Transform Your Relationships
How Small Gestures Can Change Your Life
By Marlene Wagner
We all strive for fulfillment, seeking out the satisfaction we know we can have – if only we could figure out how to attain it.
What most people don’t realize is that the surest way to find fulfillment is to stop looking so hard and instead focus on the relationships surrounding them.
The most critical contributor to funding fulfillment is having deep, meaningful relationships.
Things like healthy interactions with family or intimate friends are vital. Loving relationships make us happy, healthy, and fulfilled.
How do you go about creating those relationships and thereby gain fulfillment and satisfaction in your life?
Welcome to the world of positive engagement.
Positive engagement is a tool that will ultimately unlock our current relationships and take them to the next level.
What Goes Wrong in Relationships
When polled, people from all walks of life pinpointed several reasons why relationships fail. They include:
- Unmet expectations
- Lack of Communication
- Lack of Commitment
- Emotional distance
All these issues are at least partially due to our hectic modern world.
We assume relationships will still be viable when we get around to interacting with the other person. There is always something urgent to do.
Work and family obligations leave little time for relaxation, let alone maintaining healthy relationships.
We can’t just blame the problem on our work. Work relationships consume just about as much time and effort as our personal lives do.
Especially when attempting to grow a business, we often overlook our current loyal customers because we’re too busy trying to attract new ones.
Whether business or personal, relationships require work and effort. They need to be cultivated and tended to, or they grow stale and stagnate.
What is Positive Engagement
Positive engagement is defined as generating micro-experiences that make others feel uplifted and appreciated.
Let’s look at some examples of what we mean by this:
- A text to let a friend who’s having a hard time know you’re thinking of them.
- A handwritten note to a spouse telling them that you appreciate all they do to make your life easier.
- A pat on the back and a thank you to a work colleague who has gone the extra mile.
You can view positive engagement as random acts of kindness to people you care about, not just strangers.
The Power of Positive Engagement
Sadly, we are often less amenable to our family and friends when we are hurried or stressed.
When was the last time you sniped at a loved one in a way you’ve never considered with an acquaintance?
Developing the habit of making micro-experiences for others is a way to love them and yourself.
Deep, meaningful relationships are not just about knowing someone.
Taking the time to ensure others know you genuinely care through small, purposeful actions.
You safeguard a more fulfilling life for yourself, as well as for them.
Positive engagement impacts you, your relationships, and the other person.
People Respond in Positive Ways
If you’ve ever taken out the garbage when it wasn’t your turn, you know what I mean.
Doing something small like this when a spouse or child is having a stressful time shows them you care deeply about them.
They think more of you and the relationship when practicing random acts of kindness with your loved ones.
It makes them feel safe and secure in the relationship. They know they can count on you when they need support.
In the long run, it’s the relationships that benefit most.
Positive engagement quickly becomes the very building blocks upon which the rest of the relationship is built.
You feel better to know you made someone’s day. Interestingly enough, you also find yourself thinking more positive things about yourself.
When you participate in positive engagement, you also spread love and joy around the world, not just in your relationships.
When we feel happy, we tend to pass that feeling on to others.
We can make a positive change in the world just by strengthening our relationships through positive engagement.
When putting positive engagement into action, you’ll start to see a difference in how you interact with everyone.
You’ll start noticing more opportunities to use it.
In short, you’re training yourself to look for moments where you can bring a positive word into someone else’s life.
Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
How Positive Engagement Cultivates Fulfillment
Returning to the list of reasons why relationships fail, we see that all of them can be addressed through positive engagement.
- It lets the other person know they’re not only meeting but surpassing your expectations.
- It communicates that you care about the other person.
- It tells the one you love that you are making a conscious effort to better the relationship.
- It lets the other person know you’re thinking about them.
A relationship on firm footing will always be more fulfilling than one that is troubled.
This kind of strength is built through constant, positive interactions that are considered meaningful to both partners in the relationship.
You may be wondering if consciously making positive engagement part of your life isn’t forcing artificial energy into it.
Maybe you feel that having to think about being loving to someone isn’t being authentic.
The funny thing about being positive is that it’s never false.
When you stop to look for the good in the situation, you’re always guaranteed to find it, even though it may be challenging.
The very act of looking on the bright side tends to enhance our dispositions. It leads us to feel more positive about ourselves.
It’s like laughing or smiling. You have to try to do either without feeling it.
In a short time, you’ll find you’re able to laugh or smile without any effort at all.
That smile or soft chuckle has become genuine just by the action of creating it.
Tips for Practicing Positive Engagement
Love the idea of adding positive engagement into your life, but need some ideas? Here are some tips to get you started.
- Celebrate someone you love by declaring a random day “their day.” Let them choose whatever they’d like to do and spend the day enjoying each other.
- Announce a screen-free day. Instead of being distracted by checking email or playing a game on your phone, focus on each other. Spend the day talking and laughing together, without checking your phone.
- Check in with friends who have lost their parent on Mother’s or Father’s Day. If possible, ask them to join you in your celebration, so they aren’t sitting at home thinking of what they’ve lost.
- When you head out to get your groceries, ask a friend who’s been busy, sick, or stressed if there’s anything you can pick up for them. Even if they have everything they need, the offer will let them know they are loved.
- During bad weather, contact elderly friends and neighbors to see if they need anything. They may not reach out for help, but need staples or just company.
- Send a card to a friend or relative whom you’ve been thinking of. Inside, relate your favorite memory of the two of you together.
- Give a compliment. We often think a loved one looks nice, made a wise decision, or has improved their life in some way. But how often do we mention it?
- Tell someone about a complimentary comment you overheard someone else say about them.
- When a loved one shares a goal or a dream, encourage them to pursue it. Tell them how amazing you think they’d be at that new career. Tell them you know they’ll be able to run that marathon. Too often, we let our fear of failure diminish what we or someone else wants to do.
- Learn the names of the people at the cleaners, parking attendants, and mailroom clerks who often go unnoticed. Where would we be without them? When you see them, say hello and call them by name. It will not only make them feel appreciated but will improve the emotional culture in your office as they pass on the acknowledgement they received.
- Give a loved one or staff member the benefit of the doubt.
- Do something special for a friend or relative who has recently dealt with a loss. We gather around immediately after a death or divorce decree. Then, people often feel like their loss doesn’t matter to anyone. Take them for coffee and find out how they are doing.
The most crucial factor in living a fulfilling life is sharing it with those we love.
By practicing positive engagement in our daily lives, we can enhance our sense of fulfillment in a way that is easy and enjoyable.
Conclusion:
Bringing positive engagement in your daily life is a powerful and transformative practice.
It cultivates meaningful relationships and enriches your sense of fulfillment.
By focusing on small yet impactful gestures, you not only uplift those around you but also strengthen the bonds that make life truly rewarding.
The journey to a fulfilled life is not about grand gestures or complex strategies.
It’s about nurturing the connections you already have through consistent, genuine actions.
Whether it’s through a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, or simply being present.
Positive engagement has the potential to change the dynamics of your relationships and, in turn, your outlook on life.
It’s a simple, yet profound path to a life that’s not only fulfilling but also brimming with joy and love.
Please feel free to share my content with anyone you think would be interested in or benefit from the information.
Contact me if you or someone you know is interested in one-on-one coaching.
Until next time, starting today, make yourself a priority and begin living your best life.
But before we go, always remember to
Be true to your magnificent self,
Coach Marlene
Connect with me!! I’d love to hear from you.
https://attractloveatanyage.com/
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Email: parkavenueunlimited@midco.net
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