Relationships for sustenance and longevity

full article and references can be found at: https://www.inmindwise.com/p/relationships-for-sustenance-and1. Relationships can be very beneficial or very destructive. Positive ones can contribute to health and wellness, meaning, and fulfillment. Negative influences or associations can have destructive consequences for both self and others, such as when exposed to hatred, discrimination, dishonesty, or exploitation by others.2. A feedback or information-contributing relationship can be from a friend, family member, work, peer support group, or play partner. Other resources can be from a caregiver essential for maintaining the daily aid for someone in need³; something read or heard from public venues, social media, or from attention to your inner world of thoughts and bodily experience may key you into something you need to know. The variety of life’s offerings to keep you attuned are many, such as a pet, a garden, a walk-in nature, working on a job, an artistic project or hobby, a fitness activity such as swimming, running, going to the gym, or taking part in social activities. Personal awareness and mindfulness of your mind, body, spirit, and emotional functioning are vital for acquiring meaning and perspective.3. Positive feedback-giving relationships, especially when you are receptive and accepting of the helpful information, are vital for gaining perspective and optimal executive functioning — the aspect of our mental functioning that helps us prioritize, plan, and organize.4. Awareness, discrimination, acceptance, or rejection are all part of evaluating available and received information or feedback. There can be dangerous and harmful consequences when communications are false, misleading, or prone to misinterpretations. Portrayers of discrimination, hatred, or agendas for power and personal gain can harm anyone on the receiving end. The same is true of the influence of malicious individuals or organizations wanting to gain control of your mind and pocketbook.5. Avoid getting lost or entrapped in your biased reasoning and configuring. When there is a lack of clarifying information and feedback from sources outside your thinking, loss of perspective and flawed concepts may result. Always be openly aware of the trove of beneficial context providing and enriching information available from your body-mind awareness or external resources. Be mindful of getting caught in arrogance or blind acceptance of single, false, or prejudicial sources of information.6. Be aware and accepting of the unique differences and neurodiversity in all of us and embrace the contributions and values of everyone. See the quote below from an article and glossary of terms related to neurodiversity.⁴“Neurodiversity recognizes and supports inclusiveness and tolerance of the inherent differences that exist throughout our population. I say this because many of the traits of the various conditions associated with neurodivergence are in fact traits that are also shared by portions of the larger population, often by people who might meet some but not all of the diagnostic criteria set by the DSM-5.One of the opportunities brought by embracing neurodiversity is the resulting infusion of new ideas. Neurodivergent people experience the world differently than neurotypical people and we think differently. As such, many of us have remarkable skills when it comes to problem solving and artistic creativity. In fact, many argue that the continued presence of autism and other forms of genetically-derived neurodivergence might in fact be an evolutionary adaptation that has served humanity well. This creativity could be a catalyst for significant positive changes….” ( Neurodiversity and Autism Spectrum put in perspective; https://shj.org/embracing-neurodiversity-have-we-been-inclusive-enough/ Neurodiversity and Autism Spectrum put is perspective; https://shj.org/embracing-neurodiversity-have-we-been-inclusive-enough/)The article was originally published on Mind Wise with tips, references, and resources.Share with others, and please leave a comment.A special thanks to Shan Parks for his excellent final read-through and editor’s eye.— — —¹ Positive relationship experience linked to better physiological functioning; https://www.integrativepractitioner.com/mental-emotional-spiritual/positive-relationship-experiences-linked-to-better-physiological-functioning?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=NzU2LUZXSi0wNjEAAAGLBYGJ76lRJPUVNgJnTCc1-dQRvo5Z0L5-7UfDZPCZnxN6VEkF2ANX6B9lpRg26OxbKWNo9Wy1u6ngyfXIjDgLd88WenuAwxDDC86p4z0muS_r-NqN² James L. Lynch wrote in 1977, Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences of Loneliness; https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Heart-Medical-Consequences-Loneliness/dp/0465007724³ Autism and IDD: Caregiving, Advocacy, Community, and Love, Ray Hemachandra April 17, 2023; https://rayhemachandra.com/2023/04/17/caregiving/⁴ Neurodiversity and Autism Spectrum put is perspective; https://shj.org/embracing-neurodiversity-have-we-been-inclusive-enough/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.inmindwise.com