Your Relationships

Who do you have a relationship with?

What are the aspects of your relationships that you enjoy? Some people value companionship while others consider independence as the key to lasting involvement. One thing is certain. All relationship require effort to keep them vibrant, especially when you interact with someone regularly.

Here are two of the key ingredients of good relationships.

• Taking 100% responsibility. This means not only doing what you say you will do but also not dong what you say you won't do. One sticking point many women have is to not take on what the other person is responsible for. For example, if your husband is responsible for walking the dog but he always forgets to do it or puts it off too long, if you walk the dog (or clean up the mess) you will end up resenting him or at least expecting him to be grateful. It's best to renegotiate the deal if one person consistently misses the mark.
   
• Honest communication. Telling the truth is sometimes a hard thing to do, especially when you do it with utmost respect for the other person's feelings. For example, if a friend asks you to do something you don't want to do, you can make an excuse the friend will accept such as being too busy. But a better relationship builder would be to tell the friend why you don't want to do whatever is requested, such as saying, "You know, I really don't enjoy shopping very much, maybe we should plan to get together for a picnic."