Welcome to the happiness podcast. I'm Dr. Robert Puff. If you've been listening to this series for a while,

we're doing a four-part series on relationships, friendships, dating, couples, all types, and were in part three. Part one was how to be a great partner,

a great friend. Part two was how to find a great partner, a great friend. And in this episode we're going to look at how

to keep a great partner a great friend. As you probably know, I like to keep things simple so

that we can remember them. And there's really one key factor we have to remember

in order to maintain a great relationship. Relationships aren't found and kept and everything is fine.

Relationships are worked at.

They're much like exercise.

If we want to be in shape, we have to work out.

If we want to keep a great relationship, we have to work at it.

If we rest on our laurels, if we relax, if we don't work on the relationship,

it has a potential to get out of shape. It may not get out of shape, but it could. So unless both people are willing to work on it, we don't know what's going to happen. So it's important to say, okay, all as I can do is my part.

I can't make my partner do his or her part or my friend, but I can do my part.

How do I make sure that I'm doing everything in my power to make sure I'm working

on making this relationship a healthy one?

And that's a lot through connection.

It's a lot through, if it's a partner relationship, it's a lot through romance.

I remember years ago when I was in graduate school working on my doctorate.

I took a course called Organizational Psychology,

and it was about the psychological health of companies.

I distinctly remember my professor saying, the companies either grow or they die.

They have to be doing one or the other. Otherwise, they don't really stay the same. They're going to keep growing or they're going to die. And I think relationships are a lot like that. We need to water them. we need to work on them, we need to spend time

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