Friends, Do you have them?

Friends…Do you have them? Are you a good friend? 

How many friends do you have? Do you have enough? Do you have too many? Can you have too many?

When you stop feeling connected with the people closest to you, it’s probably time to step back and ask, “Who are my friends?” Personally, I believe that if we have more than four close friends at any given time, it can be difficult to divide our time equally among them. While being inclusive and meeting new people can be fulfilling, we can be so busy doing so, that we can neglect the people we’ve already invited into our circle; though most people are more likely to limit their friend group than to over-invite. However, for those of us who have more than four close friends at any given time we have a tendency to lose track of one of them. In our desire to manage as many friends as possible, our closest ones might boil over or even get knocked off the stove while unattended.

There are a few things that can help ensure we’re being the kind of friend we could be. Some of us need to work on being an engaged friend, on planning events and doing the inviting, not always waiting to be invited by someone else. We also need to learn to listen more than we talk, which I know can be a challenging goal for many. Lastly, I think the area of friendship that usually needs the greatest amount of attention is balancing everyone in our lives, not just new or old, which has been my biggest challenge. I love my friends and am blessed to have many, both female and male.

Life gets busy for all of us. I was speaking last week at a conference and after I finished one audience member asked, “How do you do it?” When I asked what he was referring to, he responded, “How do you come into town, connect with everyone, make friends and then leave, never to see us again?” I had never thought of it that way. I do connect and become friends with some of my clients, so thank goodness for social media!

Take a moment today to examine who your friends are, make sure that you’re tending to their needs when they reach out to you, and that you’re reaching out to them in return.

How do you connect with people? Do you make time for your friend group?

Are you open to the idea of new friends?

Are you there for your friends?