Improve Relationships with Compassion: Top Ten Tips

  1. If you want to improve relationships, find peace, happiness and joy, you are on the right track by reading this brief article. It's much easier than it sounds! The first step is changing your thinking habits. Seeing others in a more positive light will work wonders! As soon as you catch yourself rushing to criticize or condemn, step back and suspend judgement. Analyze the situation more deeply. Look for the positive side. Let go of anger, which leads to harmful thinking, and figure out a way to express compassion. You'll be reaping the rewards right away. 
  2. Control your emotions! Take time to understand, rather than giving in to a knee-jerk-reaction. Just try and see, without allowing emotion to cloud logic, the other person's point of view, or another way of thinking about the situation. You will be on the right path to improve relationships. All relationships.
  3. See the problem relationships in your life in a positive light. Adopt a different approach to people you tend to avoid, dismiss or dislike. They're people too. Give them a chance. Actively look for the good in others, and allow yourself to find their hidden beauty. Focus on it, not their weaknesses!
  4. Ask yourself what person(s) in your life would benefit from your complete and unbiased understanding or sympathetic attention. Yeah! And consider how you might communicate it to them. Give more compassion and be more understanding. Watch your relationships soar. 
  5. Try to find opportunities to make a difference in someone's life, no matter how small. Being a good role model is better than telling someone what to do. Remember, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That's real compassion!
  6. Be creative in supporting others more and helping them to overcome their difficult problems or circumstances. Have fun thinking of ways to help. Be more childlike in trusting your imagination for inspiration. Instill hope. Instead of criticizing or condemning, jump in and help. 
  7.  Walk a mile in others' shoes. This old adage really works. If you want to improve relationships, just take the time to stop and put on someone else's shoes . . . to walk around in their life, you will feel what they feel. Compassion will follow.
  8. Ask your Higher Power to help you to become less egocentric and more concerned about the lives of others. It's all about serving others. That's the key to the kingdom, and to improving your relationships.
  9. When others judge harshly and withdraw their support of someone, give your understanding and acceptance. Be supportive. Don't give up on someone who desperately needs you. Be empathetic! 
  10. In prayer or meditation, open yourself to a more compassionate way of interacting with people, and seek inner guidance on how you can improve your heart and your behavior. Put others first. Cease criticizing. And practice forgiveness, humility and good-will.

How to Improve Relationships: Real Life Suggestions

Let compassion be your calling card.

Do you know an elderly person who recently lost a mate? What can you do to bring a smile to his/her face? Bake cookies? Give a surprise birthday party? Make a pot of coffee and spend some time together?

Improving relationships that you have also improves the relationships of others. Show kindness and love, and they will do the same. 

Do you know a family whose house burned down? Do something to help. Call them and offer your support. Act on your compassion and make a difference. 

Share some of your extra possessions with them. Most of us have too many ... and they are itching to be given away.

Is someone in your apartment building ill? Why not offer to go to the pharmacy for them or take them a homemade meal? 

Compassion brings new power to networking. If you know a colleague who is down and out, offer your compassion. Your good deed will come back to you in many ways.

Is someone in your life miserable because of the poor choices he/she keeps making? Try a compassionate approach. Instead of lecturing or saying "I told you so," offer your kindness and sympathy. Offer a prayer for better times to come.

How to Improve Relationships: To Sum Up

You are far more likely to improve relationships and help others if you offer an expression of compassion, instead of a plethora of critical remarks, subtle criticisms or complaints.

They will feel more empowered and be more likely to return your good will. Live with and act on your compassion, and you'll make your community, and the world, a better place.

Become an ambassador of compassion, and your relationships will soar! And you will cause beautiful flowers to grow in many, many gardens.

For more information on improving your relationships, go here.