How Can I Enhance My Relationship? 5-Tips For Improving Your Relationship

Posted on November 29, 2008 
Filed Under Healthy Relationships

If you are in a serious relationship, chances are that you either want to improve it – or desperately need to fix it. Most marriages in the U.S. end in divorce; and of those that don’t are usually the source of bad jokes about nagging wives or lazy, cheating husbands – all of which are indicators of unhappiness, stress, frustration, and discontent. If you want or need to improve your relationship, you certainly aren’t alone; and if you don’t want to, you simply have never been taught about the value, power, and joy of a strong, harmonious union. If you’re one of the smart ones who know the value of investing time, attention, and energy in your partner, here’s a list of 5-tips for improving your relationship:

1. Listen to your partner. They want to be heard just as much as you, or anyone else; and they’re giving you – with their words and actions – the secrets of how they want and need to be treated. If you want to learn about your partner, you need to start listening to your partner.

2. Be considerate. Think about others first; I promise you’ll be okay. Most people we think of as “inconsiderate” were simply conditioned to believe that, if they don’t take what they need, they won’t get what they need; and others were simply raised and programmed by one or more inconsiderate people. It is difficult to see these things for yourself; so ask your partner if they think you are inconsiderate. Then, do your best to “stay awake” and pay attention to the needs of others. You’ll be the big winner here – in more ways than one.

3. Be respectful. All living things deserve your respect. If you haven’t already learned this, do yourself a huge favor and reflect on it. Parents that yell, fight, talk down to one another, or snipe at each other constantly, create children who grow-up to be bad partners with poor relationship skills. Escape the trap of your past and your programming by thinking about what you truly want in a relationship – and acting on those thoughts by taking steps toward your ideal relationship every day.

4. Communicate your needs and expectations – as well as your love, respect, and affection. This goes hand-in-hand with listening; and, if you want your needs and expectations to be heard, you need to listen to those of your partner. Relationships are all about change – always. You and your partner should be consciously shaping and guiding that change as it unfolds; and you can’t do that without communicating. Spend time sitting, talking, and sharing.

5. Surprise your partner with kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity anytime you can. Different people like different things; not everyone, for instance, likes flowers. But, if you are doing number-one properly, you should know what your partner likes and doesn’t like. But you should also do new and different things to help yourself, your partner, and your relationship stay fresh and vital. The best way to keep a relationship from falling into a “rut” is to keep it dynamic. Do Something Different – and fun! Write love letters or notes, take walks, go on a date, etc.

These are just a few ideas you can think about and expand on; but these are also five fundamental ingredients in any successful relationship. Cultivate your relationship by cultivating these skills. You can not only improve and enhance your relationship by working on these skills; but you can become a master in almost every area of your life by simply listening, communicating, and being kind, considerate, and respectful to the people in your life – all of them. This takes attention and effort; but it is easier than you might think, and the rewards are greater than you could imagine.

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