Relationship Goal: Connecting with Friends

We all seek out human connection with others and desire to feel accepted by those we seek, whether it be with family or friends.  Even you introverts have a desire to lace your shoes up to head out and get together with others at times.  Family (parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins)  play a significant role in one's upbringing and overall development.  Bonding and connecting on a deep level with family is extremely important; when a son attaches to his mother it helps him to engage in healthy relationships for his future.  Family can also provide a great amount of unconditional love and support throughout a lifetime that helps people feel accepted.

Relationships with friends can be like family too.  Friends with an older gentleman can be a mentor like a father.  An older female can befriend you and hear you out like an aunt as well as give you wisdom like a grandma.  A best friend can be that brother in your life that you can trust anything with.  A female friend can be that fun-spirited sister that you never had.  Friends become spouses. Friends serve in the church/community together.  Friends become roommates that hangout daily or to just chill and watch Netflix. Close colleagues can become friends.  Friends are people you can share holidays with and play other significant roles in your life.

I'm appreciative of the friends I've had throughout my journey.  In every stage and move from Indiana to Missouri and from Kansas to Illinois, I have been and continue to be extremely blessed to find awesome friends to share my life with.  They have most definitely made a life-changing and long-lasting impact in shaping who I am.  You find wholesome friends by volunteering in the community at a school or a non-profit organization, joining a club or group that regularly meets in the community, going on trips abroad, consistently attending a church, or you could also find people you connect with at your place of employment.

Friends can be an excellent influence that can help you develop a good work ethic.  Friends  are there for you to help you discover more enriching ways to live your life.  They come alongside and help you search for a deeper meaning. Friends help pull you up/out of difficult times, and are there for you to celebrate success.  Friends might come in your life just for a period of time to provide support just when you need it or you come in their life just when they need it.  When no one else seems to understand what is going on in life, there is always that friend that listens or knows what to say. Friends can also help you get out of the mundane and go have some fun.  Friends can make an exhausting work day more enjoyable. Friends help each other accomplish their dreams.  

Being friends with others also takes time away from family or work, sacrifice rest or relaxation, drains you of emotional energy, put significant minutes on your phone, and miles on your car.  But the cost of friendship and the risk of seeking them out is beyond measure.  Join me in making it a goal to reach out and be that mentor, fun-spirited, or trustworthy friend that someone is trying to connect with and feel accepted.

Tony Nichols