Things You Can Do to Improve Your Relationships

These tips will help with all your relationships – with clients, friends, and loved ones. They sound easy, but….

Don’t bring up things when you can’t control your emotions. Wait for calm. If you aren’t calm you won’t hear anything the other person has to say. And they will be freaked out by your fury/upset. It will seem to them to have come out of nowhere.

Other people see the world completely differently than you do. And they are just as sure they are right as you are. You have to accept that their reality can be different from yours. Try to understand and work from theirs. (Hard to do!) They often have a perfectly logical explanation for why they did/thought/said what they did. You don’t have to agree, but the sooner you understand and accept their reasoning, the better your relationships will be.

Don’t do things because you feel guilty; do things because you want to. If you stop by to see a friend because they guilted you into it, chances are pretty good you won’t be happy about it. Do it enough times and you’ll start to resent them. Relationships suffer when you do things out of guilt rather than joy.

Make time for them. It is hard to carve out time to have lunch with friends or a date night with your spouse. But if you want your relationships to flourish, they are going to take time. You have to pick and choose the relationships that are most important and decide what quality time really is – to both parties. For me, quality time involves looking into someone’s eyes. I can’t tell how you REALLY feel via Facebook or text.

Do something kind for them. Now this can be as simple as a sweet text or a nice post on FB. Kindness goes a long, long way. And you must do this with absolutely no expectation of anything in return. Unfulfilled expectations have ruined many relationships. Most of the time the other person has no idea of your expectations. Maybe you don’t either, until they aren’t met. Truly expect nothing and you will appreciate everything you receive. And most of what you give to others will be returned to you. So give as much good stuff as you can!