5 Ways to Build Better Relationships

November 25, 2014

My inspiration for writing my new book, In the Lotus of the Heart, came from my students.

In my role as a Vedanta teacher, I travel all over the world and my students come from a number of different countries and cultures. But as

I write in the book, regardless of their background, people everywhere find relationships both rewarding and challenging—and almost everyone wants to find ways of creating better relationships.

Now that I’ve written an entire book on relationships, people continue to ask me questions. Particularly, they want to know how they can build better relationships and a lot of the questions center around relating to a “difficult” person. Here are a few strategies that I’ve found useful.

1. Acknowledge yourself and what you feel and think—with warmth and compassion. Now bring to mind the person with whom you are interacting. Set a firm intention to listen openly to the person, even if you disagree with what he or she says.

2. Examine your motivations in this relationship. If they are merely selfish, chances are you are missing out, both in the short and long term. The best relationships are where we honor and recognize others for who they are and what they bring—even to just the moment of interaction.

3. Before an important conversation, take a few seconds or minutes to close your eyes and set an intention to interact in a way that supports the mutual highest good and benefit. Notice what you feel. Be aware of any negative feelings you have about the other person and try to release them, in the interest of what needs to be accomplished. This can change outcomes substantially—and it can shift the whole tone of the relationship.

4. Make eye contact with the other person. People value those who are genuine and can listen to their story. A visual connection helps sustain genuine interest and attention.

5. Bring laughter and humor into your communication. Steer the interaction to a place of lightness and notice how that relaxes your communication and actually promotes more dynamic and sustainable outcomes.

In the next couple of blogs, I will discuss these strategies in a bit more detail to give you a fuller picture of how they work to strengthen connections and improve relationships with others.

Visit the website to know more or buy my new Book ‘InThe Lotus of The Heart.’ http://www.inthelotusoftheheart.com


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