Those We Keep Close
Those who surround us will build us up. You can have a fair read on what a person is like by looking at his or her close group of friends. We are going to be the average of the five closest people around ourselves. If you have friends who drain your energy, undermine your opinion, or don’t value your presence, then it’s time to let those people go. Relationships are vital for keeping ideas fresh and allowing a chance to consider alternative ideas.
We shouldn’t avoid those who challenge our ideas and encourage us to think critically, but we should be careful of what lies behind the intent of others. Most of my friends have similar core beliefs. Additionally, I don’t allow for banter. Banter is childish and the energy behind it can still cause frustration, even if it’s meant as a joke. It’s better to just keep the energy positive rather than wasting energy on taking jabs at each other.
My closest friends ironically live far away. However, when I chat with them, it’s as if we’ve picked up on the same page as the last time we talked. That’s what I love about relationships – while we’re always developing and changing, friendship has a key element of familiarity and comfort. It’s a shame when friendships go sour, but if this happens, all is still not wasted.
We can often learn more from our enemies than our own friends. While a friend may not want to point out a flaw, due to being afraid of hurting feelings, an enemy will waste no time in pointing out flaws and work to exploit them. In this case, if an enemy works to break us down, we can use it as an opportunity to grow stronger. If their attack is based on truth, then we can allow it to shape our decisions to become better people. If the attack is based on false accusations, then we have a chance to trust ourselves and gain self-respect. Character will outlast reputation. Sometimes people pick fights simply out of jealousy – it’s nothing personal.
Relationships need to be nurtured. When we take care of our relationships, they begin to take care of us. Our needs become fulfilled when we’re not being greedy. Healthy relationships focus on other people rather than focusing on us. However, we must be wise with whom we give our energy to, or our well-meaning efforts may be put to waste if we spend time with those who don’t build us up. We can all do something to contribute. Ironically, it helps to fulfill us.
For further related reading, please check out: If You’ve Lost Passion.
