[OfficeArrow]

When you think of holidays in February, you probably think immediately of Valentine's Day. What you may not know is that February is Relationship Wellness month. Tell us what you're doing to create good relationships in your life and you may win a fabulous treat for you and a friend.

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[bparnell]

I am a great listener. People want someone to listen to them, hear what is happening in their lives and sometimes they may ask for your input. My friends and family just automatically come to me and ask for my input because more than my input I lend them my ear. Most times they can work it out themselves after having bounced information off me. People want to feel someone cares and when you don't make the conversation all about you but about the other person, you will never have a problem with making friends and influencing people.
Brenda Parnell

[barbarasherwood]

I have a wonderful friend who is always taking care of others. During the last year, she separated from her husband of ten years and her father passed away. She has been concentrating on being a good mother to her son and caring for her mother during her bereavement. I wanted her to know that she was special and loved so for Valentine's Day, I surprised her by sending her flowers and candy. I didn't want her to feel left out as the rest of the world celebrated love. The card simply read: YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND!!! Everyone needs to feel appreciated and loved. I try to go out of my way to make sure that my co-workers know I appreciate their assistance and my friends and family know that I love and care about them. I routinely try to do something special for some else at least once a week. It could be something as simple as a phone call or email; but I have discovered that not only did it warm the heart of another person, it made me feel good too!!

[rmills]

I am striving to better my personal and working relationships by starting from my inside and working toward my outside. I recently attended a seminar that stressed relationship improvement begins with the individual and that in order to figure out why others act (or re-act) the way they do each individual should first look within to see why they act (or re-act) the way they do. Not an easy job by any means however, by becoming more self-aware of the reasons why I do or don't do certain things, or why I react to things the way I do, I feel I will better be able to help others. Share my experiences and knowledge-Believe in myself and the ability of others-Inspire those around me...those are my goals.

[Tula]

"Love thy neighbor as thyself." Every relationship in my life whether it be professional or personal, is based on this command. No one has ever disproven this axiom. Even if people do not respond to you in a positive manner (customer service & teenagers), they cannot help knowing that you treated them with love, understanding and respect. And isnt' that what matters most, that your name or your face is synomous with kindness and respect? You reap what you sow and I only want good things returned to me. So I just keep smiling.

[lizadragonfly]

I have recently filed for Divorce, and in doing so realized that I had allowed some of the other important relationships in my life to sit on the side lines at times. I commited to myself that I would ammend this proactively by learning something new about each person who is important to me every week. I ask simple questions like about life experience, preferences, opinions, etc., and have found that this effort is received as the genuine interest that it is. I have been in closer and more consistent contact with my friends, coworkers, and loved ones as a result.

[Bspandrio]

In our current era, everybody not only wants -- but expects -- to be heard. In fact, people are literally screaming to be heard if you watch any of the latest reality and/or cable news shows! I'm no exception, but I have learned that the best way to build client and personal relationships is to let the other person be right. It is so easy to let my own ego reign, but when I do "win" my point, what does it matter if I've lost a customer or a friend? When a client calls with a complaint, we make sure that person feels heard and that we are willing to address the issue. EVEN IF WE KNOW THAT PERSON IS TOTALLY WRONG! We document everything in writing on our end and almost always have the means to "prove" that the screw-up is on their end, but again, to what end?

It's the same in our personal relationships. The quickest way to shut down communication is to correct the other person's version of a story or to redo a task because they didn't do it MY way. More compliments, less correction!

Of course, I DO want to win this contest, so I hope I'M right!

[Phyllis]

I'm stopping to say "thank you" and saying what the thanks is for. If someone has done something to make my life easier, I thank them for whatever it was they did. If they took my bad news with a good attitude, I thank them for understanding. If I've been the jerk, I thank them for putting up with me, then I also contact their supervisor and tell them what a good job their employee did with putting up with a jerk. If my husband took out the recycling, I thank him for putting out the recycling.

We all say "thanks" to people, but it has become automatic, such as "have a nice day." I believe that when I specify what I am thanking a person for, then that person will truly know that I am thankful.

[ewhit]

In listening and getting to know my co-workers, neighbors, friends, etc. I try to pick up on the little things that they say they like. From there I just drop a card, note or some of their favorite candy by for them so they know that I am thinking about them. I also enjoy baking. When I share one type of goodie it usually prompts conversations about other favorites. The next time I bake something, I try to make something that was mentioned. And finally, sometimes people just need to laugh. I often share silly things that I have done, seen or heard that I know someone needs to hear. I have found that it really doesn't take a lot of money or time to let someone know that you care and are thinking about them. Being thoughtful really goes a long way.