I strongly believe that we are all relational beings. This is why when God created us, he put us in families. We crave to be in a relationship with other people because it’s innate, it is who we are. We are wired in that way.
Relationships can be complex, if it is not properly navigated. They can make us better people than we already are or they can break us. There are a lot of strategies that can help you build stronger, deeper, and richer relationships in your life. I have listed some of them below:
- You have to be YOU! Be your authentic self.
Nobody wants to be in a relationship with someone who puts up a facade. You have to be your true self, be YOU. Also, the truth is, not everyone will like you for who you are and that’s perfectly fine. You will only attract genuine people by just being your true self because not everyone is meant to have a seat in your life.
2. Lead with value
Whenever you find yourself in a new relationship, you should give a lot more than you take. Before making any withdrawals, you should invest whatever you can. Those investments you put in will pay off big dividends down the road. Don’t be one of those people that enter into a relationship and all they ever do is just take. You should lead your relationship with value.
3. Complement one another
It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade, and so one person sharpens the character of another. Proverb 27:17
This implies that in relationships we help each other to become a better. We are not in relationship to compete with one another. No one builds strong and authentic relationships in that way. Don’t view your relationship as a competition wherein you are always looking for ways to outdo each other. Nobody wants to be around with someone who’s a competitor or always looking to outdo. In perspective, you need to know what you’ve been called to do on this planet. You need to know your purpose. If you have a friend who is a homemaker and she’s content being that, let that person be. Whatever role you play in life or whatever it is that you do, be proud of it. Run your own race, in your own lane, and run it well. But do not judge another person’s life calling. Let others walk in their purpose. That is how we build authentic relationships with other people. Build relationships to encourage and inspire instead of competing.
4. You have to level-up
There were people I admired because they had relationships that spanned decades. They also had great qualities and character traits that I greatly admired. I kept wondering why I was not able to attract those kinds of people/friends into my life. It hit me one day that I had to level up (work on me/improve on me) because we attract who we become. If you want high-level relationships, you have to level-up and become a high-level individual.
5. Nurture Your Relationships:
In order for a relationship to grow and flourish, it has to be nurtured. You cannot have your relationships on cruise control and expect them to grow and flourish. Here is a great analogy: relationships are like houseplants; you have to nurture them if you want them to grow. We need to take good care of our relationships. You should always make time out of your busy schedule to do activities that would help you to strengthen your relationship bonds. This is how you develop deep connections and grow authentic relationships.
Incorporate these strategies into your relationships, and you will be well on your way to developing authentic relationships that are genuine, built on the right foundation and span decades.