This is the first in a two part series dedicated to building and strengthening the love in your life. A lot of us are very stuck in our ways and we can find it difficult to change or adapt, which can lead to us alienating those around us through no direct fault of our own. Considering how far communication technology has advanced in the last decade alone it’s amazing how lonely a lot of us have become. It can be hard to find the time and energy to do something truly for you as often as you’d like and when you finally do it can be a bit of a shock to the system!
1. Be you
You can’t expect people to love and trust you if the person they meet isn’t truly you. Be yourself and you’ll find that the people who matter stick around and the people you’d never have befriended ordinarily anyway, tend to fade away. If your friends really know you then they’ll be far more likely to want to be there for you and spend time with you.
Don’t use this as an excuse to be rude though. Being truthful doesn’t mean insulting people and telling them whatever you think is wrong with them. Just as nothing gives them the right to perpetually judge you, nothing gives you the right to do the same to them. If they do something which irritates or upsets you then be blunt and honest but whatever you do, do not be aggressive or in any way condescending!
2. Love you
There’s an old saying, ‘no one can truly love you until you love yourself first’. I think this is exactly the case. How can you trust the love of someone else if you can’t see your own worth? Everyone is their own worst critic and it can be easier to see the faults in ourselves than in others.
When you do something wrong, think about how you’d deal with a friend who did the same thing. Treat yourself like that and you’ll find yourself much less critical of your actions and more compassionate towards yourself. Remember we’re all human and not one of us is perfect, all we can do is the best we can do!
3. Beyond you
You’ve known your friends for a long time so it may be tempting to just assume you know what they’re going to say. Try not to complete their sentences, even in your head and do your best to keep an open mind until they’ve finished speaking. You’ll be surprised with how appreciated this is by others and also you may be pleasantly surprised to learn something new along the way!
Comments are closed.