Successful Relationships

If you live on this planet you know very well that human beings tend to have their ups and downs. Some more than others.

It can be very difficult trying to relate to some folk at times.

However a well founded relationship will always ride the storms, especially when these 5 attributes are in the hearts of the folk involved.

Trust.
This can be a big “issue” for many people. Perhaps you have difficulty trusting because of past betrayals or failures. Trusting again may be a risk, but let’s face it all of life involves risk. If you don’t take any risks, you will not achieve anything.

John Kennedy is quote as saying: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

A few weeks ago I took some time to chat with some young friends about their perspective and experiences on the ideal relationship between teens and parents.

We came up with 8 things to do to enjoy a good relationship with your teenager, and 7 things not to do. You can find the 8 things to DO here and here.

Now let’s take a look at some of the things they were saying not to do.

If we cannot trust another person, then there is really no relationship. When considering the definition of trust, I find it difficult to separate unselfishness from trust. What do you think? Think about the following comments.

A person who openly displays characteristics of selfishness is not someone whom you will readily trust. You will know that in moments of stress or life crisis, you could never count on them to help or support you. They will be too busy thinking about themselves.

We need to come to grips with the reality that no one is perfect. Sooner or later, everyone around us will fail us in some way.

At least they will not always live up to our expectations of them, because our expectations will probably be above what they are really capable of doing at times.

The question is, how are you going to react when they fail? You need to ask yourself honestly …

No matter how good a relationship may be, there will always be times when it will be neccesary to forgive. No human being is perfect, and one of the major things that destroys relationships is unforgiveness.

We need to understand that the real issue is not what happened to us, or what the person or group of people did to us, but rather what we did with the situation. Did the situation make us bitter or better?