7 Keys to Better Relationships

Title: 7 Keys to Better Relationships
Author: Patricia Wagner 
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Date of Copyright: copyright © 2004 by Patricia Wagner 
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7 Keys to Better Relationships 
(c) copyright 2004 by Patricia Wagner  

Would you like to enhance the quality of your life and 
increase your personal happiness? If you answered "yes,"
the information in this article could change your life!  

Isn't it easy to get stuck in the everydayness of life? 
We can get so busy making a living and getting ahead 
financially that the really important things fall through 
the cracks!  

That can happen to all of us. However, when people come to 
the end of their lives, they don't wish they had spent more 
time making money. When all is said and done, we want our 
family and friends to be with us then!  

So let's try to focus on developing better relationships 
instead of acquiring more things. Think of your circle 
of family and friends as a lovely garden to water and 
cultivate. The book of Proverbs teaches this crucial truth: 
"A man that has friends must show himself friendly" 
(Proverbs 18:24).  

Here are 7 keys that will help your relationships to bloom:

1. Spend time with your friends and loved ones.

Although this is obvious, we need to intentionally set aside 
time in our schedules for them no matter how busy we think 
we are. Put appointments with friends and family into your 
daytimer or palm pilot. If you don't do this, you may forget 
and months and even years can go by without seeing these 
special people. The sad fact is that those relationships can 
dry up and wither away from neglect.  

Many marriages fail for just this reason. People are often 
too busy to spend enough time with each other and one or 
both of the partners can't take the neglect. If you want 
your relationships to bloom, you have to water them with 
quality time. How long would a rose garden be lush and 
beautiful if no one watered it for days without end?  

2. Genuinely appreciate the special people in your life. 

Tell them how much they mean to you. Mention their good 
qualities and how special they are. For example, if you need 
to correct your children's behavior, be sure to spend twice 
as much time appreciating their positive qualities than 
reprimanding their negative ones.  

3. Learn to say, "I was wrong. Please forgive me." 

This will do wonders for your relationships. Humility is a 
beautiful quality in any person. Someone who thinks he or 
she is always right can be impossible to live with. If your 
habitual attitute is "I'm ALWAYS right," that's a poisonous 
plant that will spread and ruin your entire garden. 
Apologizing and asking for forgiveness when we've done 
something wrong does not degrade us. Instead it shows that 
we are growing up.  

4. Be quick to forgive and don't hold grudges.

Bury the past. Bitterness never helped anyone. It only hurts 
the bitter person. Don't let the agressive weeds of 
unforgiveness spoil your garden. Try not to crush tender 
relationship plants by being harsh and unforgiving.  

5. Learn to say "thank you" a lot.

Everyone loves to be appreciated for what he or she has done 
instead of being taken for granted. You may be thrilled by 
the vibrant blossoms of encouragement that will result from 
taking time to say "thank you."  

6. Listen more than you talk.

In a game of tennis it would be very strange for one of the 
players to bounce the ball up and down on his or her side 
instead of hitting the ball back to the other player. The 
same could be said for the game of ping pong. These games 
teach a powerful lesson. If you are always talking and other 
people don't have a chance to get a word in edgewise, you 
won't be very popular for long.  

7. Go out of your way to help others in practical ways.

If a friend is in the hospital, go visit him. If a neighbor 
is going through a difficult financial time, bring groceries 
over to help tide him or her through the crisis.  

If you follow these simple but powerful suggestions for 
nurturing your relationships, you yourself will also reap 
benefits in the form of increased happiness, pep and 
vitality. That's because our relationships are far more 
important to our wellbeing than how much money we make or 
how well we're doing climbing the corporate ladder.  

Why not take a personal inventory of your life today? Put 
these suggestions into practice and become more effective in 
cultivating your special relationships.  

Happy gardening! 


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Patricia Wagner offers informative tips on living a more 
energetic lifestyle at http://www.a-to-z-wellness.com and 
through her free "A to Z Health Tips" newsletter. Subscribe 
at http://www.a-to-z-wellness.com/subscribe.htm. Contact 
Patricia at wagner.art@verizon.net. 
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Received on Wednesday, 19 May 2004 13:14:49 UTC