Improve your social life: the people you should keep up a relationship with

You will forge many different relationships throughout the course of your life. Some are fleeting, but some are meant to last a lifetime.

You will forge many different relationships throughout the course of your life. Some are fleeting, but some are meant to last a lifetime. Take a look at some of the people you should keep up a relationship with:

YOUR CLOSE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
The friends that you make when you are young will often grow up to be the friends that you should keep when you are an adult. I’m not saying that you should try to hunt down your long-lost kindergarten pals, but if you were close friends with someone or with a group of people throughout your high school years, then you should do your best to keep the relationships going. You undoubtedly have formed many great memories together, and it is always more fun to reminisce with the people who you were with than with people who have no idea who or what you are talking about. It is often difficult to maintain these friendships after you go off into your adult ventures, such as work, college, marriage, and child-rearing. Many of your friends might move away, or you might move away yourself. However, you will all probably share the feeling that your hometown is your home base. You should keep in touch through telephone calls, e-mails, and visits, at least annually. It’s always great to have friends in your life who knew you when you were in your formative years.

FAMILY MEMBERS
The relationships that you can build with the members of your immediate and extended family are often some of the most important relationships that you will have in your life. You should strive to stay in close contact with your family. Spend holidays together. If you live far away, make an effort to travel to visit each other a couple of times a year so that you don’t lose touch. Don’t allow petty quarrels to ruin your familial relationships. There is often a lot of baggage and history that can sometimes stir up negative past emotions, but it is in your best interest to make an effort to keep your family close, and you probably will regret it if you don’t.

THE PARTY PEOPLE
Everyone knows someone who is always the life of the party, who always seems to know what is going on around town, and what is new with everyone in town. This is a person worthy of maintaining a relationship with, because they will keep your social life alive, and they are fun to be around. You might not have a tight bond with this person, but you get along really well, and it is always an adventure when you get together. Keep your party pals in your life so that you can live vicariously through them from time to time, and so that you can help to balance them out when they need a little down time.

CO-WORKERS
In the business world, it is often all about who you know. You should never burn bridges with your past employers or co-workers, because you never know when you will need a reference or a favor. Plus, you often spend more time with your co-workers than you do with your friends and extended family. If you work in an office for forty hours a week, you are bound to get to know the people around you. Once you leave the job, try to keep in touch. Get lunch with your former co-workers from time to time, send a greeting card during the holiday season, and give them a call to touch base every now and then. You will be building your base of business contacts, and you will be leaving a positive impression on the people who you have worked with.

COLLEGE BUDDIES
If you went to college, then you know that the relationships you build with your college buddies are very special. Going away to college is the first step into the world of adulthood for many people, and the friendships that you create during these formative years are often very profound, and they are with people whom you share similar interests and world views with. Often, unless you went to a local college, many of your former college friends live in various places throughout the country, so it can be difficult to stay in touch. Make a point of meeting up once a year so that you can maintain your relationships and see how each other’s lives are progressing. E-mailing and instant messaging are other great ways to communicate if you have little time for talking on the phone.