One of the great ways to give your relationship and the emotional piggy bank (read more about this here) of your significant other a boost is to remember what you learned in elementary school. For example, saying please and thank you. It’s not much, but this little showing of respect and love is a huge boost to your emotional piggy bank that makes you feel better. Why does it make you feel better? Because it shows respect and appreciation.
Now, I am quite positive that most of us have heard people say that communication is the key to a good relationship. Well, that statement is not only inaccurate, seeing as it has to be GOOD communication to be worthwhile, but it also leaves out a couple of other very important parts of a healthy relationship: Respect and appreciation. Although we all know that respect and appreciation are important, we are all generally so self-centric that we only focus on when we aren’t receiving them. And what I have to say to you is this: Why? Why do you think that your partner should show you respect and appreciation if you aren’t showing them that same respect? It isn’t a one way sort of thing! It’s just like saying please and thank you! You should WANT to show respect and appreciation to the person that you love, just as much as you want to receive it. I don’t wake up in the morning wondering what ways my husband can show me his love, respect and appreciation! I wake up wondering what ways I can show him my love respect and appreciation!
Here’s the short and tall of it: You can communicate until you’re blue in the face, but if that communication (or any other part of the relationship) doesn’t include respect and appreciation, then the relationship will suffer. Not sure how to get started?? How about saying please and thank you? How about asking your partner if you can do anything for them? That way, their emotional piggy bank fills up and overflows, making it easier on them to reciprocate!
