Yesterday I spent an incredible day with my husband Mitch, Fabienne and Derek of ClientAttraction.com, and about 8 other entrepreneurs – 3 of whom were also romantic couples. This was a day where the power of relationships was palpable. It reinforced my belief, and the one shared by Stephen Covey, author of the best-selling book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – that all success begins with relationships.
It is our ability to “relate” to others and form bonds and friendships that creates success in all areas of our lives. This past Tuesday was filled with so much positive energy being exchanged between people that the transformations taking place within the room were incredible. It was the relationship among the people that created this positive energy and it was even more readily apparent when you looked at the couples in the room.
So what was going on in this room that was so special? What allowed for these incredible transformations to take place? I thought about this question as I left this event with my husband. Then it dawned on me – it was the same exact thing that makes intimate relationships so special – and in some ways, so transformative as well. And that #1 thing that your relationship and business must have to shine and thrive is:
TRUST!!
Trust is the cornerstone upon which your relationship thrives and survives, in the good times and the bad. The ability to trust your partner allows you to expose yourself to them by sharing your vulnerabilities and fears. True love and deep intimacy is born out of our ability to make ourselves genuinely vulnerable to our partner because we know we can trust our partner to safeguard these vulnerabilities. We also take comfort in the fact that these vulnerabilities will not be used against us – or used to betray us. Since our partner knows our “Achilles heel”, they can protect us against outside hurt because they can prevent us from getting blindsided by our own doubts and fears. In other words, they can protect us from being blindsided; while simultaneously, in a sense, protect us from ourselves.
The event Mitch and I attended was one which was filled with trust. Everyone in the room felt “comfortably uncomfortable” enough (you know what I mean) that we were able to reveal our personal vulnerabilities because we knew these vulnerabilities would be used in a way for us to grow as individuals. How did we know this? We knew this because of the level of trust and positive energy that was generated among all the people in the room. All growth comes from getting out of our comfort zone and exposing our vulnerabilities; all growth comes from feeling a little uneasy!
All our relationships, intimate ones and professional ones – can only grow if we grow within ourselves. As a woman in a long-term committed relationship, I feel safe to expose my vulnerabilities to the person with whom I know “has my back” more than anyone else in the world! And it is imperative you have this level of trust to increase romance and intimacy in your relationship.
Romance and happiness is where true happiness and success lies for me! The foundation for this happiness lies in the ability to inherently trust each other with our most inner thoughts and feelings. This trust can only be cultivated in a committed partnership with the passage of time.
Rekindle Romance and Happiness in Your Relationship,
Dr. Patty Ann
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