Give a little love and it all comes back to you

The internet is full of advice on how to have better relationships. How can I please him? What does she really want? How do we make it work? The strange thing is… it’s mostly based around romantic relationships. However, some of the things we should be more aware of to make them work, also help with friends and family too.

The word ‘relationship’ simply refers to a connection that one human being has to another. It doesn’t need to just be about someone we love. We have relationships with parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, business contacts and customers. All of these connections take different forms, but the basic link is the same.

If you look at yourself, you can see how you can have better relationships. What do you expect from other people, and do those same people get that from you? Are you honest with them? Considerate? Do you give praise where it’s due and support when it’s needed? A bit of introspection can be useful indeed. Sometimes the things we are most frightened of can help us too.

Many people are worried about getting older, but with age comes experience. Lots of us are afraid of making mistakes, yet we can learn a lot from mistakes. Why be scared about asking for advice when you really need it? Your friends can help… even if sometimes they just make you realise that, actually, they are wrong and you were right all along!

Life is full of experiences to be had and lessons to be learned. If you spend your time worrying about the stuff you didn’t do and the things which went wrong, you won’t be able to properly enjoy all the good times. We are all surrounded by relationships, and most people want to keep those which make them happy.

When it comes to relationships, it’s quality rather than quantity which really matters. People will forgive and forget with a good friend, try harder with a caring partner, and stand up for a supportive colleague. Take a little bit of time to tell someone they’re awesome this week. You’ll feel the benefit too.

This article was first published on BitchBuzz in 2011. Image via HarlanH‘s Flickr photostream.