Strengthen Your Relationships with Kindness, Support, Compliments and Respect

Taking a relationship from so-so to a strong bond is four steps away. Kindness, support, compliments, and respect are the cornerstones to a solid foundation of friendship and more. Routinely placing a focus on these cornerstones is a simple way to build long-lasting bonds. These four elements of a great relationship work seamlessly together - let’s take a look:

Kindness- We live in a world where people are on the go and short of time and patience. Being kind is a lost art. Choosing kindness when it would be simple to be curt makes a big impact for truly little effort.

• Here’s some ways to infuse kindness into your relationships:

• Bringing your friend or spouse a cookie or latte for no reason

• Picking up someone’s favorite magazine or send them a gift subscription

• Send a card in the mail

• Text a funny gif or meme to share your fun side

• Make dinner or dessert for someone going through a life change

Support- Support is more than saying “if there is anything you need…” Support is taking specific action to make an impact of difference. Support walks in when others walk out. Support invests when others withdraw. Support leans in when other push back.

• Here’s some supportive ways to strengthen your relationships:

• Be willing to go out of your way when crisis hits

• When someone is in chaos, be a calming force

• Offer support instead of waiting to be asked

• Practice being an excellent listener

• Be honest even when it’s hard

Compliments- Believe it or not, being complimentary isn’t natural for everyone. Giving and receiving compliments can feel contrived and too fluffy for some people. Get over it! Compliments are a high-value way to strengthen a relationship. Even if they seem overrated to you, they make a big impact in a very meaningful way.

Here’s a primer on giving a good compliment:

• Compliment what you notice- “Your shirt is a great color for your skin!”

• Be sincere

• Focus on small details- “I noticed the way you smiled at that older lady; that was kind of you”

• Look people in the eye when you compliment them

• Compliment what you truly admire requires admiration, holding one’s tongue now and then, having safe boundaries, and thinking of others more than yourself.

Respect - is expressed through seeing others as your equal and deserving of your kindness, support, and occasional compliment.

• Here are some key concepts about respect:

• Respect withholds judgement

• Respect honours differences

• Respect sees beyond the obvious

• Respect asks for and offers forgiveness

• Respect gives space and accepts boundaries Taking relationships from so-so to solid is easy when you build your foundation with the cornerstones of kindness, support, compliments, and respect. Focus on these elements, and the rest will fall into place nicely.