Written by: Lynette Hanover
With the spring season saying hello with lighter brighter days and warmer temperatures many people start their plans of spring cleaning their homes. Perhaps at the top of the list is cleaning out the garage, purging from closets, or doing a deep clean from the ceiling fans to the baseboards. Somehow moods are elevated, people seem to smile more, and there is a shift into what’s new and possible.
With the budding of a new season, also comes a perfect time to do some relationship spring cleaning. This can be one of the most refreshing and beneficial things that you can do for yourself in your life. Keep in mind that all healthy relationships are about balance. They are not what is best for one person, it about creating harmony for everyone involved.
Define your values.
Take some time to reflect upon what is most important to you in relationships. What do you value? The best first step is to spend quite time reflecting upon your primary values and write them out. From your list choose between 1 to 5 of them that are the most important to you, the ones that you can’t do without.
Assess your relationships
Think about the relationships that are most important to you such as your closest friends, romantic partner, family members, colleagues, and those in your community groups. From your top 1-5 values where are you bringing these to your relationships? If they are missing what can you do to start including them today? Notice too where you are not receiving your core values.
Have conversations
There have been too many precious relationships that have been lost because people are not willing to communicate. Generally people who are not having their needs met either leave a relationship or sacrifice themselves to maintain it. It might not seem easy to have a conversation about what’s important to you, yet it is essential to help nurture a positive relationship. It is equally important to listen to and honor the needs of the person you are in a relationship with. Give the relationship time to adjust to the values that you both have agreed to, and maintain open dialogue. All healthy relationships are in harmony and balance.
Be willing to let go
If there are relationships that are not in harmony with your values even though you have both given it your best be willing to say good-bye. This might not be easy, yet it is one of the most loving things that you can do both for yourself as well as for the other person. It is important to not just walk away, take the time to say good-bye with dignity. What if the person is a family member or someone you are unable to stop seeing? Set healthy boundaries by letting that person know what your needs are. When you cleanse toxic unhealthy relationships from your life an opening occurs for more peace, harmony, and joy. It also opens up opportunities for healthy positive relationships to come in.
Taking action for the best in your relationships will have a positive ripple effect in all areas of your life. Start today, follow through, and you will start seeing positive life-affirming results.
© 2014 Lynette Hanover, Life of Happiness
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Lynette Hanover has lead life-affirming workshops in Chicago since 2013, and is available to assist local groups, organizations, and individuals embrace joy in living through a customized approach. Coaching appointments are available to help clients focus on achieving what is most important in life through self-love, respect, and appreciation. For inquiries, Lynette can be reached at lynette@lifeofhappiness.com. Web site: www.lifeofhappiness.com