Melinda French Gates' weekly walks with three close friends aid her in making challenging decisions: "They serve as my truth advisors."

Melinda French Gates consults with her three closest friends, who have known her for over 30 years, when making difficult decisions.

The four women engage in a weekly ritual of going for a walk, which often serves as a platform for discussion, as Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King shared in an episode of French Gates' "Moments That Make Us" YouTube series, which was released last week.

"French Gates stated that if you're in town, you walk. He considers them his truth counsel and relies on their courage to make difficult decisions or big transitions."

The trio of friends was the first to be informed when French Gates started contemplating ending her marriage to Bill Gates after 27 years, and they all offered her their full support.

"My three closest friends were instrumental in helping me get through my divorce. Without them, I would not have made it through. In fact, she said, 'You need a friend who will tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it.'"

She learned the significance of quality over quantity in friendships early in life, as research at Harvard University shows that positive relationships are crucial for a happy, healthy, and long life.

"Marc Schulz and Robert Waldinger, the study's directors, emphasized the importance of social fitness in their CNBC Make It article last year. They wrote that social life is a living system that requires exercise, and that social fitness involves taking stock of our relationships and being honest with ourselves about where we're devoting our time and whether we are tending to the connections that help us thrive."

To assess your relationships, you can count the number of types of support each one provides, according to Schulz and Waldinger. They identified seven essential forms of support that humans rely on each other, including safety and security, learning and growth, and emotional closeness and confiding.

Identifying the gaps in support in your relationships is crucial.

"Although you may enjoy spending time with many people, you may lack someone to confide in. Don't hesitate to reach out to those in your life and deepen the connections that matter to you."

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