Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/rowald5/public_html/wp-includes/post-template.php on line 284

Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/rowald5/public_html/wp-includes/post-template.php on line 284

Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/rowald5/public_html/wp-includes/post-template.php on line 284

Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/rowald5/public_html/wp-includes/post-template.php on line 284

“Darlin’ If You Want Me to Be Closer to You, Get Closer to Me”

On by

Makes sense, doesn’t it? But too often we do just the opposite. In our efforts to get closer we get frustrated when things don’t go our way, and then we quit. Getting closer to one another, whether it’s personal, family or business, takes work.

Here are a couple suggestions to help you get closer:

  1. Listen. Listen with an attitude of “eager want” and actually care about what the other person needs. This isn’t a “sometimes” thing (i.e. when you want something from the other person); it’s an “all the time” thing.
  2. Using the knowledge you gain from listening to the other person, try to pick out things that the two of you have in common. Reinforce these common bonds often.
  3. Be there for the other person when they need you, and take time to demonstrate how much you care about them. One of the people who I have always known I could count on to be there for me is my older sister Margaret. I expanded on this in a previous Weekend Words: http://rowaldron.com/2011/06/10/weekend-words-if-you-had-one-call-to-make/
  4. Tell the other person why he/she is important to you. This seems like an obvious step, but if you took a look at your relationships I bet you would be surprised how rarely you do this. We tend to think it is implied, especially in the close relationships that we take for granted, like with our spouses or family members. Explain the difference this person makes in your life.
  5. Last and most importantly, don’t quit. There will be setbacks, both big and small, in any relationship. If you work together to get through these setbacks, you’ll find the relationship will grow even stronger. Here’s an important truth: often the best opportunities for getting closer to another person come when your relationship with that person is struggling.

They say we generally like 80% of things about the people we are in relationships with and dislike the other 20%. I think focusing on the 80% of things that we do like about the other person will go a long way towards getting us closer to them.

Have a great weekend,

Ro

 

*The lyrics in today’s title come from the song “Get Closer” by Seals and Crofts. Listen to this great song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1n8d6aJDLY

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: