Relationships That Are Productive

Relationships with other human beings make life worth living. They can also be incredibly frustrating. Every relationship, from family members to the waiter at your favorite cafe, requires effort—sometimes outrageous amounts of effort, to keep it healthy and productive. But it's worthwhile effort. Keep these things in mind to help.

First, the Golden Rule is deeply wise. As St. Luke puts it, "and just as you want men to treat you, treat them in the same way". If people acted on this wisdom as often as they quoted it, the world would be a joyous place.

Everyone wants to be noticed and valued as a human being. We tend to not really see the people who help us every day; the store clerk, the bank teller, the mailman. Make an effort to look each person in the eye, and remember they all have complicated, real lives, just like you. No one deserves to be used like a machine. The people making our life more difficult every day are real people, too! The checker at the grocer who just messed up your credit card transaction is likely a single mom, wondering how on earth she can raise her kids right when she has to be away so much. Please be as gracious with her, as you would like someone to be when you mess up. You do mess up, right?

Many of us have to work with irritating people. Try getting to know a troublesome co-worker, boss, or neighbor better. They might have really good reasons behind their bad behavior. You might even be able to help! But even if somebody has no excuse at all, he's still a real person, with as much intrinsic worth as each of us. Work on your relationship with him with that in mind.

Tragically, we tend to treat the people we love the most, with the least care. Yes, we're all exhausted by the end of the day, but our relationships with our families are irreplaceable. Lavish time and love on your favorite people. Forgive their faults readily. Give yourself to them selflessly. It's not a guarantee, but it is the best way to nourish your relationships with your most precious loved ones.

Now, some reminders. Never lie. Lies are relationship killers. If you think you have to lie, you need to do some deep thinking about how you got to that place.

Second, careful with the truth, too. No gossiping. You've gossiped, and been gossiped about. You know I'm right. Just refuse to have any part of it. We're talking about real, fragile people, remember?

Finally, beware email. A misunderstood or inadvertently published email message can wreak havoc on a truly epic scale. Any sensitive issues, hurt feelings, or irritations should be dealt with in person. By phone, if absolutely necessary, but never, never by email. Trust me, you don't want to learn this the hard way. Make it an unbreakable rule for yourself.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

David Brooke, aka "The Brooker" has been a coach, speaker, and motivator for over 25 years, specializing in coaching people to be more productive and apply the "attitude of gratitude" in their lives. To access his "20 Point Survival Toolkit", a set of strategies for getting your life back on track, visit: www.thebrooker.com

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