Whether you’re looking for a partner, building friendships, or attempting to restore broken connections, there are steps you can take to help you create better relationships. Love is not a mystery, and the moment you realize that, you will know that it’s possible to create a relationship that’s safe and fulfilling. All it takes is effort and having the right mindset about love and relationship. Here are five things you can do to help you build better relationships in your life beginning today:
Love People on Purpose
We often think that love is something that just happens to us. Among married couples, for instance, husbands and wives think that it’s normal for their passion for one another to dissipate as years go by. This is dangerous thinking, and is often the number one cause for couples to eventually grow apart and growl out of love with one another. If you want to build stronger relationships with your partner, your kids, your family, and your friends, you need to choose to love them on purpose. When it comes to your kids, for instance, you make it a habit of spending at least three hours with them, giving your full attention to them the entire duration. Meanwhile, loving your wife on purpose might mean sending her flowers every single day in her office, or perhaps throwing the trash, washing the clothes, and just doing all the house chores every once in a while.
Avoid Inflicting Emotional Injuries
No emotional pain is more devastating than the ones caused to us by the people we love and depend on. When people we don’t know offend us, we can easily endure and let go of the pain. However, when people we love hurt us, the pain is similar to that caused by being betrayed. For this reason, always think seven times before you speak, thinking first whether what you’re going to say is worth saying or not. The tongue is very powerful and can inflict a lot of emotional injury when given the chance. Therefore, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all, especially when you’re in the middle of an argument.
Don’t Just Sweep Conflicts Under the Rag
One of the things that prevent us from truly creating deep relationships is our habit of sweeping conflicts under the rag. Instead of confronting a loved one who has hurt us, we try to ignore the issue and allow time to heal the wound. While time lets you forget, it doesn’t actually heal the wound, but simply allows it to rot. If you want to build better relationships with people around you, whether with your spouse, children, friends, or colleagues, don’t avoid confrontations, but consider them as opportunities for healing emotional wounds.
Honor the Connections You Create
We all have connections we create in every relationship that we have. For husbands and wives, it can be in the form of a special hug or kiss in the morning before going to work. Between a parent and a child, it may be in the form of a special bonding time in the afternoon or the evening. Whatever connection you have created with people you love, see to it that you honor those connections by treating them as sacred. If you are spending time with your children, for instance, make sure you give them your full attention. If you and your best friends have this special gathering once a month, honor that connection by being present and by informing them in advance if you couldn’t make it.
Take Time to Tune In to Your Emotional Channel
Finally, find time to love and take care of yourself as well. If you can’t tune in to your emotional channel to see what you need the most, you will end up burnt out due to giving and giving without receiving anything back. Yes, love should be unconditional, but you also have your needs and the only way you can give love is if you can receive love yourself. The good thing is that you can receive love simply by believing that you are full of value and are loved by the people around you as well. You can also practice this with your partner if you have one. Set a time that you could have a quiet moment and talk to see if you can share with each other things you need the most. This will not only deepen your relationship as a couple, but would also boost your self-esteem as individuals.
31 Days to Build a Better Relationship
