Building positive relationships.

Pleasant greetings to you all.

Who doesn't want to be loved or who doesn't want to be cared for?....only an alien maybe

We all desire to be loved and cared for because it is our innate nature to crave such. That is why we don't just fall from the sky or come from a "baby factory", hehe. We came into this world through people and when our little eyes pop open, we are introduced to many people as well. These people we later learn to call our family.

Right from the cradle, the little child is nutured with love and care and even to the grave, that child, now grown, is still nutured with love and care. Whether we like to believe this or not we all need people. We form bonds with several people over time who come to mean the world to us and this is simply what relationship stands for.

Relationships need nuturing just like a plant in a garden. As plants need sunlight, water, fertile soil, space and air to thrive, same is needed to build positive relationships that will last a lifetime.

The benefits of building a positive relationship cannot be overemphasized, in fact they are limitless. So many people who are alive today have benefitted in one form or the other from a positive relationship either formed by their ancestors or themselves.

But what is a positive relationship? It is a relationship formed based on genuine love, care, trust, honesty, respect, support, accountability and open communication. A relationship where there is no guile or bias and no manipulation whatsoever.

The word love has been abused, no doubt by so many. Some twist the meaning of love for their benefit, disregarding the feelings of the other. Love is more than just a warm, fuzzy inward feeling and it also exceeds a feeling of deep affection towards a person. Love is sacrifice.

Love wants the best for the other person irrespective of its own state. Love is not envious or jealous and love does not stay angry forever.

The Greeks have explained that there are eight types of love, the most powerful of them being agape love. This is the kind of love that sacrifices all without expecting nothing in return. This kind of genuine love forms the foundation for a positive relationship.

With love comes care, both are inseparable as the one who lobes tend to look after the ones they love. Open communication is the ability to convey thoughts and express one's feeling through words, knowing that you will be heard and not shunned. Communication is the bridge that keeps any relationship together. Without communication, doubt might creep in to ruin a relationship.

Another key ingredient in building a positive relationship is trust. No relationship can thrive without trust. I usually liken trust to the pillars of a house. Just as those pillars support the weight of the house and prevent it from collapsing, so also every relationship needs trust or it would crumble like a pack of cards.

Mutual respect plus the ability to respect boundaries is another building factor. No one wants to be with people who disrespects them or puts them down in any way. Respect for those you care about will help them flourish abd bring out the best in them.

No lies should be entertained in any relationship as it is like a deadly poison that can snuff out the life of a thriving relationship. Be honest, be accountable and responsible for your actions as you put the people you care for in front view.

These and many more help to nurture positive relationships.

Thank you all for reading. This is my response to the day 1 #Mayinleo initiative.