Friday, March 9, 2007
To have great Friends all around us . Its Important that we nurture our Relationships and Friendships just the way we nurture our plants in our backward . I came across this great post which appeared recently here . Read on to know more ways of how we can Nurture friendships in our Life .
It can be easy not to notice the relationships that weave through the fabric of your life, especially the ones that have been there so long that their presence is seamless. Good relationships are a gift from God that bring an element of richness to our lives that make even the most mundane days enjoyable. When you look back over your life, it isn’t the accomplishments that have the most significance, but the people we impact and who impact us along our journey.
This week, try to nurture the friendships that enrich your life. And if you feel you don’t have enough of such relationships in your life, perhaps now is the time to begin building them! I’d like to share a few simple ways to nurture your relationships to enrich your life and Friends around you
Tell your friends you appreciate them.
It can be easy to appreciate a friendship, but never to express it verbally to a friend. Don’t take a true friend for granted. Let them know your true friends know they are special to you.
Appreciate them!
It is easy to identify what you want from the people in your life. But also find out what the people in your life want from you. We often give people what we would want, but what we want may not be as important to the other person. Don’t waste your energy. Ask. Then listen, and respond based on what they tell you.
Send this eCard !
Prioritize your life to include time for friends.
In the hectic pace of your life, refuse to allow an overloaded schedule to crowd out space for connecting with the people who truly matter to you. If there is little room for your personal life, it is time to re-prioritize. Time for connecting with friends is essential to your well-being and quality of life. Whether it is a regularly scheduled lunch date, a handwritten “just thinking about you” note or regular phone call, be deliberate about connecting consistently.
Be there in the critical moments.
As you have probably noticed in your life, your true friends often emerge during the tough times. There are friends who will always hold a special place in my heart because of the love and support they gave me and my family during a devastating health crisis. They called, they prayed, they cooked meals and came to the hospital. When a friend goes through critical moment in life, be there. You don’t have to have the perfect words – just your presence and your love will mean so much.
Pray for the right friends.
At different stages of your life, what you need in a friend my change. Sometimes we outgrow friendships or move to a new place and long for the companionship of old friends. Pray that the right people will cross your path. Be willing to reach out. It was 1997 that I remember feeling that I was missing out on the richness that a personal community of close friends provides. I wanted a few like-minded women friends. I’d been in Dallas just two and a half years and had just made the entrepreneurial leap. My life abounded with business colleagues and acquaintances, but I prayed for personal friendships that were not centered around work. One by one, inspiring, spiritually-grounded, fun women began showing up in my life. I believe it was the power of pray that brought those friendships into my path.
Send this eCard !
Valorie Burton, a life coach and speaker, is the author of Listen to Your Life, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards and her latest, What's Really Holding You Back?. She has been interviewed by CNN, InStyle, Self, Real Simple, Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, The 700 Club, The Los Angeles Times, and hundreds of other media outlets nationwide. Subscribe to her FREE, inspirational e-newsletter at www.valorieburton.com.
It can be easy not to notice the relationships that weave through the fabric of your life, especially the ones that have been there so long that their presence is seamless. Good relationships are a gift from God that bring an element of richness to our lives that make even the most mundane days enjoyable. When you look back over your life, it isn’t the accomplishments that have the most significance, but the people we impact and who impact us along our journey.
This week, try to nurture the friendships that enrich your life. And if you feel you don’t have enough of such relationships in your life, perhaps now is the time to begin building them! I’d like to share a few simple ways to nurture your relationships to enrich your life and Friends around you
Tell your friends you appreciate them.
It can be easy to appreciate a friendship, but never to express it verbally to a friend. Don’t take a true friend for granted. Let them know your true friends know they are special to you.
Appreciate them!
It is easy to identify what you want from the people in your life. But also find out what the people in your life want from you. We often give people what we would want, but what we want may not be as important to the other person. Don’t waste your energy. Ask. Then listen, and respond based on what they tell you.
Send this eCard !
Prioritize your life to include time for friends.
In the hectic pace of your life, refuse to allow an overloaded schedule to crowd out space for connecting with the people who truly matter to you. If there is little room for your personal life, it is time to re-prioritize. Time for connecting with friends is essential to your well-being and quality of life. Whether it is a regularly scheduled lunch date, a handwritten “just thinking about you” note or regular phone call, be deliberate about connecting consistently.
Be there in the critical moments.
As you have probably noticed in your life, your true friends often emerge during the tough times. There are friends who will always hold a special place in my heart because of the love and support they gave me and my family during a devastating health crisis. They called, they prayed, they cooked meals and came to the hospital. When a friend goes through critical moment in life, be there. You don’t have to have the perfect words – just your presence and your love will mean so much.
Pray for the right friends.
At different stages of your life, what you need in a friend my change. Sometimes we outgrow friendships or move to a new place and long for the companionship of old friends. Pray that the right people will cross your path. Be willing to reach out. It was 1997 that I remember feeling that I was missing out on the richness that a personal community of close friends provides. I wanted a few like-minded women friends. I’d been in Dallas just two and a half years and had just made the entrepreneurial leap. My life abounded with business colleagues and acquaintances, but I prayed for personal friendships that were not centered around work. One by one, inspiring, spiritually-grounded, fun women began showing up in my life. I believe it was the power of pray that brought those friendships into my path.
Send this eCard !
Valorie Burton, a life coach and speaker, is the author of Listen to Your Life, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards and her latest, What's Really Holding You Back?. She has been interviewed by CNN, InStyle, Self, Real Simple, Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, The 700 Club, The Los Angeles Times, and hundreds of other media outlets nationwide. Subscribe to her FREE, inspirational e-newsletter at www.valorieburton.com.
