How to Cultivate Social Relationships

To achieve a high level of joy and happiness in life, we must be socially involved with people. This involves getting along well with others, having friends and companions, and offering help to those who need it. We are all part of a social environment, and our social environment provides us with many opportunities for fun, excitement, enjoyment, charity, and love. Indeed, one of the most rewarding things you can do is to reach out to others-to connect with others on a heartfelt level.

Involvement with others, however, can also bring pain. You can experience hurt feelings, anger, character attacks, job loss, sadness, and loneliness. But you can use your Conquering Force to maximize the rewards and minimize the frustrations and pain. Achieving success in the social area of your life is the art of learning to interact with others and care about them-and their needs-while they care for you- and your needs. When you have social success, you experience an inner peace and happiness. You gain an incredible sense of value, while discovering how rewarding it is to be a caring and giving person.

When I ask people what being social means to them, they often respond that it means getting together with friends more frequently or making new friends-often including attending parties and other fun-filled events. The more socially skilled people will also mention such things as being involved in the PTA or service organizations like the Lions Club or Rotary International. But there is more-much more.

Being meaningfully involved with other people provides a veritable banquet of wonderful heart-to-heart experiences. There was time when I didn't maximize the benefits that are out there to be enjoyed. The social area of my life has also become financially profitable for me-as it can be for you. In one instance, as a direct result of being involved socially, I brought in more than a million dollars to my company.

If you are not already a social individual, I encourage you to become one very quickly. You should enjoy and be enjoyed; love and be loved. Doing this is quite easy once you have the formula for social success, and it will help you enjoy greater success in other areas-ultimately influencing how much you earn, the services you receive or render, where you live, and with whom you work.

If you are seen as a great person to work with or be around, you tend to receive better service, earn more money, get promoted faster, and in general get along better. It is important that you learn the social skills that can make you this kind of person. It can be as easy as trying to improve the life experience of those who struggle by showing them a better way to be-by word and example. Ifrnthey aren't receptive, move on.

Everyone knows people who are difficult to be around. They are negative, pessimistic, easily angered, or arrogant. They whine, complain, and blame. These are the people who are not open to change or growth. Because they are unwilling to progress emotionally or socially, they stay stuck and don't enjoy life.

FOUR SOCIAL SPHERES
To help you understand the different places where your social success lies, I have identified four areas of social importance.