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"Thou shall love thy neighbor" according to the Christian Bible. Yet, when we watch television, listen to the conversations of strangers and read the newspaper, there isn't too much loving each other happening. Some of us will attempt to show love by doing thoughtful things for friends, family, co-workers and strangers and at times it seems our efforts are in vain. Establishing quality relationships with people aren't easy for everyone. Further an even greater challenge when trying to communicate with difficult people who don't return thoughtful actions. How do we manage to build relationships with difficult people we may need in the future, although they may not seem to care too much about us?

1. Know who you are trying to impress. Is he or she really difficult or is that office gossip? Is Uncle Mark really a hard person to deal with or did someone in the family say that because they couldn't get what they wanted from him? Listen to what people say, but avoid the temptation to prematurely judge them before you get to know them.

2. Know your limits. If you want to impress upon someone that you need them in your personal or professional life, then know how far you would like to take the relationship before you spend time meeting with them, doing favors, talking on the phone, visiting, sending letters and buying gifts. You do not want to invest time on someone who may or may not help you in the future.

3. Watch out for other opportunists. The one that you may be seeking to make an impression might just need you for something as well that would be perfect; however, there is the possibility that they may only be using you to get what they want. Find out what their plans are by knowing what their role is in the company, what they have accomplished in the past and with whom do they spend their personal time.

4. Set boundaries. The rules that you create for yourself when communicating with individuals should not include any negativity. Define what you will and will not say before you begin conversing with him or her.

5. Be careful of those around them. People who we are trying to impress will always have a favorite friend, family member or someone around them that is extremely loyal. He or she has made their selves responsible for the one you are trying to impress. The rule of thumb here is to make a good impression on the loyal associates as well. How you do it is up to you. You will have to study the people around them, because as you may already know, they are studying

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