If there is one thing that psychological research and personal experience will reveal to each and every one of us, it?s the positive impact relationships have on our happiness, level of success, and overall well-being. Having healthy relationships means so much for every area of our life.
Relationships offer us joy, love, and support in times of need. They also help us expand our aspirations and level of achievement through support, knowledge, and connections. In general, relationships can help us to grow and become better people.
So, whether your focus is on intimate and loving relationships, or more professional business relationships, there are certain traits that will make any relationship more meaningful and long-lasting.
Commitment - Relationship success and commitment go hand in hand. When we?re committed to a relationship we are willing to put in the effort to make it work. It?s more likely there will be a plan to stick together, and a growing sense of loyalty and trust can develop.
When we?re committed to a partner of any kind, there is a dedication and allegiance that provides stable plans and goals for the future.
Compassion - Being able to connect with others emotionally is so crucial to build a strong relationship, and to have more than just superficial interactions. When we want for others what we want for ourselves and truly care about their well-being it provides an amazing foundation for making real connections.
Connecting with others comes from having empathy and caring about how they feel, just as we do about ourselves. Developing compassion and empathy will offer great security for a long-lasting relationship.
Generosity - In a healthy relationship the more we give the more we get. Wanting to make others happy and offering our support to help one another is a staple of loving and caring relationships.
Being generous is about being willing to give of yourself when you may not immediately get in return, and this can require a having ?win/win? attitude or a ?what?s mine is yours? mentality. By practicing this habit it will provide amazing benefits to deal with conflict and strife.
Tolerance - Everyone makes mistakes and having a tolerant and open-minded perspective goes a long way in building relationships. Taking a non-judgmental attitude and learning that there will be differences in opinion serves the purpose of making relationships safe and trustworthy. If we feel we are understood and will not be judged for making mistakes or being imperfect, we can be our real self and experience much greater fulfillment and growth.
Kindness - This is one area that has been shown empirically through psychological research to have benefits on peoples? happiness and life-satisfaction. When we engage in random acts of kindness it is beneficial for both parties involved.
Kindness can come from nice gesture and doing favors for others, or by simply treating others with respect and doing what we can to show we care about them as a human being. Kindness stems from a general loving heart where we feel affection and warmth for others. What act of kindness can you commit today?
Incorporate these five traits into your current relationships and whenever a new relationship is being cultivated. By doing so you will see much more positivity and mutual benefit. Relationships are about coming together for a mutual purpose and helping each other to be better people. These traits can help guide you in this direction.
Photo credit: tibchris
Joe Wilner is a life coach, educator, and writer who helps inspire and empower people to find their purpose and meaning. He has a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Management and Leadership. He is a certified meditation instructor through the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHC) and a certified life coach with Compass Global Group. He is a member of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and provides training and coaching to assist people in stress and anxiety reduction, and to help them enhance positive emotional experiences.
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????Last reviewed: 14 May 2011
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