Trust – the Basis of a Healthy Relationship

Building a healthy relationship takes time and effort on the part of both partners. Establishing trust is the foundation of every long-term relationship. Knowing that what you say to each other can be depended on and that you won’t be inclined to question the sincerity of our partner is trust.

Honesty and Trust Go Hand-in-Hand
There will be absolutely no trust in a relationship, if there is dishonesty. This includes the small issues that may seem to be innocent enough to fudge the truth. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to boldly forge ahead with honest but hurtful criticism, but that you are concerned for the feelings of your partner and are careful with the truth.

Honesty must begin on your very first date. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable about whom you really are will open the door for your date to be honest with you. If your expectations of your partner are higher than what you set for yourself, you’ll be disappointed. Holding back or outright lying will only lead to an uncomfortable confrontation down the road or, even worse, the vicious cycle of having to make another lie to cover for the first, etc.

Commit to Follow Through
Trust is established when you make a promise to do something and just do it! If there is any chance that you cannot follow-through, be upfront about that possibility.

Men are from Mars – Women from Venus?
Men and women communicate in different ways that may cause misunderstandings or even mistrust. That’s why it is important that when you speak with your partner, you use simple, plan language that gets to the point. Relationship experts also suggest that you repeat or echo back to your partner the request or comment to be sure you truly understand.

Avoid Scorekeeping
In even the best relationship, there will be times when communication isn’t clear and mistakes will happen. Avoid the impulse to keep mental track of these times, it will only work to build animosity and endanger a healthy relationship. Of course, you should never avoid addressing a negative trend – the sooner it is dealt with the better.

Don’t Expect the Worst or Jump to Conclusions
Relationships can end up on the rocks by simply assuming the worst. Always have your facts straight before addressing an issue that you are concerned about. Allow your partner to explain the situation. Good communication skills will help you establish trust. Be forthright and clear about every part of your relationship.

Patience & Time Builds Trust
The trust we feel for someone doesn’t happen over night. Life experiences, time and patience build trust. Most people begin a relationship a bit hesitant and often hold back exposing their true self or full feelings to our partner. The more time we spend together the safer we feel and we begin letting down our guard. There may also be times when we put our trust on hold while we access a specific situation. But if we are dealing with an honest and trustful person, in the end we will have a strong, trusting relationship.