Feeling happy and energized is one thing, but being able to share that energy and enthusiasm with others you deeply care about and adore is the real hallmark of a fully Charged Life. True lifelong happiness comes from connecting with and loving others, so it’s best we figure out how to do that as soon as possible and as best we can. The strategies below will help you do just that.
Activator #1: Define and Design Your Ideal Relationships
Amplifying your own relationships with others begins by defining what your ideal relationships look like, and then designing your behaviors and interactions to make them a reality. This is important work, because the more you feel you are in your ideal relationships, the more your drive for deep, meaningful connection is satiated.
There are two ways to deepen the connections you have with people in your life: one is by accident as you’re brought closer by tragedy or chance; one is by design. If you’re willing to do the hard work of defining and sharing what you want, and you’re willing to listen to and meet others’ desires as well, you’ll find that all of your relationships grow. Be clear about what you want and what others want, and work to create relationships that you’re both proud of. Do this for life, and you’ll find yourself with happy and healthy lifelong relationships.
Activator #2: Practice Positive Projection
If you project positive traits and expectations onto others, not only do you notice those positive traits more often, but people also tend to live up to them.
Activator #3: Find and Cultivate “Growth Friends”
Growth friends are the people you are actively going to engage with, grow with, and energize your life with. They are those you talk to at least once a month, if not more. They’re the ones you go out with on the weekends or on big new adventures: trips to new cities or countries, weekend getaways. Growth friends are supremely important to your mental health and spiritual energy in life. These are the people who become your closest confidants, your partners in adventure, the godparents of your children.
Charge Points
1. Five things I could do immediately to create happier and deeper relationships in my life would be…
2. If I did a better job in positively projecting toward my spouse or significant other, I would start to give that person credit for these things…
3. The growth friends I have in my life or will now cultivate include…
* Source: The Charge by Brendon Burchard