Discover 7 Important Ways to Build Trust in a Relationship

Building trust in a relationship is one of the most important building blocks. People often believe that excitement and variety are most important, but without trust, these other factors amount to nothing.

Above everything else, people in relationships need love and certainty. They need to be certain that their partner loves them and that they can trust them. Here are seven ways to build trust in a relationship:

1. First, you need predictability. While it is true that variety and "stirring things up" have their place and are needed to avoid total boredom, the first thing that needs to be established is a consistent pattern of reliability. This means that, day after day, your partner can always rely on you to do all the little things that are needed to make the relationship work.

2. The second way to build trust in a relationship is that you need to be honest in your what you say. If you say "everything's fine" while you are on the verge of tears, they will know that you aren't being honest. You need to be able to tell them how you really feel.

3. Third, you need to believe that your partner is competent and show them due respect. If you don't have a fundamental respect for your partner and their ability to handle things competently, you will lack the level of trust in a relationship that you need. Believe in your partner, their goals, hopes, dreams, etc. Give them the respect that they deserve.

4. Fourth, don't keep secrets. Secrets ruin the trust in a relationship. Be open and honest. You need to develop a basic assumption that every secret you keep will eventually come to light. In order to keep these secrets, you will expend precious energy putting up barriers that will prevent you from successfully building the relationship.

5. Fifth, be open about what your needs are. Your partner is not a mind reader, so you need to let them know what you need, don't assume that they should just "figure it out". This will lead to misunderstandings that could eventually put the relationship in jeopardy. It is better to tell them up front how to meet your needs, and vice versa, so you wont have to guess.

6. Sixth, be willing to say no. When your partner voices his or her needs, that is a good thing. But you don't need to say yes to every one of them. They will not respect you if you are just a "yes" person. Do what's reasonable to meet their needs, but say know when their requests are too much. Refusing to be subjugated to the other person's will actually builds trust in a relationship.

7. The seventh way to build trust in a relationship is to continually grow together. When you plant a flower, you begin by digging in the dirt. Digging in the dirt of our relationships can sometimes cause pain. But, through that pain, we prepare the soil for future growth. Don't be afraid of turmoil, crisis, or questions. These become the fertilizer for growth and change. Embrace the difficulties, they build character and give you an opportunity to grow..

When you make the decision to work at building trust in a relationship, you are going to encounter some pain. But, as you work through this pain, you will not only become stronger as an individual, your relationship will also become stronger and have a much better chance for long-term success.