OK guys, I know I was supposed to follow up "Standing Firm" with "Running Free", but 1. I haven't been running in about a week, 2. I need some more time to prepare for that post. It gets pretty deep.
In the meantime, I've been getting together with some friends and talking about friendship and actually thinking about what life would be like without my friends. And the answer is, life would be super sucky. So here are some fun tips on how to build lasting friendships.
1. Keep on laughing. YEP that's right, life can be serious sometimes, but with your friends, you should be able to let loose and have fun. Case in point, this is a text I got the other day from my dear friend Steph. It caused a lot of chuckles, but it totally made my day.
2. Do nice things for your friends and they will do nice things for you. I kitty-sat for my friend Ashley last week and this is what she got me as a nice gift. A bottle of wine, and a 90's movie. She knows me too well. In return, I will be cooking her (and hopefully her sweet mom) turkey meatballs for dinner one night. Friends do things just to do them, so always remember to treat them well and give a random gift sometimes. You never know what an impact you may have.
3. Learn to forgive. Sometimes, you're going to disagree on things. It's ok to have little fights from time to time, but at the end of the day, life is too short to hold a grudge forever. Not get all churchy for a bit, but that's one of the life lessons I learned growing up in Sunday School. Forgiveness softens your heart and makes you a more kind individual. I don't think Jesus said things like "Ok I'll forgive you, but only after you've begged me on your knees, paved my driveway, and watered my flowers." Nope, He just said things like "Cool man, thanks for the apology, let's move on and get some chips and queso". Maybe not exactly, but forgiveness is key. Staying mad at someone for a long time is toxic to the relationship. Forgive and forget. It's a really easy concept.
4. On the same note...learn to apologize when you're wrong. If you offend someone, say you're sorry. If you notice you're friend is backing away from you after you maybe had too many drinks one night and you talked about their weird sister, apologize. I am usually really quick to say things and have to apologize when I've made an assumption, but it's a characteristic I've identified in myself. I know that I do it, so I try to steer clear of making assumptions, but I do apologize when I've made a wrong one.
5. DO THINGS WITH YOUR FRIENDS! Life is way busy for everyone these days between jobs, kids, playdates, working out, etc. You have to make time for your friends. You have to text them and say "Hey let's go get drinks", and don't just assume that they will text you. Make the effort and everyone will be happy. Plus, happy hours are way more fun with people you know.
6. Make new friends. BRANCH OUT people. I have recently made several new buddies at the gym. We are usually all taking class together and it's a lot of fun. The thing is, make new friends with people that you know will have a positive impact on you. Don't just go making friends just because. Enrich your life with people that will influence you in a positive way.
7. Furry friends are friends too!
Hope you guys enjoy your Tuesday.
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