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!
Isnt 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, thats 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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