Arina's Self Help Blog
Subscribe

Posts Tagged ‘ relationships ’

The Little Guide to Bringing the Best Out in People

heart in hands 300x204 The Little Guide to Bringing the Best Out in PeopleEvery person has their unique, natural, God-given talents, positive traits of character and desire to contribute to the world in some way. Sometimes this inner goodness is temporary overshadowed by fears, harsh words and painful past experiences.

But it does not mean we should not try to see past people’s actions and limiting beliefs and try to bring out the best in every person we see.

I know, it is not your job, nor your duty to bring the best out in people, but take it from me it is a lot nicer to live in a world of bright, kind-hearted and compassionate people than deal with “ungrateful family members”, “hard-headed clients” and “slack co-workers”.

In fact, learning to bring out the best in other people is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself. True, it might not always be easy. It might not always be appreciated. It might not even work in some cases, but it does not mean we should stop trying.

Here is a little guide on how to do it:

1. Do not take negativity personally.

“Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.” – Rene Descartes

Can you think of a time when you were bubbling with joy and love for the whole world? You wanted to share it with everyone you met, right? Well, when people are overcome by negative feelings, they unintentionally share them with the world as well.

(more…)

What Are The Qualifiers That Make Love “True”?

holding hands 300x210 What Are The Qualifiers That Make Love “True”?Today many of us are probably busy planning romantic dinners, choosing gifts for our beloved ones and writing St. Valentine’s Day cards.

No matter what we do, our thoughts turn to love and romance. I am not an exception.
That is why today I want to talk to you about true love, expressed without condition and expectations, love that we long for and hope to find.

Sometimes when we fall in love, we think “This is the person of my dreams”, but as the years go by, we realize that what we felt had nothing to do with love. It was something else all together. And at other times love comes softly. It starts with sympathy, with mutual respect, with desire to share each other’s company. And slowly these feelings flourish into life-long love.

So what is true love? And is there a difference between that and the heart-pounding adrenaline rush we feel when you see a handsome guy working out in the gym or when you meet a cute girl who makes eye contact as she passes by?

Does it have anything to do with a feeling of “floating on clouds” like Hollywood movies often show? Is love an emotion at all? Certainly love is accompanied by strong feelings, but they cannot be our only criteria for love. A relationship simply would not last long on emotions, would it?

What does your experience tell you?

Are there any qualifiers that make love “true”?

How do we really know if it is real love we feel?

(more…)

10 Most Important Relationship Laws

We all crave being loved, cared for, appreciated and understood. 99% of what we do, think, say, fear, and desire can be, one way or another, linked back to our need for affiliation and approval. And this is not surprising, because without close satisfying relationships our life becomes lonely, boring and meaningless. Relationships, on the other hand, make it exciting, meaningful and fulfilling. But also frustrating. Especially when people refuse to act according to our wishes or expectations.
When it happens, we have two options:
1) Try to change other people and convince them to do the “right thing” ( usually we have an explanation ready of what the right thing is)
2) Change the way we relate to others and learn why we sometimes face difficulties when it comes to creating and sustaining relationships with others.
Here are the 10 Most Important Relationships Laws:
1. THE LAW OF SIMILARITY. Like attracts like. We do not attract people that we want to attract into our life. We attract people who are similar to us, because we resonate with them. There are no accidental encounters. Just after effects of our past thoughts, expectations and actions.
2. THE LAW OF BRICK WALL. Precautions that we take to avoid getting hurt include not letting any emotions get too close to our heart, but this also turns you into a prisoner keeping you safely tucked behind the walls.  “Playing it safe” is a sure way to avoid a broken heart, but it is also a sure way of leaving happiness outside your life.
3. THE LAW OF INACTION. Nothing will change in your life until you take a step to make it happen. Any satisfying long-lasting relationship requires patience and sustained effort.
4. THE LAW OF HALFWAY. It takes two people to make a relationship work. You can meet another person halfway, but you can not walk the whole way for them. Your zone of control ends where another person’s feelings and goals begin. If the other person is not moving towards you, your efforts will be wasted.
5. THE LAW OF MIRROR. People that we dislike serve as our mirrors. They are reflections of our own negative qualities. This is why we react so strongly to them. The traits of character that aggravate us most about others are the same ones we deny in ourselves. The best way to change other people’s behavior is to improve your own character. Then there will not be any need to send so many “mirrors” your way.
6. THE LAW OF YING YANG.  The transition from one opposite to another is what creates balance and diversity in life. One opposite cannot exist without the other. Happiness alternates with sadness, laughter with tears, success with failure, gain with loss. Everything has its beginning and end. When you face a dark phase in your life, know that it will not last forever. This is the circle of life. Very often in order to understand something and appreciate it you have to see the other side of the coin as well.
7. THE LAW OF YOUR OWN WORTH. Other people almost always perceive us the way we perceive ourselves. To be loved and appreciated by others we must first accept and appreciate ourselves. If you are trying to make everyone else like you, you risk losing your true self in the process. You should always strive to be your best self, but never to please others by changing who you really are.
8. THE LAW OF HARMONY. We are all looking for harmony in everything: in the outside world and inside our heart. When you achieve inner harmony, you automatically create harmonious relationships with the outside world. Harmony does not mean the absence of challenges or conflicts that can lead to personal growth. It means that your mind, your feelings and your actions are in line with your life purpose and your most important goals.
9. THE LAW OF COMPLETION. Very often we are looking for relationships that can give us more of what we want, be it material stability, knowledge, or love. We are looking for people and goals that will make us feel complete by providing us with something that we lack. By doing this we are giving the control of our happiness and well-being into the hands of others and we lose our independence. A sense of completion should come from within, and should not depend on others.
10. THE LAW OF RESONSIBILITY. Our reality is just a reflection of you inner thoughts. What does not exist in your consciousness will never happen in reality. Blaming other for your misfortunes is just like trying to stop a truck approaching you at a full speed by cursing the driver. Until YOU jump aside the situation is not going to change. If you want to improve relationships with other people without conflict, manipulation and threats, start by changing your perspective. Making you happy is not anyone else’s responsibility, duty or moral obligation, only your own!

happy couple relationships 227x300 10 Most Important Relationship LawsWe all crave being loved, cared for, appreciated and understood. 99% of what we do, think, say, fear, and desire can be, one way or another, linked back to our need for affiliation and approval. And this is not surprising, because without close satisfying relationships our life becomes lonely, boring and meaningless. Relationships, on the other hand, make it exciting, meaningful and fulfilling. But also frustrating. Especially when people refuse to act according to our wishes or expectations.

When it happens, we have two options:

1) Try to change other people and convince them to do the “right thing” ( usually we have an explanation ready of what the right thing is)

2) Change the way we relate to others and learn why we sometimes face difficulties when it comes to creating and sustaining relationships with others.

Here are the 10 Most Important Relationships Laws:

1. THE LAW OF SIMILARITY. Like attracts like. We do not attract people that we want to attract into our life. We attract people who are similar to us, because we resonate with them. There are no accidental encounters. Just after effects of our past thoughts, expectations and actions.

2. THE LAW OF BRICK WALL. Precautions that we take to avoid getting hurt include not letting any emotions get too close to our heart, but this also turns you into a prisoner keeping you safely tucked behind the walls.  “Playing it safe” is a sure way to avoid a broken heart, but it is also a sure way of leaving happiness outside your life.

3. THE LAW OF INACTION. Nothing will change in your life until you take a step to make it happen. Any satisfying long-lasting relationship requires patience and sustained effort.

(more…)