People Who Can Do This One Simple Thing Often Have The Most Fulfilling Relationships
It's about showing up for the people in our lives the same way they show up for us.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock The most important part of living is being able to cherish and nurture the different relationships that we have in our lives. Whether your friends, family members, neighbors, or romantic partners, the community we have around us can help us get through hard times, provide support whenever we need it, and simply be a source of joy and love.
However, it's important that we're pouring just as much love back into our community as they pour into us. In a TikTok video, a content creator named AJ Dronkers pointed out that there's something vital that people need to start doing with the relationships that they have in their lives to make sure they're as fulfilling and loving as possible.
There is one simple thing people can do to have the most fulfilling relationships.
"There was an amazing research study that said long-term friendships, long-term relationships, [and] family dynamics succeeded if people did this one thing," Dronkers began in his video, "which was to be excited about the things that the other people are excited about."
Research found that prioritizing the happiness of those we love by getting excited about their interests improves our relationships.
Research published by a team of psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that our own happiness, in large part, is influenced by the generosity and kindness we show to others. Researchers Liudmila Titova and Kennon Sheldon explained to Forbes that people are usually "guaranteed the right to 'pursue happiness' for themselves" but they questioned if they would be better off pursuing happiness for others.
"We compared the two strategies, showing that, ironically, the second pursuit brings more personal happiness than the first. The results of these studies extend findings from previous research by showing that people derive boosted personal happiness from attempts to make other people happy — an approach that might seem counterintuitive for a lot of people at first."
Although not a foreign concept, it's noteworthy that when we show interest in the things our loved ones value and enjoy, it's reflected back at us. In the simplest terms, prioritizing the joy in others reflects back on us.
An influencer revealed that he prioritized his mom's happiness during her recent birthday celebration to test the research.
Dronkers explained that for his mom's 66th birthday, he made sure to ask what she was excited about and if there was anything she wanted to do to celebrate. Despite being unemployed and working on a budget, he still wanted to make sure his mom had a special birthday.
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She suggested they go for a walk on the beach, so that's what they did. While on their walk, Dronkers asked his mom if she wanted anything in particular for lunch and the two of them ended up going to a little sandwich shop that his mom loves. They split a sandwich and afterwards, they went back home to watch some TV together, an activity his mom loves.
"It's approaching dinner and she's like trying not to take up space and not ask for too much 'cause we're ballin' on a budget, and I was like, 'No, what are you craving?'" Dronkers continued. "She was like, 'Meatballs.' I was like, 'Alright, I'm going to get you your favorite meatballs from your favorite place.' The least we can do for the people we love is be excited about the things that they love."
It truly doesn't take much to let the people in your life know that you care and appreciate their presence. Even if it's something simple like a walk on the beach and grabbing dinner together as Dronkers did for his mom, you never know how much gratitude someone in your life will have for being on the receiving end of a thoughtful gesture.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.