A = Activity:
Doing things together is always a good way to build a relationship. Sometimes people have this concept that to relate well means always being able to talk deeply and intensely all the time. But this is not true. To have intense discussions all the time would burn out a relationship fast. Relationships need the space and breathing room to just be able to enjoy each other’s company without being too analytical. Enjoying a common hobby or sporting activity is a great way to be together and build a relationship slowly.

C = Communication:
As everyone says, communication is the key to good relationships. What this means is that we should try and communicate as honestly as possible with our words sprinkled with kindness and gentleness. This does not mean saying everything that is in our mind all the time. Timing is everything. But it does mean listening so others can talk and talking so others will listen.

T = Tolerance:
Nobody's perfect. This is a fact. And if we want to relate to people and want to have good relationships, it means relating to imperfect people. The comfort is that we ourselves are not perfect and so we in turn need other people to tolerate our flaws. There is a line in the movie, 'How to Make An American Quilt' that says:

'Young lovers seek perfection,
Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together
And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches.'

In other words, tolerating imperfections actually is a sign of mature love.

F = Forgiveness:
In any relationship, we are sometimes asked to do more than tolerate a person’s flaws. Often we get hurt. In fact, it is a guaranteed fact of life that if we choose to relate, we will get hurt. The only other option is to seal ourselves up behind emotional walls and never let anyone in. Then we would end up lonely and desolate. To only healthy choice is to risk entering into relationships and being willing to get hurt. When someone wrongs us, a healthy response is to forgive because once again, all of us have hurt someone in this world. And all of us will need a taste of forgiveness. In fact, a key to loving well is to know how to receive and give forgiveness.

E = Empathy:
Empathy is the ability to feel what another person is feeling. It is walking in another person’s shoes. When we converse with someone, it’s a good idea to ask ourselves what another is feeling. That way as we talk to one another, the other person knows that we understand and care for him or her.

E = Encouragement:
All of us look for people who can encourage us. It always feels great to know that someone supports us, believes in us and knows that we can achieve something great or do some challenging task. With such encouragement, there are times we would feel we can conquer the world. So knowing how much we need encouragement, we could give it to someone else. We could learn to do unto others, what we hope would be done unto us.

T = Time:
Ever heard of the phrase spending 'quality time with people'? There is nothing that can replace plain old time to spend with people. It is a good idea to make it a quality time, to do an activity or engage in conversation that would bring us closer together. Just remember that the quantity of time counts just as much as quality