How to Create Trust in a Relationship
A relationship is any type of connection between two people that share a commonality. Whether it is a romantic, friendly, work-related, parent-child, sibling or any other type of relationship, having mutual trust is one of the most important elements in maintaining a strong bond. Trust in a relationship leads to feelings of connectedness and safety. It is not automatically given to you---you must work at it and earn it. Trust is built on each person understanding the other, being honest and making a sincere effort to keep the relationship strong.
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Instructions
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Do what you say you are going to do. By matching your actions to your words, you will create more trust in a relationship. If you are all talk and no action, the other person will begin to lose faith in you and not believe you when you say you are going to do something. Your words must coincide with your actions.
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Keep the other person informed. Open communication builds trust. Let him know how you feel and what you are thinking. Making the other person guess what you want does not create trust---it creates confusion, false assumptions and misunderstandings. Be open with each other and include one another in your plans and decision-making.
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Look at your own behavior before pointing a finger at the other person. Evaluate your trustworthiness by exploring your behaviors and actions. Be honest and ask yourself if you would be OK having done to you what you are doing to the other.
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Stop keeping score and live in the present. When you keep tallies of what the other did in the past that upset you, you will never be able to move forward and have a trusting and healthy relationship. Trust is earned, and it works both ways. Be willing to forgive each other and move on. If you are unable to do this, trust will never be achieved, and the relationship will suffer.
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Work on creating trust with one another at all times. It does not happen overnight and takes time. Consider it your job to be open and trustworthy and work on it. The more time you give the relationship, the more opportunities you will have to show your trust and honesty. Be mindful of each other's attempts to be forthcoming and honest, and trust will build over time.
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- Photo Credit Faith, Thrive, Trust- Black and White image by Towards Ithaca from Fotolia.com
