Developing Better Personal Relationships

Part of personal development is improving the important relationships in your life. Most of us have at least one relationship that could use a little improvement, whether it's a bickering mother-in-law or a disagreement over a family inheritance. It is hard to improve your life when obstacles such as family feuds or grudges are standing in the way! Here, you will learn how to improve the dynamics of your relationships as you take positive steps to right the wrongs.

Make a commitment to work on a better relationship. Don't let past problems and upsets set the stage for a lifetime of hard feelings. Life is short, and it's foolish to waste time on resentment and anger. And, keep in mind, these feelings often don't affect the friend or loved one you are upset with as much as they affect you. You can suffer the effects of bad relationships in the form of stress, anxiety and even health issues, such as hypertension. Commit to make the change, and you will begin to see improvements in your relationships as well as your own well-being.

Don't let other's actions get you down. You may be angry at a relative over the way they live or how they raise their kids, but resist the power your feelings have over you and let it go. Realize that you can't change those who don't want to change, and learn to love the good things about them instead.

Be honest with the important people in your life. Instead of harboring bad feelings or anger, be upfront and ask the person what you can do to improve the relationship. You will be surprised at how taking the first step toward mending a friendship or family relationship will encourage the other person to work with you, and you will both feel better!

Forgiveness is crucial to repairing strained relationships. The person that has wronged you may not realize what they have done, or may not want to forgive you. But, forgiving someone whether they know it or not will give you peace, motivating you to work at bringing that peace into the relationship.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is impossible to get along with, you may be tempted to try and change their behavior. But, instead of helping the situation, your best efforts to change them may only fuel the fire, causing them to be even more difficult. You must realize that people can only change themselves, and only when they want to. So, instead of agonizing over the behavior, try to change your own reactions. Instead of yelling or throwing things, just walk away from an argument. Likewise, if you are tempted to criticize someone, change your criticism into a positive comment and you will soon learn how to react positively to a bad situation.

Have you ever dreaded a visit from a vindictive in-law or rude grandmother? It can really ruin your day! A positive way to deal with this is to make your best effort to get along. Give compliments when you can, and ignore negative comments. And to reward yourself for taking the high road, plan a fun activity to enjoy after the visit. Dinner out with your family or a movie with a friend will improve your outlook and you can be proud that you didn't let anyone stress you out!

Dealing with challenging relationships can be difficult and emotionally grueling. But, as you can see, there are ways to turn a bad situation into a positive experience. Learning to love the difficult people in your life will give you peace and a more positive outlook on life!