Signs of Genuine Friendship
Friendship is something most people value and desire in their lives.A person can’t choose his family, but he can choose his friends. His friends are those people whom he wants to spend time with, relax and just be himself.
Each person has a different expectation of what a friend means to him. It’s important to understand the difference between a friend and a mere acquaintance. For example, one’s phone list may be full of people he knows, people he enjoys seeing every so often, but among these people he may only have a few he can call his friends.
Why? Whom one associates with regularly is important in his personal development and impacts his emotional state. As energetic beings, it’s important to surround oneself with like-minded people who share his values, interests and aspirations. The old saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true.
One is likely to pick up the mindsets, habits and behaviors of those who spend a lot of time with. Good thing, he has a choice as to who to surround himself with.
Are the people surrounding you those that elevate you, or are they holding you back from growth? Here are ideas to consider in deciding what genuine friendship is to you:
1. A friend is part of your tribe and inner circle.
This means that when you see your friends, it feels like home. It’s safe to open up and express all of you. Even with time passing, your friendship is unwavering. There is authenticity in these relationships.
2. A friend is there to celebrate joy and sadness with you.
These are the people who are there to celebrate your good times and the bad. It’s not enough to have someone in your life for the good times. Your life journey, and theirs, is full of highs and lows. True friendship is enduring.
3. A friend appreciates you for who you are. These are the people who allow you to grow and evolve and still hang around. They aren’t threatened or envious of you. Genuine friends don’t compare or compete with you. They are the “uplifters” who believe in you.
4. Friends get over their disagreements. Friends are people who consider disagreements as growth and don’t see one event as the end of a friendship. It’s important that different ideas are shared and welcomed in a friendship without bruising egos. An exchange of ideas is healthy in any relationship. Fake relationships don’t enable genuine discussions to take place without disastrous outcomes.
A friend can tell you straight to your face how he feels and what he thinks. The non-communicative people are the ones most likely holding things in and wasting unnecessary energy. Being able to speak your truth is important in friendship. If you fear that you will lose this person as a friend, then you need to reconsider if this is genuine friendship.
6. A friend is of like mind and heart. This means that your friends share similar ways of thinking and similar amounts of love in their heart. They radiate similar frequencies as you. It would be uncomfortable to have someone in your life that doesn’t share similar values.
For example if you are a humanitarian and you associate with people who are racist, then this will cause you great discomfort.
7. That a friend is forever is not necessarily true. How long you have known someone doesn’t make him your friend. It’s not necessary that someone is known to your since childhood for him to be a friend you. You can make friends at any age. Also, when one door closes, another door opens. That means that when one friendship ends, it’s not the end of the world.
The universe is guiding you to make room for new friends that will assist you in your journey. The world is full of people who all have the potential to become your friends. Don’t feel stuck or limited. Make new friends by joining clubs and different social groups. Be open to receive.
In order to have great friends, you must first learn to be a great friend yourself. It’s foolish to expect of others what you yourself are not. You attract what you are. Be accepting of others and their differences, but keep your tribe in tune with the direction of your life.
“The only way to have a friend is to be one” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s important to invest in friendships. Like any relationship, if you don’t nurture it, friendship dwindles. Try to keep a balance in your relationships with everyone – your family members, your classmates, your neighbors and your friends.
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5. A friend is honest with you.