"When you neglect to understand your relationship needs nurturing, like anything that is neglected it will slowly die"

This is exactly where the concept of "relationships" comes in! A relationship is simply a bond that we share with the people around us. makes us live in a group. We, knowingly or unknowingly, create and build bonds with others around us that benefit us physically or emotionally. These relationships make a family. A healthy relationship makes a person feel wanted, loved and gives a sense of belongingness. Healthy relationships are an asset to us and help us reach our full potential and achieve our goals. These bonds that we build are needed for us to live in a society. Life would be extremely boring, if we all lived it by ourselves, without mingling up with others, and without any interactions. In such cases, firstly, it would be very difficult to survive alone, and there would be no point of living a life alone. Therefore, our relationships with our family members, friends and others around us, add a lot of value and enable us to live a fruitful and happy life. Hence, it is extremely important for us to maintain, nurture and help grow our relationships with everyone around us. 

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1. Lend an ear and a shoulder - Being there for someone, through thick and thin, deeply impact our relationship with them and it grows deep. We should try to always listen to other, and give them our shoulder for them to rely back on. This is inverse and also come back to us in many ways! Not only during hard times, but during good times as well! 

2. Put in the extra work - Healthy relationships have to be built. They are not formed. It takes a lot of time, trust and mutual understanding to build a relationship. For it to sustain, it requires commitment, willingness, trust and mutual understanding from both the sides. The effort has to be put in from both the ends equally, without having any sort of ego and anger in them. 

3. Open Communication - It is very necessary to be able to communicate and converse clearly with everyone. It is always better to talk in person, face to face rather than to talk in text or over a call. Most of the conflicts and issues arise due to improper communication, which leads to misunderstandings. It is also advisable to spend at least half an hour with our loved ones regularly, without any interference of smart phones. It is also necessary to share your goals, your dreams, your actions, ups and downs with your partner, so there is a mutual understanding and respect for each other. 

4. Reflect and Compromise - It is important for us to reflect upon our relationship regularly, and we must remember that, for any relationship to last long, we have to appreciate the similarities and let go of the differences we have. There can be some instances where we do not like some trait of a particular person, if we wish to continue that bond, we have to compromise on that trait, let it go and focus on what is better. This is the key to make any bond deeper.  Holding grudges can destroy a relationship, so get the habit of forgiving easily. Also like anything else, maintaining a relationship requires hard work, to keep up the integrity of your bond. Always be willing to improve for your and your partners benefit. 

5. Take Responsibility - Another very important key is that, we must avoid the blame game or making excuses. Make sure that if you want your relationship to flourish then you should we willing to admit your faults and take responsibility. Sometimes its better to also forgive someone and move on. In such situations there is a need for an emotional support, and you have to make sure that you will be there available for the other person. Do not ever neglect any small conversations or anything that goes on in your relationship. Always take the responsibility to solve it clearly and patiently, in the best possible way. If needed, its better and also advisable to take help of others, only to such an extent where it does not get uncomfortable for you or them. 

Gratitude the Secret Key

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Being grateful or thankful for every little thing, is such a powerful weapon for any and all relationships. Gratitude involves simple acts of thankfulness and appreciating the effort of another person. It makes the other feel loved, supported and valued. In the realm of any relationship, Gratitude acts as a binding force that enhances connectivity and strengthens bonds. When you express gratitude towards others, it fosters a sense of appreciation and acknowledgement in relationships, be it personal or professional. It mainly enhances empathy and reduces negativity among people. It builds a foundation of trust and cooperation among people, which nurtures healthy relationships and bonds. Appreciating our colleagues and people around us, by just saying a simple 'thank you' can make the environment positive and very special for both. Gratitude can sometimes also be in the form of simple acts of kindness and positivity. Helping someone finish their work, or just cooking a good meal for your partner are also simple ways of showing gratitude, which interconnects you and your community. Simply saying short phrases to your partner like 'I'm proud of what you have been doing' can totally bring in another phase to your relationship. There should not be any bias or ego while appreciating others. My it be our mother, or the aunt who works at our place, both are equally desirable to be grateful for, in their own ways.

Thus, greeting your watchman with a smile, bringing flowers for your dad, or appreciating the efforts that people around you put in for you, can help you grow your bond much deeper and stronger and thus enhance and nurture your relationships. Sometimes, even after an argument or a fight, gratitude shown from either side of the person can change the situation and make it better! Practising gratitude daily can also make you and your thoughts and actions more positive and enable you to grow and be a better version of yourself with each passing day! 

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