Show me your Friends…
Doesn't matter how many friends you have... big or small numbers... What is important... is the quality of friends. Thankfully, I have incredible friends in my life. not one or two... a whole village.. and it's one of many things that I thank God every day.
Throughout the years... I've found these 5 qualities the most important to me.
Friends that LISTEN...
Have you ever had a moment where you vent to a friend and that friend would just jump into giving you advice of what to do? I have and honestly.. sometimes it gets annoying. Or when you are speaking to a friend and that friend isn't really listening to you.. Instead maybe they are thinking of something to say as soon as you are finished or maybe they are scrolling on their phone? Ughhh.. I've had friends like that in the past and trust me... I hate it. Listening is definitely a skill and if your friends have these skills... They are gems!!
Friends that FORGIVE...
Forgiveness is something I believe should be practiced everyday in our lives. We're human beings... we make mistakes... and when we are close to others... we can make mistakes and worse... hurt each other. Every close friend of mine for the past 20 plus years... we had bumped heads.. maybe said mean things during the heat of the moment but we didn't mean... but one thing we are good at.... we talk about it, come to forgive each other, and grow from our mistakes. Not forgiving my friends can become incredibly toxic.
Friends that PUSH...
Friends that push are the ones that push you to be the best version of yourself. I am the person I am today because of the friends I have in my life. This popular quote I remember hearing from my mentor... "Show me your friends and I will show you your future." I forgot who quoted that, but the quote I came to find is very true. Surround yourself with people that ONLY want the best for you and push and encourage you to be the best version of yourself.
Friends that keep it REAL..
Ha! One of the things that my friends will say about me is that I ALWAYS keep it real with them... but the same goes with my friends. Of course, it's important to keep it real with love. Being honest with one another is so important to me... that goes the same way I work with my nurses. Sometimes friends say what we dont want to hear but NEED to hear... those are the friends that I need in my life.
Friends that know how to LOVE...
Above all else... Love is the most important quality that I have found in my friends. "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." One of my favorite scriptures in the bible of 1 Corinthians 13. I believe to LOVE your friends... all else comes easy... easy to listen, easy to forgive, easy to push, easy to tell the truth. Friends that can't love you or know how to love others.. you have to ask yourself.. "is this someone I want in my corner?"
