself out there, keep your heart open, and have the courage to find the person who fits well into the puzzle of your life.

Having friends and others in your life is key to your mental health. But finding others to share your life with is a process, and it's important to give yourself permission to be happy along the way.