What matters most in life to you? Money, Time, Friends, Family? All of those topics have 1 common denominator, Relationships! Relationships are the key to being successful and living life to the fullest. When you work on Realtionships, the rest will follow.

What does that word mean to you? Does it have a deep emotional meaning and bring up feelings and memories of people who greatly touched your life? Or does it feel so far away and unattainable because you dont feel you have the skills or the desire to develop them?

Hang in there with me and keep reading.

1. We are placed on this planet to connect with others not to be an island. If you are a runner, you understand the term runners high, that energy and euphoria you get from the endomorphins that pulse through your body at the end of a run. When you give your full attention and connect with another person, Enjoy your relationship high.

2. Laugh at your mistakes. Instead of being so afraid of what others think of you, laugh, share, and realize that you have the choice to be embarrassed and angry, distant, however you react, or you can laugh! Instead of pushing someone away or scaring them, you invite them to laugh with you and give an opportunity to connect. Sharing and being vulnerable makes you more approachable and real.

3. Be polite Use your manners! This is a lost skill! Do you want to attract people to you or push them away? How do you feel when someone looks you in the eye and says, Thank you or Please?

Write thank you notes. Give encouragement and compliments, even when you have to search for them, make them honest and sincere. People dont care about what you have to say until they know you care about them.

4. Relationships are all about Listening!

L = Look them in the eye

I = Invest in people. Accept them for who they are.

S = STOP doing whatever else you are doing and focus on the other person as you are with them.

T = Think about what THEY are saying, not about how you are going to respond.

E = Empathize with them. How would you feel? How do you want to be treated?

N = Notice body language. Yours and theirs. Are your arms folded in front of you? Are you open to receive them or closed and fearful? Nothing feels so good as being understood!

5. Healthy Relationships build up, not tear down!

This may be painful, but think about it, do you put people down to make yourself look better? Now, take comfort because at some time in our lives we have all done it. The question is, will you continue or are you ready to make a change?

Find a positive and focus on it whether in yourself, or with the person you are with.

Give compliments and encouragement, dont wait for them to be given to you. Procrastination is a relationship robber.

So what are you going to do to begin building relationships today?

Choose one area and begin to build on it. You have to be a prospector for relationships, get out there and just do it!

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