Tag Archives: friendship

The Most Neglected Friend

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“Probably the most neglected friend you have is you.”

—L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of the Church of Scientology

Image of a man photographing himself in a mirror

Image from Flickr by joelleen

Who are your very closest and best friends? Take a moment to list them by name. You may even choose to look back to your school years, and the different cities or towns in which you have lived throughout your life.

Did you put yourself on the list?

If you didn’t, you are not alone.

For some reason, the majority of people who take on this exercise rarely include themselves.
What are the reasons for the omission?
Why do so many of us neglect, ignore, or simply not consider our relationship with ourselves of paramount importance?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you befriend yourself far more, from this point forward?
Consider reversing the Golden Rule and do for yourself what you do for others, as a starting point.

Friday Review Friendship

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FRIDAY REVIEW: FRIENDSHIP

What does it mean to be and have a friend? Here are a few friendship-related posts you may have missed.

 

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”

 

 

 

 

“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.”

 

 

 

“A friend is a person before whom I may think aloud.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendship Consists of a Willing Ear

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“Friendship consists of a willing ear, an understanding heart, and a helping hand.”

—Frank Tyger, American Cartoonist and columnist

Image of four men sitting on the edge of a mountaintop

Image from Unsplash by Matheus Ferrero

During my signature Personal Excellence Training program, new clients identify the most valued and important professional and personal relationships they intend to enhance through our coaching efforts.

When it comes to deep and meaningful friendships, I notice my male clients have fewer than my female clients. Yet men and women alike say they have a sense of diminished fulfillment, in terms of friendships, than they had at earlier points in their lives.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “To have a friend we must be a friend.”

EXERCISE:

With whom can you make an extra effort to offer a willing ear, an understanding heart, or a helpful hand, to realize more of the close and caring friendships you desire?

before borrowing money from a friend

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“Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most.”

-A Farmers Almanac Philosofact

Image of hands trading money

image from The Storage Facilitator

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, consider the advice Polonius provides to his son Laertes in Act I, Scene III of Hamlet:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend.

What has been your experience with such matters? Where did things work out just fine, and where did things go wrong?

How do these sayings influence your point of view and perspective on being generous and helping others in need?

EXERCISE:

Consider responding to this post with your thoughts or perhaps discuss your view on this subject with a friend.

Because I had a friend

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“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”

⏤Abraham Lincoln,16th President of the United States

Image of Lincoln Memorial

Image from Flickr by Jim Grey

Perhaps no other single factor beyond personal motivation contributes more to eventual success than social support. This includes friends, family, teachers, mentors, and other encouraging individuals. Lincoln, often considered one of our finest presidents, attributed his success⏤which included many bumps in the road⏤to a loyal and supportive friendship.

EXERCISE:

Who are the individuals that are always there to support and encourage you to be your very best? Consider thanking them today, and let them know the difference they make.

How can you pay it forward by being the friend who believes in the highest potential of others? Perhaps there is a future Lincoln in the bunch!

Defining a Friend

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“A friend is a person before whom I may think aloud.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th Century American Essayist

Image of fingers with faces painted on

Image from www.lesaviezvous.net

How many true friends do you have?

I recently had a coaching session with a new client. He expressed a sense of emptiness due to a lack of true friends in his life, the surface nature of many of his relationships, and the significant lack of depth in his professional and personal discussions.

He also noted the need for greater courage and vulnerability, should he choose to open himself up and chance the risk of being judged.

EXERCISE:

Examine your own risk/reward ratio of thinking aloud more often, to develop and expand the friendships that can enhance your life.

Friday Review Friendship

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Friday Review: Friendship

We all get buy with a little help from our friends. Here are a few friendship-related posts you may have missed. Click on the Quote to read the full message:

QC #1016a

 

“A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.”

 

 

QC #1016b

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”

 

 

 

QC #1016c

“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.”

“You’ve Got a Friend.”

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“You’ve Got a Friend”

-Carole King, Grammy Award-winning American singer/songwriter

Friends-007

Friends:
·         Fight for you
·         Respect you
·         Include you
·         Encourage you
·         Need you
·         Deserve you
·         Stand by you

Someone once said that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. How large a family do you have based on the criteria above? How well do you demonstrate the same qualities?

EXERCISE:

In what ways and with whom can you be the kind of friend that people like Carole King writes and sings about? For a bit of extra credit, Google songs about friends to find a lot more to sing about.

“Friends are as companions on a journey…”

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“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.”

– Pythagoras, pre-Socratic Greek philosopher

Photo from Flickr byFunkyah

Photo from Flickr by Funkyah

It is said that Pythagoras was the first man to call himself a philosopher,  a lover of wisdom.  Sources indicate that his ideas influenced Plato, and through him, all of western philosophy.

If this quote regarding being a friend to others was your predominate goal for each and every day, what results would be produced, and what level of happiness would you and others experience?

EXERCISE

Select one friend, family member, or colleague today to travel with to support and encourage their journey to a happier life. Imagine a world where everyone did this!

“A true friend never gets in your way…”

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“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”

– Arnold H. Glasow, author

Image from blog.bcwinstitute.org

Image from blog.bcwinstitute.org

Do you know who your true friends are? Today’s quote presents a bit of a test to help you identify the good ones. These are the people who support us in living our best lives and stand for us being all we can be.

At the same time, they are also the people who are there during life’s challenging and difficult times to lend us a shoulder to lean on – or carry us completely when things are at their darkest.

Exercise:

Thank the friends around you for being there in both good and difficult times, and while doing so, look within yourself to see how you stack up as a friend to others.