Five ways to move a relationship forward

Weng Sam: Be authentic so that you can form authentic connections with those around you.

THROUGHOUT the span of our lives, we meet new souls and form new relationships. In any healthy interaction, the onus is on all parties involved to make it work. Do you know how to do so? Here are five tips.

1. Be a good listener

Active listening is just as important as offering your opinions and solutions. Paying attention to what others are trying to convey is an act of respect. It shows you value their presence and what they have to share.

2. Show respect

Keep an open mind and accept each other’s differences. Other ways of showing respect include knocking on the door before entering someone’s room, and never rudely interrupting a conversation.

3. Spend time with each other

This is even more crucial when problems arise in the relationship. Confront your thoughts and feelings, and convey them to the other party – with the aim of improving things for the benefit of both parties. Your speech and action must be aligned with your intentions to foster a healthy relationship.

4. Be honest

Being honest is one of the pillars of forging a healthy relationship with others. It is how we build trust and prevent any misunderstanding.

5. Be yourself

We should never have to hide our true selves in order to mingle with others. Be authentic so that you can form genuine connections with those around you. You will feel happier and more comfortable in such relationships. However, being yourself does not give you the right to go around being disrespectful of others – there are universal values you simply need to abide by in society.

Know that it is not the end of the world if any relationship does not work out. You will meet people who will accept and respect you for your authentic self.

Weng Sam, 19, a student in Pahang, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.