5 Ways to Build Trust + Honesty in Your Relationship
Why Honesty is Important to Your Relationship
Photo by Chino Rocha on Unsplash
What is honesty and why is it important to happy and successful relationships? Why do we all want honest relationships but sometimes struggle with being honest ourselves?
Honesty is defined as “the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness. Truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.” Transparency is another word that is now often associated with honesty. Being clear and open with your partner and loved ones in your life.
Honesty is not always easy to do, in fact, it can be incredibly hard - whether it is because you are protecting yourself or your loved ones does not mean that being honest is easy.
We all have fears of being rejected or judged unworthy and if our loved ones’ perceptions of us were to change, we might feel rejected and unloved. So we sometimes try to hide behind a dishonest facade. This is never the right thing to do. As cliche as it sounds “honesty is the best policy.” Because the truth almost always finds a way to come out and can hurt us later if we try to hide it in the present.
Honesty and trust are arguably some of the biggest foundation blocks to any successful relationship. Without trust and honesty, the quality of the relationship reduces dramatically, if not completely deteriorates.
Because how can you truly and fully love someone if you are not being honest with them or are not able to trust them?
Your partner needs to be able to trust you - trust your words, actions, and behaviors. If you give your word, your partner needs to know that you will keep it. That they can trust what you say. It’s hard to trust someone who doesn’t keep their word.
It’s easy for us to say “oh, it’s just a little white lie” but this sets us up for failure. Because if our partners can’t trust us with the little things, how can we fairly expect them to trust us with the big things? Things like being faithful in a long-term relationship, trusting your partner with your financial accounts and assets, or with the safety of your children.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:18 NKJV
Your relationship needs to have a solid foundation of trust and honesty and that starts with small, honest steps and behaviors.
Being honest is not an excuse to be mean, cruel, or malicious. You can be honest while being gentle, forgiving, and loving. Don’t use your honesty to intentionally hurt others. That can damage your partner’s trust in you as well.
So how can you build trust and honesty in your relationship?
5 Ways to Build Honesty in Your Relationship
Keep your commitments and don’t commit to things you can’t do.
Practice effective communication.
Be patient with your partner and the growth of your relationship.
Address issues, concerns, and frustrations with your partner in the moment. Don’t let resentments build over time.
Lead by example. Be the partner who goes first and is honest, even during difficult times.
If you are looking for more ways to build trust in your relationship, download our resource “10 Ways to Build Trust & Honesty in Your Relationship” now!
If you are interested in relationship coaching to help you become a more honest partner, you can schedule a Discovery Call with me! I am here to help you grow into a better partner!
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Thumbnail Photo by Chino Rocha on Unsplash
