21 Rules Every Marriage Should Follow

March 22, 2015 by Power of Positivity

There are plenty of theories on what creates happy relationships, and how to have a happier marriage. You don’t have to look far to find a plethora of quotes by scientists, authors and many others who have advised us on how to create our very own happily ever after.

We have gathered some of the best bits of advice around to help you live your happiest life together…

21 Non-Negotiable Rules Every Marriage Should Follow

1 – Marriage Means You Must Find the Good

“A happy marriage doesn’t mean you have a perfect spouse or a perfect marriage. It simply means you’ve chosen to look beyond the imperfections in both.” ~ Fawn Weaver

It is easy to overlook the little annoyances of our partner when we’re focused on the good qualities that attracted us in the first place. Stay focused on the good.

2 – Find Your Happy

“Marriage doesn’t make you happy–you make your marriage happy.” ~ Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Do something daily that makes you happy and your relationships will benefit. You can’t be happy in a relationship, if you aren’t happy with yourself.

3 – Forgive the Imperfections

“A successful marriage isn’t the union of two perfect people. It’s that of two imperfect people who have learned the value of forgiveness and grace.” ~ Darlene Schacht

Forgiving is such an important ingredient in relationships. Holding on to things that make you angry keeps you in a negative space and prevent you from being your best self.

4 – Successful Marriage Begins With You

“Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.” ~ Barnett R. Brickner

Trying to change your partner will only backfire so focus on your contribution. Tackle only what you can control.

5 – Make Your Marriage a Priority

“Marriage is not a noun; it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do. Its the way you love your partner every day.” ~ Barbara De Angelis

Stop looking at marriage as a thing and start thinking of it as part of you. Take care of it, nurture it and let it grow.

6 – Express Your Love Daily

“The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them while they’re still alive.” ~ Orlando Battista

Be open with your expressions of love.

7 – Savor the Good

“Marriage is like a fine wine, if tended properly, it just gets better with age.” ~ Unknown

Appreciating and enjoying the good in your relationship attracts more good and your relationship becomes stronger and better.

8 – Make Self-Care a Priority

“One of the greatest gifts you can give your husband is your own wholeness.” ~ Stormie Omartian

You can’t take care of your relationships if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Make it a priority.

9 – Learn from the Past and Dream of the Future

“Marriage. It’s like a cultural hand-rail. It links folks to the past and guides them to the future.” ~ Diane Frolov

Find the lessons from the past and use them to help you shape your future.

10 – Marriage Means Learning Something New Every Day

“A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love.” ~ Pearl Buck

Learn to love learning. Learning is the key to growth and evolution. And growth is the key to strong relationships.

11 – Live in the Now

“Love like there’s no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again.” ~ Max Lucado

Stay focused on what really matters and don’t let life’s distractions keep you from living in the moment.

12 – Celebrate The Best of Each Other

“In marriage, when we honor and celebrate each other, we’re freed up to be the best people we can be.” ~ Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Make every day a celebration of the good in your relationship and in each other.

13 – Be Kind and Generous

“A good marriage is a contest of generosity.” ~ Diane Sawyer

Do something special every day. A little note, a surprise cup of coffee or a simple phone call just to say hi, will go a long way to showing your partner how much you value them.

14 – Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.” ~ Chinese Proverb

Make sure your actions show your love. Often times what you do and how you do it says more than expressing your love with words.

15 – Invest Your Time

“The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.” ~ Amy Grant

Nothing takes the place of spending time on the relationships that matter most.

16 – Give a Free Pass

“Make a list of ten of your spouse’s faults, which, for the sake of your marriage, you will always overlook. You can live with those ten.” ~ J & G Murphy

There are bound to be things that annoy you about your partner. Commit to accept them and let them go.

17 – It’s The Little Things

“It’s the little things that keep us together. Those little things will make me love you forever.” ~ Sonia Schaad

It’s isn’t the grand gestures that say love, it is all the little things we do every day.

18 – Be Supportive

“Lean on each other’s strengths. Forgive each other’s weaknesses.” ~ Unknown

It is easy to be in a relationship when things are going well but it’s the tough times that strengthens the bond. Remember to be there, be supportive and ask for help when you need it.

19 – Marriage Maintenance Matters

“A relationship is like a house. When a light bulb burns out you don’t go and buy a new house, you change the lightbulb.” ~ Unknown

So make sure your relationship gets your regular care. It becomes more costly if you wait too long.

20 – Think Freely

“If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.” ~ Unknown

Fostering your creative, thinking mind will keep you happy and thriving in your relationships.

21 – Be Committed

“Marriage succeeds only as lifetime commitment with no escape clauses.” ~ Dr. James Dobson

It’s simple really, you have to be in willing to go through the valleys as much as you are willing to go through the peaks. Put yourself all in and stay in it for the long haul.

Final Thoughts on the Rules for a Happy Marriage

These 21 rules for a happy marriage are a good reminder for all relationships, not just for marriages. What rule resonates with you most?

10 Ways to Keep Negativity Out of Your Relationships

March 21, 2015 by Power of Positivity

No relationships can truly thrive with a steady stream of negativity flowing into it; it takes dedication, self-awareness, and compassion to keep it afloat. Negativity can creep in virtually unnoticed sometimes, and you may not realize the damaging effects until something drastic happens.

To keep the toxicity from infiltrating your relationships, make sure to avoid these common behaviors and habits that can really undermine relationships.

10 Ways to Keep Negativity Out of Your Relationships

1. Have open lines of communication.

Healthy relationships require honest, uninhibited communication; no relationship can last very long if the people in it keep secrets and close themselves off from having real conversations. Relationships can quickly take a turn for the worse if people start distancing themselves and don’t admit when the other person did or said something to upset them. However, you can still react rationally when confronting someone and have a mature conversation that doesn’t end in name-calling and yelling at one another.

Just remember that a healthy relationship is built on trust and effective communication, so strive to cultivate these in all of your close relationships if you want to avoid negativity.

2. Don’t pick apart the other person’s flaws.

A surefire way to start arguments and ruin a relationship is to nitpick someone’s imperfections and throw them in their face. Remember that every person will have characteristics that get under your skin, but these traits don’t form the totality of who they are. Also, keep in mind that you probably have qualities that annoy other people, but your close friends and family probably don’t make it a point to criticize you for them. They just accept you as you are, flaws and all.

If you truly don’t enjoy someone’s company, you can let the relationship go without cutting the other person down – just come clean to them and say tactfully that you think it would benefit both of you to go your separate ways.

3. Appreciate one another.

Whether it’s your coworker, spouse, friend, mom, or grandfather, let the person know you value them from time to time. Everyone needs to feel appreciated in life, because then they feel as though they have made a difference in the world. If you acknowledge someone’s positive attributes and praise them, it will encourage them to treat you in the same manner.

Positive relationships need love, attention, and a mutual respect for both people. Next time you see your friend, coworker, spouse, etc, let them know why you appreciate them and how much you truly cherish them.

4. Don’t hold onto relationship grudges.

Everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn’t mean they deserve to have them held over their head for their entire lives. Accept that humans make errors from time to time, and forgive the person for the mishap. Of course, if they tried to hurt you on purpose, you may need to address that a bit differently, but most people don’t go out of their way to cause another person distress. It was probably just an honest mistake, and no one on Earth can possibly go their whole life without slipping up at some point.

Remember that you, too, have made mistakes in the past, and you wouldn’t want others to constantly remind you of your flaws, either.

6. Leave jealousy at the door.

Everyone takes a different path in life, and others may seem to have more or accomplish more than you do. This doesn’t mean you should compare yourself to them and feel inferior just because they have achieved something you haven’t. What about that marathon you finished that your friend didn’t? What about the vacation you took a couple of years ago that your coworkers told you they dreamed of taking?

Don’t let jealousy get a chokehold on you, because it will rob you of happiness and distort your judgment. Keep in mind all of your wonderful experiences and accomplishments that others may not have under their belt – it will help keep things in perspective and make you happy for others rather than envious.

6. Don’t fall into the bad habit of complaining.

Most people use their time together as an excuse to pour all of their complaints about life onto one another, and vent their frustrations. This only leaves both people feeling drained and uninspired after the interaction, and opens the door for more negativity in the future. Instead of discussing problems, talk about solutions.

Remind each other about the beautiful things in life, and lift one another up. Good relationships become great ones when they make both people better instead of bitter.

7. Don’t compare your relationship to others.

Every relationship is unique and special; your relationship with your friend will look different than someone else’s relationship, so appreciate it for what it is. You will never have positive relationships if you always wish for something you don’t have instead of honoring the beautiful relationships you already have.

8. Don’t try to change people.

Love everyone for whoever they are at this moment rather than coercing them into changing for your own benefit. People will only change if they want to, so just focus on what you love about them instead of bashing them for their flaws. You could politely point out a way for them to improve if they confide in you about wanting to change, but don’t take it upon yourself to insist that they do so.

9. Bring kindness to the relationship.

If you show compassion for the other person, they will feel more inclined to express care and love for you. Be more of what you want to see in the world, and your relationships will flourish because you will naturally attract people with the same energy as you.

10. Laugh more.

It’s difficult to be negative if you have something to laugh about, so tell jokes or go on a fun outing with family, friends, coworkers, or your lover. Don’t let the seriousness of life get in the way of your inner child coming out to play; not only will you feel more light-hearted and free, but laughter also brings people closer together and diffuses tension.

11 Ways to Communicate Better in Your Relationship

March 20, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Everyone agrees that effective communication is an important part of any relationship. If only it were that simple.

Great conversation doesn’t equate to great communication, however. Problems happen because relationships involve people, and as people we tend to bring our emotions, past experiences, and expectations to conversations we have. However, healthier and stronger relationships are just a good conversation away.

Here are some guidelines for communicating in a way that respects your partner and honors your relationship.

11 Ways to Communicate Better in Relationships

1 – Listen

When a conversation gets heated, it’s common to get so focused on making our point that we forget to listen to the other side. When we are trying to prove our side, it’s sometimes hard to take a step back and just listen. It is important to use phrases like, “Tell me more about …” or “Help me understand…” Asking questions to help us focus on listening and encourage them to talk more, will help everyone feel respected.

2 – Timing is Everything

It is important to be respectful of people when we are selecting a time to talk. Blindsiding the other person makes it is hard to have a meaningful conversation. Instead, let them know that you want to talk later, when the timing is better.

3 – Take a Breather

If something is frustrating, it might be better to wait to approach the other person. Just because we are angry or have the need to talk, doesn’t mean we have to do it right away. Time and distance can put the issue into perspective and allow the emotion of the situation to dissipate.

4 – Pay Attention

When we communicate, there are more than just words to consider. We should be paying attention to nonverbal communication cues as well. The tone of the conversation, eye contact, the stance and how far away you are standing away from the other person are clues to what is being said beyond the words.

It’s not just the other person’s body language that we need to be aware of either, we need to be aware of our own, too.

5 – Listen For Feelings

When we listen – we connect more deeply to our needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Also, listening makes it easier for others to hear us when it’s our turn to speak.

6 – Focus on Now

If we are holding on to grudges based on past resentments, it will cloud our ability to see the now. Rather than looking backward and blaming, look at what you can do right now to solve the problem.

7 – Face to Face

Many people resort to “texting out” difficult or stressful situations, rather than talking them out with another person. While it certainly makes it easier to have a difficult conversation and helps to avoid confrontation, the only appropriate way to have an important conversation is face to face.

As mentioned earlier, it is important to get the full picture, and that includes all sorts of communication cues that only happen when you are talking in person.

8 – Forgive

Solutions are impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive. We have to be willing to let go of wanting to punish the other person. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. It simply means that we choose to let go in order to move forward.

9 – Pick Your Relationship Battles

Conflicts are hard and sometimes the energy just isn’t worth it. Ask yourself, “Is this disagreement worth my time and emotional investment?” Make the solution a priority – even over being right. Winning at all costs is not worth our relationships.

10 – Let It Go

If you can’t come to an agreement, sometimes the adage, “let’s agree to disagree” may be the right course of action. It only takes one person to keep an argument going, and that happens when we don’t let things go. If it’s going nowhere, it might be time to move on.

11 – A Relationship Is a Two-Way Street

Ask more questions, seek feedback and be receptive. It is hard to hear things that are less than flattering, but it is important to allow people to have their own, independent voice. When receiving feedback, don’t feel the need to respond immediately. In fact, it might serve us better to take the feedback and respond after taking that breather discussed earlier.

Giving people a safe environment for communication to flourish is as important as you trying to communicate effectively.

Bonus Relationship Tip: Be Respectful

Being respectful means accepting opinions that differ from our own. Even if you don’t agree with the other point of view, it is still a valid point of view and deserves attention.

By dismissing the point of view, we are dismissing the other person. Avoid the appearance of an attack by talking in a calm voice, avoiding sarcasm and gossip.

You can begin to improve your relationships beginning right now by trying the tips included here that are most comfortable to you. They work for all kinds relationships too. Put these communication best practices into action at work, home, the gym and wherever you find yourself interacting with others. When you do, your relationships will surely become stronger.

What tips can you add to the list that will help us all communicate better? Share in the discussion below! And, please be sure to join our Facebook group for more conversations.

Top 10 Techniques to Stay Positive

March 20, 2015 by Power of Positivity

If you can maintain a positive attitude with so much negativity in the world today, you have accomplished something truly remarkable. With just the push of a button or scroll of your finger, you can instantly tune in to the latest news and events happening around the world, and a lot of them paint a very bleak picture of our reality.

However, feeding into all of this heavy energy will only bring you down as well, so make sure to practice these techniques daily in order to keep your positivity alive.

Here 10 of our favorite techniques to stay positive:

1. Watch mainstream news media very infrequently.

If you have ever watched the news, you have probably noticed very quickly that the reporters portray the world as a scary, dark, volatile place devoid of any happiness or compassion. However, the news media have to report on things that supposedly happen in order to get higher ratings. In other words, they don’t report on what isn’t happening, because that wouldn’t attract any viewers. They often misconstrue or totally fabricate events to appeal to a higher agenda, so make sure you limit your exposure to the news. Instead, put on something that induces much happier vibes, like a documentary about nature or your favorite comedy.

2. Live a life that feels like a constant vacation so you don’t feel the need to escape it.

Why do we go on vacation, anyway? Maybe some do to get away from their jobs, others long to see new places, and still others want to de-stress and relax. However, all of these people have something in common: they all want a break from their normal lives. If you really think about it, wouldn’t it make more sense to just build a life you truly enjoy so you don’t feel imprisoned by the circumstances you’ve created? Live your bliss every day – this way, each day will start to feel like a vacation.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

If you feel drained or unhappy after hanging out with someone, you should question what value they add to your life. Simply put, if the people you surround yourself with don’t make you or your life better, you need to seek out a more positive group of people to hang around. Moods tend to spread contagiously when people get together, and most people would rather catch a positive attitude than a negative one. You get to choose what company you keep, so make sure to pick those who make you feel more alive, not suck the life out of you.

4. Meditate as often as you can.

One of the best ways to take a break from negativity is to just go within and sit in silence for a little while. You can do this in whatever place resonates with you and makes you feel the most peaceful. Try meditating in nature sometimes as well; the sounds of birds chirping or water crashing against rocks will ease you into a tranquil state of mind and wash away any stress you might feel.

5. Stay in the present moment.

You might call this living consciously, practicing mindfulness, or living in the now. Whatever you want to call it, just make sure you do and say everything with full awareness, and don’t rush through life always trying to get somewhere or accomplish something. Just be, and appreciate every moment you have on this beautiful planet.

6. Make some time to play.

People work longer hours than ever before, so it’s no wonder we have such high rates of depression in the world today. All animals need copious amounts of time to bond with one another and enjoy life, including humans. Make sure to clear out some of your schedules so you can let go and forget about the trivial matters in life that we tend to magnify in importance (bills, money, etc).

7. Spread love and kindness to everyone you meet.

More than anything else, people need love and kindness desperately in the modern times we live in. With so much hostility and stress in interactions today, be the person to lighten the load for others and remind them that kind people do still exist. You might even inspire them to go out and sprinkle some love and compassion around the world, too.

8. Turn off your phone, laptop, and other electronics.

We have become a society so engrossed in the digital world that we have forgotten the treasures that exist out in nature. We have become accustomed to a world constantly tuned into technology that we rarely tune out and go play outside. For at least one full hour a day, shut off your electronics and do things you really enjoy – meditate, run around outside, do yoga, exercise, bake a delicious dessert, or whatever brings joy to your heart.

9. Express gratitude daily.

A lot of us spend a considerable amount of time wishing we had more money, more freedom, more vacations, more this, and more that; we don’t usually stop to think about what we already have that brings us happiness and comfort. Whatever you do have that makes your life better, (food, water, shelter, family, sunshine, your guitar, your backyard, etc) make sure to take a second out of your day to simply say “thank you.” This will help you adopt a more positive attitude about life if you acknowledge all the things you have to be thankful for.

10. Give big bear hugs.

Not just any kind of hugs, but the ones that make others feel completely loved, comforted, and appreciated. People have become so disconnected from one another due to a number of things, like the rampant use of social media, more demanding jobs, and other life pressures. However, a hug can instantly unite two people and strengthen the bond between those who already know one another.

Start a free hugs campaign if you have to, and show people (including yourself) the amazing power that hugs have to stimulate love and happiness in a world that greatly needs it.

What valuable tips can you add to this list? Share in the discussion below!

16 Ways To Be A Better Relationship Partner

March 19, 2015 by Chris Butler

Relationships that lend value to our life are essential for our overall well-being and happiness, and being a great relationship partner is what matters most.

“You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.” ~Barbara de Angelis

When a relationship hits a rough patch, we often look at the other person and emphasize all the annoying things as if those traits are at fault. The reality is we should be looking at our behaviors because that is all we can control.

16 New Habits to Make You a Better Relationship Partner

Here are sixteen ways to become a better partner in your relationship:

1. Leave the relationship baggage behind you

We all have baggage. Whether it’s the expectations we bring with us from childhood or experiences from past relationships, baggage prevents us from realizing the true potential of our current relationships.

Everyone has felt lonely, empty, or inadequate at one time or another. No matter what we have, something always seems to be missing. The way out is to get to know the real you. Become comfortable having a relationship with yourself first, and everything else will begin to take care of itself.

2. Argue for the other side

When we get into a disagreement, it is usually because one person has one opinion, and the other has the opposite. When we argue our position, we look for evidence to support our point of view, and we keep looking until we feel we can “win.”

Imagine what would happen if you switched sides? Instead of gathering evidence to support your point of view, start gathering evidence to support the other side of the story.

It’s fair to say that both sides of any argument will have valid points, and if you wanted to, you could argue either side. As you start to make a case for the opposite side, you can usually see some validity to the opposing position. In fact, you will be amazed at how convincing you can be – so compelling that you might find yourself on a road that leads to the end of the argument altogether.

3. React less

Amid emotional situations, it is a natural reaction to overreact. It is easy to see when the other person is overreacting. However, we are not as likely to recognize our overreactions.

Our actions develop based on how we feel. And sometimes, we have big feelings which cause some significant moves. Reacting less doesn’t mean ignoring or minimizing problems, just controlling our reaction to them. The key to responding less is choosing to act based on how we want to feel, not think.

4. Stop complaining, start exclaiming

The average person complains between 15 and 30 times per day. That’s a lot of complaining, and almost everyone is guilty. Of course, eliminating the need to complain is easier said than done. First, you have to recognize and understand what you are complaining about. Once you know why you are complaining, you have two courses of action: You can accept the situation or change it.

Once you’re ready to change what you were complaining about, start exclaiming what you will do about it – and follow through. When you repeat powerful positive mantras that train your brain to create thoughts, words, and ultimately actions, you’ll quickly bring about change in the areas you were once complaining about.

5. Find favor

The Benjamin Franklin Effect assumes that we do nice things for people we like and bad things for those we dislike.

However, the psychology behind the effect says the opposite, which is that we grow to like people when we do nice things for them.

In a nutshell, asking and receiving a favor generates good feelings on both sides.

Want to eliminate negative feelings and establish good rapport? Don’t hesitate to ask them for a favor, and certainly don’t be afraid to provide one yourself.

6. Sweat your small stuff

Standard advice for relationships is to “stop sweating the small stuff.” A little sweating of the small stuff in relationships can be a good thing – when it’s your stuff you’re focusing on, instead of your partners’.

There are plenty of things your partner does that annoy you:

Leaving their laundry on the floor, not turning off their phone during dinner, or forgetting to take out the trash – every day.

Now think about all the little things you do that may annoy your partner. It’s these tiny annoyances that can build and create actual conflict in a relationship.

So instead of taking the “don’t sweat the small stuff” attitude, try sweating some of your small stuff for a while and watch the annoyances from your partner subside.

7. Sleep on it

Let’s face it. We are not getting enough sleep. When we are sleep-deprived, we overreact, make poor decisions, and have a hard time finding balance – all things that can lead to tensions in a relationship.

How many times have you overreacted when you are tired? When we are well-rested, we keep our emotions in check and think better on our feet. Sleep is one of our most underrated tools for living a happier life, so get more of it.

8. Be a good communicator

One of the most significant ways to be a better relationship partner is to grow in communication. You may think you’re a good communicator, but it may be time to learn how to be a better communicator if you do any of these three things.

Judging your partner- Assuming you know your partner’s motives, criticizing, or name-calling. These are all big no-nos to good communication.
Not paying attention-When your partner is talking to you, if you play with your phone or walk out of the room to get a cold drink, you’re showing your partner that you don’t care about what they’re telling you.
Unwanted advice-Don’t be the answer person. Hold your thoughts until your partner has finished talking.

9. Be a good listener

Listening means you listen with your eyes, ears, and body. Being a good listener says to your partner:

I am interested in what you’re saying to me
I’m not judging you
I understand how you feel
I want to know more

Four ways to improve your listening

Being a good listener will make you a good relationship partner. Little things mean a lot when you’re listening. Try to do these things, including:

Eliminate physical barriers like furniture-Stand or sit across or beside one another.
Avoid arm crossing-This shows disagreement or judgment.
Stay at eye level-If you’re in a conversation, don’t stand if your partner is sitting. Stay at eye level to show that you’re listening.
Don’t interrupt-Even if your partner says something untrue, don’t jump in to correct them. Wait until they’re finished, then speak.

10. Forgive without strings

It’s difficult to forgive your partner if they’ve hurt you. Forgiving is being willing to let go of what your partner did and seeking to bring peace. If you’re struggling to forgive, remember how many times other people have forgiven you. If you’ve been forgiven, you can forgive. An ancient text describes why forgiveness is so important.

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9 NLT)

Even if your partner seems to have moved on from the conversation, be sure to vocalize your forgiveness and let them know you love them. Be sure you offer your apologies for any contribution you made to the situation.

11. Be careful what you text

So many conversations today are via text, email, or social media. You must think carefully about how you phrase what you want to say. Ask yourself these questions

Is what I’m about to write kind? Rude?
Does this make my partner look bad?
Will this encourage or discourage my partner?
Is this true?
Why am I writing this? For attention? To get back at my partner?

The golden rule applies here, Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31 NIV) If you wouldn’t like it if your partner said what you’re saying on social media, then don’t say it about them.

12. Show gratitude

Be sure to express gratitude to your partner. Sharing gratitude improves feelings of positivity in your relationship. It makes your partner feel appreciated, which helps them feel more willing to talk about your relationship. Be sure to let your partner know these things:

How important they are to you
What you’re most grateful for in your relationship
Specific things they do that you’re thankful for

13. Be humble

Humility means you have a modest view of yourself. You’re not arrogant or prideful. You keep your ego in check and think of your partner first rather than yourself. It doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion or self-worth, but you see others’ needs as significant to you. Humility will help you be a better relationship partner.

14. Show patience

Your partner isn’t perfect. They probably do things once in a while that drive you crazy. Perhaps they’re late all the time, or they aren’t good at putting their stuff put away. Showing them patience means you mention your frustration without getting angry or judging them. You can be patient because you know other people have been patient with you.

15. Show respect

Respecting your partner is a significant way to be a better relationship partner. Respect is not ignoring your partner’s feelings, wishes, or rights in your relationship.

16. Accept your relationship partner’s friends and family

Your partner’s family and friends are an extension of who they are. To be a good relationship partner, it’s vital that you accept these people. Attempt to get to know your partner’s siblings and parents. Don’t stay home when your partner goes out with friends. Be involved with them. This communicates volumes to your partner.

Final Thoughts on Improving Your Relationship and Becoming a Better Relationship Partner

If there’s a relationship that is important to you, then use a few items on this list to help make it better. How do you make your relationships better? Add to the discussion below or post a comment on Facebook.

5 Ways to Instantly Feel More Confident

March 19, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Even people with the highest self-esteem can have moments of doubt and criticize themselves, but they usually don’t let these thoughts determine their overall view of themselves. However, highly sensitive and introverted people may have a more difficult time cultivating a confident feeling since they tend to hold other’s opinions in high regard and internalize their struggles.

No matter which group you fall into, you can use these tricks of the trade to quickly boost your confidence, even when you feel your lowest.

Here are 5 ways to look (and feel) more confident:

1. Put a smile on your face. 🙂

Even if you feel highly insecure at the moment, just notice how your mood changes by simply smiling at other people. Or, if you are alone, smile at yourself in the mirror. Smiling not only improves your mood instantly, but it also works magic in relieving stress, improving the immune system, makes you look younger and more attractive, and releases serotonin. Who knew smiling had so many benefits?

You can easily trick your brain with this powerful technique, because by smiling, you will start to feel better and even encourage others around you to smile, too. If you smile at life more, it will start providing you with even more reasons to be happy, so don’t forget to wear a smile today!

2. Hold your head up high wherever you go.

I’m sure you’ve heard to “keep your chin up” whenever you feel down about life, but this old saying actually holds water in increasing confidence levels. If you walk around with your head down and avoid making eye contact with people, you will naturally feel self-conscious and disconnected from everyone around you. To instantly increase your self-esteem, pick your head up and make eye contact with people.

Keeping your head down gives off the vibe that you want to hide yourself from others and feel uncomfortable talking to them; simply looking around at the world around you and engaging with it will help you feel more confident.

3. Visualize a more confident you in the future.

One easy way to boost self-confidence is to picture how you would look and feel by acting more assertive in situations where you normally feel out of place and uncomfortable. If you have a speech coming up in school and know that you normally stutter and turn red in front of a crowd, simply change your mode of thinking. You can alter the future by changing your thoughts now, so imagine yourself talking confidently and expressing yourself easily during your speech. The more you develop these types of thoughts in your head, the more you will see them come to life.

4. Go for a jog or bike ride.

Exercise doesn’t just benefit people physically; it also enhances the mind and spirit due to endorphins and other feel-good chemicals released every time you move your body. If you don’t like biking or jogging, do any other sort of activity that you can really get into and commit to doing on a regular basis. Once you start noticing the physical changes taking place, it will make you feel more confident in yourself because of the accomplishments you’ve made in transforming your mind, body, and soul.

Not to mention, learning new techniques and mastering the correct form in your exercise of choice will help you develop gratitude for your body’s incredible ability to adapt to new movements.

5. Get out of your head and into your heart.

If you fixate on yourself too long, you will start to create problems that probably weren’t even there in the first place. Instead of preoccupying yourself with all of your supposed shortcomings, develop compassion for yourself and realize that others probably struggle with some of the same insecurities as well. Remember that we came into this world full of nothing but love, so work on cultivating that feeling once again within yourself and learn to become your own best friend. Appreciate all of your unique personality traits, quirks, and habits, and cut yourself some slack.

Also, try to keep a fairly busy schedule so that you don’t have too much time to sit around and think; too much thinking can easily backfire if you have nothing else to occupy your time. Consider joining local classes or groups that reflect your interests, or just try something new to see how you like it. Being able to express yourself and connect with others who have similar interests will make you feel like part of a group and help you increase your confidence levels.

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