Success is a concept that carries many associations: money, status, life work, these and many other factors contribute in one way or another to a working definition of success. However, if you were to imagine coming to the end of your life, what would you believe would be the most significant achievement of your life? Could it be the success of relationships? Success gurus rate quality of relationships as one of the highest and most important aspect of determining success of a person. I tend to agree. If you have concentrated on having loving, positive, and influential relationships whether with family, friends or associates consider yourself a true success in life no matter what else you've achieved. With this being the beginning of a new year, I am determined to seek the best of success. For me it is to put my relationships with my family, my friends, my co-workers, and my associates at the top of my priority list.

Gary Chapman, a marriage counselor, wrote a book called "The Five Love Languages," Though it's centered on couples, it's message is the right fit for any type of caring relationship. The five love languages are:

• Words of affirmation
• Quality time
• Acts of service
• Receiving gifts
• Physical touch

Implement the principles of the five love languages in your relationships. It is everyone's desire to be successful. Start with a focus on really getting along well with people and leaving a caring impression. Theodore Roosevelt, considered one of our best and most successful Presidents said, "The most important single ingredient in the formula for success is knowing how to get along with people."

Here are four tips to be successful in relationships:

• Learn to constantly seek your own growth. Daily work on your life, let go of ego. Concentrate on developing unselfish habits. Your personal development makes a difference on others.
• Learn to bring out the best in others. Listening and communicating with empowering words helps people feel important. Your language makes a difference on others.
• Learn to contribute to other people's greatness. Accentuate the positive and see how you can be an asset, not a liability. Give and share your life. Your gifts make a difference on others.
• Learn to set an example. Modeling is a powerful transformation tool. Your example changes attitudes which in turn changes lives. Your positive character traits makes a difference on others.

By Carl Casanova of The Centre: A School for Personal and Professional Development

About Carl Casanova: Carl is the Founder and Director of THE CENTRE, and he also serves as a course instructor and student advisor. For over 20 years he has been in the helping profession—as a mental health therapist, teacher, certified seminar leader, and professional coach. Carl holds a Master of Science degree in counseling from Oregon State University. He has taught, counseled, and coached in the Portland area since 1992. Carl is renowned for his motivational style and commitment to personal and professional development.

 Article provided by the LifeBalance Program

The LifeBalance Program is an active wellness program headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The program has been helping clients and members achieve an active, healthy and balanced life through recreational, cultural and wellness activities, events and resources since 1996. The LifeBalance Program is sold to businesses as an employer sponsored employee benefit or bundled into health/association plan offerings as a value added wellness component and healthy lifestyle promotion. The LifeBalance Program currently supports over 3,000 clients and 400,000 LifeBalance Program members in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Existing strategic relationships include Providence Health Plan, Associated General Contractors, The CHP Group, Pacific Health Trust, Providence Health & Services, Municipality of Anchorage, PeaceHealth, West Coast Bank and Xenium. Visit www.LifeBalanceProgram.com for more information.