10 Ways to Improve Relationships in Your Life

Relationships- This is something that touches our lives right from birth.

If we learn how to build strong relationships, we will succeed in life.

Good relationships will bring great satisfaction and fulfillment in our lives.

So here are 10 key to help you develop more strong, robust and positive and relationships in all areas of your life:

The very first thing required in any good relationship is mutual trust.

If there is no trust in the relationship, there is no foundation for a good relationship at all.

If both the persons don't have confidence in each other, how will their relationship survive?

Trust is foundational to any strong relationship.

Communication is the next most important thing in a relationship.

Communication is important in all aspects of life including relationships.

Good communication comprises of clear speech, understanding and deep listening.

When something is spoken, it should be crystal clear so that the listener has no confusion or ambiguity about the communication.

The second part of good communication is the ability to understand or comprehend what's being conveyed.

The final and very important part of good communication is deep listening.

There are various types of listening that I learned as part of my life coaching certification.

Deep listening is the highest form of listening.

Here the listener is so involved with the speaker that the speaker shares his deepest thoughts and feelings with the listener.

Having unrealistic expectations is one of the biggest problem areas in many relationships.

People expect great things from their spouse, friend, colleagues or partner and when their expectations are not met, they are deeply offended.

We need to be realistic in our expectations in order to keep the relationship intact.

We all are different in many ways and thank God for that.

What a boring place the world would be if every one of the billions of people in the world were same.

We are all different in many ways- our temperaments, our personalities, our upbringing, our opinions, likes and dislikes.

In a good relationship, one should recognize and even celebrate these differences. This can strengthen the relationship and it will last longer.

Instead of putting one another down because of the differences, we should enjoy them.

Everything takes time to grow.

If you plant an acorn today, you don't expect to see an oak tree by the next week.

All things require time and patience for it to grow.

It's the same way for relationships too.

The more time, efforts and love is poured into the relationship, the stronger it will grow.

Giving time to the other person also makes them feel important and of value.

So give ample time to each other as this will nurture and fortify the relationship.

Giving time to develop the relationship also builds a good rapport which makes the relationship better.

Both of the persons involved should have mutual respect for each other.

Having respect makes it a joy to be in that relationship.

There may be a difference of opinion many times but they should learn to disagree without feeling offended.

We need to agree to disagree because it's a given that no two persons can agree on everything.

So respect each other's opinions and honor each other.

A good relationship has total honesty and transparency.

There is no room for dishonest behavior. That will break the relationship faster than anything else.

It also means being loyal to each other and being protective of each other's reputations.

It removes the possibility of backstabbing and gossiping about each other.

Being committed to each other no matter what happens is the essence of a good and robust relationship.

There may be sunshine and there may be rain but a good relationship remains strong and healthy because of commitment.

Both the partners are ready to face difficult situations together without wavering.

They are expecting the best and preparing for the worst.

So they're not moved when setbacks come.

Their commitment to each other sees them through every storm.

The storms only help to strengthen their relationship.

In any relationship, there will be times when they will be offended knowingly or unknowingly.

The gift of forgiveness is absolutely necessary during those times.

Holding grudges and unforgiveness will kill the relationship.

Keeping short records with each other will go a long way in cementing the relationship.

We all need appreciation and affection.

Be appreciative of each other.

It's a sad thing that appreciation is expressed mostly at funerals alone.

It's good to say something good to your partner regularly.

Appreciation is to a relationship, what sunshine is to the flowers.

In an atmosphere of love and appreciation, the relationship will blossom and bloom.

Make it a habit to say something good about your partner, spouse, friend or colleague regularly.

This will keep the positivity in the atmosphere and any relationship thrives in such an environment.

It's proven scientifically that people always do more than expected when they feel appreciated and loved.

This principle can be observed even among animals like dogs.

If you pat a street dog lovingly, you will find him in your living room soon.

Everyone craves for some love and affection.

Display a whole lot of appreciation and affection to strengthen your relationships.

If you put these 10 keys to work in any of your relationships, you will observe that they become healthy and positive.

So go ahead and try all these principles and enjoy the results.