Tips for Building Meaningful Relationships

A meaningful relationship refers to an organized, intentional approach to interacting with an individual or group of individuals, with the aim of achieving a common goal or purpose that will be beneficial to the participants of the relationship. A meaningful relationship could be; Family relationships, Friendships, Acquaintanceships and Romantic relationships.

The word relationship as in this case, “meaningful relationship” does not only apply to romantic relationships. And it is important for anyone in any form of relationship, be it family, friendship, acquaintanceships, or romantic relationship, to be intentional enough to make meaning out of the relationship so as to enjoy the benefits of any relationship or for any relationship to serve its purpose as any meaningful relationship should.

How To Build a Meaningful Relationship

To build any meaningful relationship, whether it be familial, friendly, acquaintanceship, or romantic, both parties involved should understand that it requires time, intentional effort, dedication, patience, and much more to achieve a fulfilling connection. Below are some tips to help you build meaningful relationships:

1. Be authentic

Authenticity is key in any form of relationship. Be your true self and don’t try to be anyone else or something that you are not. It helps people to trust you, feel comfortable around you, and also helps you to be truly appreciated and valued. In a relationship where a person or group of persons doesn’t approve of the real “you,” that relationship won’t work out, last long, or turn out to be a meaningful relationship, and as such, it’s not worth pursuing.

2. Be committed

In any type of relationship, be it family, friendship, acquaintanceship, or romantic relationship, both parties involved must be intentionally and authentically committed to making the relationship work, last long and be meaningful.

3. Be supportive

It’s essential to be a supportive person if you want to build meaningful relationships with others. You can show your support by offering to help or assist when the need arises, offering words of encouragement, being present and available during difficult times, helping them cope and come out of challenging situations, and being there for them.

4. Show empathy

Empathy is a virtue that one must have in any relationship. It helps you to understand and relate to people’s emotions and helps people to connect with others on a deeper level, which, in turn, strengthens the bonds of relationships.

5. Communicate effectively

In building meaningful relationships, effective communication is essential. Bring in all the Cs of communication; be clear and concise, and provide complete and coherent information so people can learn to trust you, and not think that you are a liar. Remember to be courteous!

6. Spend quality time together

Spending quality time with whoever or the group of people of interest is essential to building strong and meaningful relationships. Time is precious, and when you make out time to spend with people, it makes them feel special, and important, and, in return, open and available to relate to you in a deeper and more meaningful way.

7. Be open to new experiences

While spending quality time with others, in the bid to build meaningful relationships, be open to new experiences! It’s required of one to try new things and step out of one’s comfort zone into the comforting companionship of others. Being open to new experiences with other people helps us create connections with others and helps us make and build meaningful relationships with people.

Conclusion

Remember, building and maintaining meaningful relationships requires time, intentional efforts, dedication, patience, being genuine, committed to making the relationship work, by being supportive, empathetic, communicating effectively, spending quality time with the other participant(s) of the relationship, and being open to new experiences, so as to make the relationship meaningful and worthwhile for yourself and the other participant(s) in the relationship.

What are your thoughts on this article? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Author: Kemese-ebi D. Williams

Also, read our article on Love Languages.