Relationships are the basis of human existance.  Whether it be with a complete stranger, your closest friend, or an intimate lover; your daily interaction will produce action by those around you.  The question is whether or not your interaction will produce affirming action.  Here are three ways to have positive interaction:

Give: Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get.  You make a life by what you give.”  When you spend your time voluntarily giving to your relationships without expecting compensation you will always be able to see it grow.  Unfortunately, so many times we only see what we can get out of our relationships and in return see them deminish.  Think about what you can offer to a relationship without looking for anything in return.

Focus: When I was younger I had a friend, and it always felt like when we were together that he was complaining about one of his other friends.  This perplexed me.  I could not understand why, if this was one of his best friends, he always spoke so poorly of him.  So one day I asked why he was friends with this guy, and all of the sudden he didn’t have enough good things to say about him.  My point: if you think highly of someone, let it be reflected by the way you speak of them and promote their good traits. 

Attitude Makes a Difference: Eric Hoffer, an American Social Writer, once said, “The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves.  We hate others when we hate ourselves.  We tolerate others when we tolerate ourselves.  We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrafice others when we are ready to sacrafice ourselves.” The miraculous thing about this quote, besides its insight, is that each of these statements is derived from one character trait - Your Attitude.  An attitude is nothing more than an inward feeling expressed as an outward expression, and the attitude that you chose to display will be projected upon those around you. In comparison, your attitude toward others will greatly determine their attitude toward you, and 100% of the time your attitude is determined by your choice. 

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