One of the best ways to gain someone’s trust is to help them. In fact, a spirit of helpfulness is what helped me woo my wife. We had been friends for a year when I asked her out, but she turned me down. I took it hard. She said we could still be friends—something I wasn’t sure I could do.  Somehow, we did manage to remain friends. A year later, I could sense her feelings had changed...so I asked if she’d reconsider. In 2018, we celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.  I once asked her what changed her mind. “You never stopped being kind and helpful,” she said. “Other guys, if you weren’t interested in them, they'd get mean, or blame you, or become a different person. But you didn’t. You helped me through some hard times, even after I rejected you. After we were friends for so long, I got to thinking: I know he’d make a great husband for someone. Why not me?” Remember, whether you’re cultivating a relationship with a friend, a romantic partner, or a colleague: Trust is about the long game. Help wherever and whenever you can. Read more in my new book, "EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence": https://amzn.to/2sxFLho #EmotionalIntelligence #EQ #leadership #management #BestAdvice #EQApplied #MakeEmotionsWorkForYouNotAgainstYou …see more