Ever wonder what makes a good life? Is it money? Fame? Feeling important? Friends? Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger recently revealed results of a 75-year-old study during a TED Talks event.

I’m just thinking back to my teens and early 20s and what I thought made for a great life. Money was definitely number one, success in the radio industry was important (I would have killed to work in a big city), and getting into a good relationship ranked somewhere up in the top.

Turns out one out of three of those goals lined up to how I now feel in my early 30s. Relationships, not just a romantic relationship, but relationships with friends and family.

It’s a good thing because a 75-year-old study on adult development shows a happy life revolves around good relationships.

Allow the video to explain more in depth, and the manner in which the study was (and is being) conducted.

Waldinger explains three big lessons from the study.

First, social connections are good and loneliness kills, literally. The people in this study who are more socially active, regardless of their status in society, are happy, healthy and it turns out they live longer.

That counters with loneliness, which one in five Americans admit to. Those who find themselves lonely are less happy, their physical health deteriorates earlier, and they end up living much shorter lives.

Second, it’s not just about the number of relationships you have, it’s the quality. Waldinger goes on to say that you may find yourself in a marriage, yet living in conflict, this is worse than getting a divorce. Living in conflict is terrible for your health, where a solid relationship serves as a protection.

What’s interesting about this study is how they went back to their subjects lives at midlife. Researchers discovered those who were satisfied with their relationships (be it romantic, friends or family) were the healthiest at age 80, compared to those with poor relationships at midlife.

Finally, the third big lesson to take away from this research is a good relationship doesn’t just protect our bodies, but protects our brains as well. People who were/ are subjects of this study were found to have better brain function, and memory, in their 80s compared to those who didn’t maintain good relationships.

I wasn’t alone in putting fame, wealth, and high achievement on a pedestal when I was starting out in life, turns out most of us think that way as we enter the world. In a nutshell, people who have great lives are the same people who lean into relationships with friends, family and community.

Waldinger offers suggestions to improve your relationships, you can do things like replacing screen time with people time, contact a family member you haven’t seen in a while, or liven up your current relationships with new things to do.

Long story short, a good life is built with good relationships.

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