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We all have our own commitments. But when we commit to something, we tend to do what we are expected to do. But many times, we expect too much from certain relationships. And that becomes one of the major reasons why we fail. Not to mention that any relationship has two sides to it. And nobody should ever make any decision only thinking about one side of the coin. On that note, based on my personal experience I am going to share today how and what to invest in relationships. So that, we all could have happy relations. When I say relationships I do not mean any particular relation. But this would be applied to any relationship that you possibly have. Also, keep in mind that I am sharing this based on my personal experience. I am no coach, but I am sharing what worked and works for me.
How and what to invest in relationships – Tip 1 – Invest a lot of respect in your relationships
In any relationship, respect is paramount. No matter what relationship you take, unless you invest a lot of respect in your relationship, you will fail. I know that it is a give and take process. But mostly when we get comfortable with someone, we tend to forget that we also have to respect the person. We have to respect their opinions, their needs, their desires, their fears, their hopes, their aspirations and the boundaries that they set. We all need to understand that respect is the key to a sustainable relationship. Without it, any relationship will fail. And when you show respect I can assure you that it is a worthwhile investment. And you would see the results of it as well.
How and what to invest in relationships – Tip 2 – Invest Intentional Behaviour in your relationships
The key here is Intentional Behaviour. Relationships fall apart without this. We all have to be very mindful about what kind of behaviour is encouraged and allowed in a relationship. Some examples of it would be making your other partner a priority over anyone else. Another would be to consistently work upon the internal change you have committed to. A few more would be showing intentional kindness and appreciation. We all also have to grow our awareness of our own shortcomings. And our destructive patterns of behaviour. Remember that, small intentional actions goes a long way. It is the thousand small intentional actions that pave the way to a healthy relationship in the future. Make sure that you are intentional today.
How and what to invest in relationships – Tip 3 – Invest Money in your relationships
Yes, you read it right. We need to invest money in our relationships if we want them to last. Not to mention, this is also a two-way street. Both the parties in any relationship need to do this. I am sure you would have heard that there is no sorry and no thanks. But that could not be farther from the truth. In a long-lasting successful relationship, there are more sorries and even more thanks.
And in order to show your thankfulness both the partners need to invest money into it. It could be for a vacation. Or maybe even a nice gift. Or even for a nice dinner or lunch or brunch. May even be for a space where you could spend some time talking and connecting. Remember, relationships are giving and taking. It is always a two-way responsibility and partnership. Make sure you do a mindful investment of money as long as your partner does it too, it will be a worthwhile investment.
How and what to invest in relationships – Tip 4 – Invest Vulnerability in your relationships
Being vulnerable can be really scary for many of us. But it is actually one of the ingredients that make any relationship stronger. There is a quote by Paulo Coelho that reads, The Strongest love is the love that can demonstrate its fragility. Once we start investing vulnerability in any relationship it nurtures the right attitude, humility, connection and the ability to see each other in a deeper way. Make sure you are vulnerable and open to your partner. Give them the opportunity to love you more deeply and completely. This provides opportunities for growth and moving forward as individuals and as partners.
How and what to invest in relationships – Tip 5 – Invest time and loyalty in your relationships
In any relationship, time is required. Partners in any relationship need time to talk with each other. They need time to communicate and share things that are really important. To build communication and intimacy they need time. Make sure that you spend time and notice your partner. You need to appreciate who they are and all the things they do.
In case of a marriage, make sure you go to bed together. Write small notes to each other every day. Plan activities together. Give of your time and put it into your relationship. It is going to be a worthwhile investment, I promise.
Loyalty, I could not possibly emphasize this anymore. No matter what the relationship is, you will have to be loyal. Always. Never make the first mistake from your side, no matter what the situation is. No matter what the scenario is, even if you get threatened by someone you should be loyal. Anyone comes at you or your partner then you should always go to your partner. You tell your partner anything and everything. Loyalty means this.
These are the five tips I could give you that have worked for me. I am 100% sure if you apply all these you are going to have a long-lasting successful relationship. If you think, that there is some more that could be part of this list as well, feel free to share them in the comments and I would love to add them to the blog post.
I am a 33-year-old gentleman from a lower-middle-class family hailing from a small village Narasinghpur in Cuttack, Odisha, INDIA. I have a post-graduate degree in M.Tech from BITS Pilani. I started blogging back in June 2014. You can check out my journey and all that I have learnt all these years on my website.
