Relationships

Getting along with people is one of life’s most rewarding lessons. People bring out the best and the worst in you. They are an amazing training ground for developing those characteristics that refine the completeness of you. One of the best ways to truly stay on track with meaningful relationships is to stay on track with YOUR truth.

By this I mean, “let your yes be yes and your no mean no.” This truth is not my idea.  I learned if from Matthew 5:37, “Let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes or No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” I can not tell you how many times I have said yes when I meant no and vice versa.  I did this because I did not want to hurt other people’s feelings.

The truth is, half of the time they could have cared less, they could have dealt with my truth far better than my coddling with untruth. On top of that I could have saved myself a lot of resentment and basic negativity that did not help after all. When you engage in 100% of YOUR truth, everyone benefits. Take that in!

To complement this approach, always take a deep breath and assure that you are speaking in kindness and love. Sometimes it is best to wait in response to a request.

DO it! You do not need to speak your truth until you are ready to respond with love and in kindness.  This is one of the best ways to assure that Creating YOUR Joy will happen.

Needless to say, this process will take courage if you are not accustomed to responding in this way.  The important thing is to recognize that you are about to speak your truth because you have taken the time to get in touch with your truth. Take another breath and choose those kind loving words of truth carefully. Wait if necessary. You can do it! You have the courage to do this, it just may be hiding out somewhere for the moment.

Keep in mind that God loves you and He blesses the truth that you stand for, in love and kindness. He is backing you up with courage, safety and His own love and kindness towards you. This practice will become a habit in no time at all and the confidence of truth will reign over your joy.

In the meantime, an important relationship skill that pays bountifully is to notice when you are with people and they do something that delights you. Encourage them for their smile, their attentiveness, their process of living and speaking their truth. Share in their joy. You will soon learn that the joy of another demonstrates that you can be joyful too. You will set the example of being a joy to be with, thus fulfilling the cycle of joy.

It is truly a very simple and basic process and only requires a few changes of habit.

The way to assure success with this habit is to go out with the intention of looking for ways to recognize people for how they contribute to your life. How they help you see things in a new way. How they delight in your delights. I can attest to so many times when I have put this practice into play in the business world, and gotten so much more cooperation, support and encouragement in return.

This works especially well when the person on the other side of the communication has done something, even they are sorry for. You become such a beacon of hope and delight for their contributions, even though, as a human being, they may have missed the mark.  Try it for yourself and see.

Remember, God is a God of numerous second chances. He loves you throughout your process. Share that grace and love with as many people as you can and see what happens?  You will see how it contributes to Creating YOUR Joy.