Choose your friends

Choose your friends

The one thing I have realized that has hit me like a ton of bricks over the years, is that people can leave your life just as fast as they appeared one day. When you feel like you have lost time with somebody, it hurts. What also hurts is the feeling that you wasted time on somebody that was not worth the time. So how do we figure out who to spend time on? I will dive into a couple of aspects to look for in good friends.

The first thing I look for in any relationship is somebody who shares the same goals as me. If we share the same goals for ourselves, we are able to build each other up and work together to become the best versions of ourselves. 

You don’t necessarily need to sit down and have the goals talk with everyone you meet though. A simple way of recognizing if someone has the same goals as you, is by watching how they live. If you have a friend who is always spending their money carelessly on random things, you might recognize that you don’t have the same financial goals. 

It is not imperative that all your goals align perfectly, but the more that you have in common, the more that person will help you develop. Look for commonalities in every person you meet. Look for ways they can help you, but also ways you can help them. This leads to our next thing to look for.

Develop relationships with people of different skill sets. If someone has all the same tools as you, both of your tools will become sharper, but will you ever be able to jump to the next level? Probably not.

Look for someone with similar goals, but with different skills. Everyone has something they are better than the average person at. Differing skills will create a diverse, impenetrable superteam of people that can tackle any challenge that arises.

The last thing that I have looked for when choosing who to dedicate time to, is someone who is generous. This does not mean that they are generous with gifts, but generous with knowledge. Look for someone who is willing to share what they have. If their goal is to help you just as much as they develop themselves, they will be extremely beneficial to your growth.

Good friends look out for your well-being. They value your friendship and what you have to offer. But this also means you need to reciprocate. You need to be the friend you look for. Be the person that you have always looked for and you will attract more people.

Look for the value in people but also look for ways you can help them grow. The more you develop others, the more you will develop yourself. Ask yourself what you are getting out of your relationships. If it adds more value to you, make more time. In turn, if it doesn’t add value, make it less of a priority.

Focus on what you need. Be selfish in your self-growth, but be generous in growing others. Share the wealth. Be the well that never dries up. Continue to give, and you will receive. 

~Thank you for reading. My goal is to help teach others ways to better themselves while doing the same for myself. This is The Exploration.~