Old friends, new friends. Quiet friends, loud friends. Big friends, small friends. Cue in Dr. Seuss here.
We have been in our new home on Vancouver Island for seven months now – half a country away from the only home we ever knew in Manitoba. Far away from all of our ‘peeps,’ now that we are a bit more settled, it’s time to make some friends.
It’s been a really interesting process – actively seeking friends.
Finding people who you want to spend your precious time with, not just people you have to spend time with.
Seeking people who share interests, activities, passions, outlooks on life. Looking for places where those people might hang out. Noticing people who are very different from us and wondering what we can learn from each other.
It’s weird not having kids to connect you to other parents or a typical job to meet colleagues at – we are just sort of ‘here,’ looking for ways to belong.
One thing I know for sure is that I would rather be alone than be with people who drag me down, are unsupportive or don’t make me feel good. Life’s too short and I don’t have enough time left to give it away to people who drain me.
Sometimes we hang with those people because we married them, gave birth to them or are related in some way.
In those cases, I believe we can still put boundaries on how we allow ourselves to be treated and the amount of our time, energy and resources that we give them.
Sometimes we hang with those people out of habit, because we were childhood friends, because it’s all we know.
This week I invite you to think about who you are spending your valuable time with and then…
• Ask yourself how you feel when you are about to see them.
• Notice how you feel when you are with them.
• Reflect on how you feel after you part.
AND… equally as important… how do you like yourself when you are around them?
It may be an interesting social experiment. I hope it validates that you are spending time with the right people. People who make you feel good just thinking about spending time with them, who you enjoy being with and who leave you with a smile on your face when you leave.
Nurturing great friendships, it’s just one more way to live Your Life, Unlimited!
