Always Remember

 

I’m grateful for my Family Relations class and everything that I have learned this semester. There are a lot of takeaways that I have, but I would say that these are 10 important concepts that I hope to always remember.

1. Children are important for the future of the world and having them is a selfless act.

                Life is hard and there is so many things in this world to be afraid of, when it comes to having kids it’s scary to think about putting that responsibility on yourself because you want to be a good parent to them. But for those who do take that responsibility are literally helping the world by pervading a future to humanity, which that to me is one of the most selfless things.

2. Men and women have unique characteristics and therefore have unique roles.

                I strongly believe that God made us to fulfill those unique roles that he has for us, not only those in gender but those within ourselves. I feel blessed to fulfill my roles God has given me, like being a brother, an uncle, and soon a father. I feel blessed because I know God has tied these roles to my nature and I know that my characteristics are what I need to fulfill them.

3. We are constantly growing and changing.

                I think one of the biggest lies is that people can’t change, I think people who say that are quitters because you can change, its just hard and sometimes feels impossible but with God anything is possible. God put us here on earth to learn and grow its our purpose in this life to change.

4. Healthy marriages start with healthy dating relationships.

                I’ve been through plenty of unhealthy relationships but because of those I’ve learned how to be healthier when it comes to dating and relationships. Honestly, I think the best takeaway from this class is learning about Van Epp's Relationship Attachment Model, this has helped me have healthier dating habits which in turn have brought me closer to being ready for marriage.

5. Communication is key when it comes to happiness and fulfillment in marriage. Listening and expressing are both important. Focusing on your own feelings instead of what the other person did or did not do.

                One of my biggest fears for when I get married is that it will become an unhealthy relationship and lead to misery and depression through miscommunication. But with these tools that I have learned (the disarming technique, being empathetic, genuinely curious, "I feel" statements, genuinely positive things to say) I know that I can work through it and learn how to communicate better with my significant other.

6. A healthy marriage and family is built, not automatic.

                Another amazing thing I’ve learned from this class is that just doing what feels natural in relationships will lead to unhappiness in the relationship. You must build a healthy relationship and strive to be supernatural so that you can build the joy in the relationship. I think that this philosophy can not only be applied to relationships but also to your life, strive to lead a supernatural life.

7. We can change our path by finding our focus. (The weight I carry blog post)

                Life can be so hard, but I’m glad I’ve learned more about anxiety and depression and how there a reaction in our brain. We need to change our focus so that we can get back on track with God and do his will. Just changing our focus/perspective will help us manage depression and anxiety.

8. Providing for a family is more than just making money, it is building a healthy environment for growth.

                Managing money is hard and I want to be good enough at it so when I get married and have kids to rase I can support them. I also hope I can do this well enough so that my wife wouldn't have to work so that we can provide a good environment to rise kids. Providing is a big responsibility and I know that through the blessings of paying tithing that God will help me provide for my future family. But I know learning about money management comes down to trusting in Christ. I know that the lord has many purposes for us in this life, and with how the world is now we need money to be able to accomplish some of those things.

9. Resolving issues in a relationship and learning how to grow because of them.

                I know that not only communication can be used to grow closer with your companion but also learning how to resolve issues as a couple, recently through a relationship the lord has taught me many things about working through hardship in a relationship and this class has solidify some of those concepts.

10. Divorce is scary but a healthy solution to an unhealthy relationship.

                I’ve seen a lot of people getting divorce around me in my life and because of this it has made me scared to take part in marriage. In the LDS culture (because we believe in an eternal marriage) it almost seems like divorce isn’t an option, but being around it so much and through this class I have learned that we need to use divorce if we need to leave an unhealthy relationship.

Most of these concepts come from my other blogs and I would love to hear ones that I missed in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading my blogs i've had so much fun and i'm sure i'll come back to blogging in the future but for now see ya!