The most valuable gift you can receive is an honest friend. – Unknown Author

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through any of the links (at no additional cost to you).

Welcome back to Renew Inspiration! Well, I don’t know about where you live, but Michigan has been extremely cold over the last week or so. The schools have been closed all week and we are not due for relief until the weekend. Nevertheless, today I want to talk about the gift of friendship. Take a moment and think about what friendship means to you. Friendship can be defined as a relationship of mutual affection between people. So, what makes a perfect friendship? How do we maintain friendships with the demands of our family, jobs, and other responsibilities? Think of that person who you can call at any time of the day when you need some advice, are feeling down, or when you just need a good laugh. Now, let’s make this clear. I’m not talking about your online friends and followers. For example, here’s a list of my social media accounts and the number of Friends/Followers that I currently have:

Facebook – 911 Friends
www.facebook.com/renewinspirationmindbodyspirit

Instagram – 758 Followers
www.instagram.com/renewinspiration/

Twitter – 2,211 Followers
www.twitter.com/renew_lporter08

Pinterest – 4,196 Followers
www.pinterest.com/lporter08

We have to remember to sign out of our social media accounts from time to time and make a greater effort in our busy lives to find ways to connect face to face with friends.

FRIENDSHIP TRAITS

The more we are invested in our friendships, the less we become single-minded and forget about the things that actually matter. It’s important to find friends who uplift your soul, who are full of life, and who are excited about your new ideas and want to see you fulfill your hopes and dreams.

Here’s some of the friendship traits to look for:

• Friends who are empathetic usually are active listeners.

• Friends who are selfless usually helps solve the problems of others.

• Friends who are trustworthy reminds you that you are not alone.

• Friends with shared interests, such as education, values, hobbies, goals or religion.

• Friends with different perspectives and backgrounds have the ability to transform into a growth mindset.

• Friends who are humorous often times bring joy, hope and comfort even in the midst of life’s most difficult situations.

• Friends who are a team player will put the needs of others before their own.

KEEP FRIENDSHIPS STRONG

Everyone has a friend during each stage of life. But only lucky ones have the same friend in all stages of life. – Unknown Author

It’s important to keep friendships strong even when the going gets tough, right?

Here’s some valuable tips to help you keep friendships strong:

• Tip 1 – Show respect to get respect.

• Tip 2 – Communicate honestly with your friends.

• Tip 3 – Spend quality time with your friends doing what you both enjoy.

• Tip 4 – Admit when you are wrong and apologize.

• Tip 5 – Let go of the past and move forward.

• Tip 6 – Keep your promises throughout the friendship.

• Tip 7 – Give your friends their personal space.

SIGNS OF A TRUE FRIENDSHIP

A best friend is someone who loves you when you have forgotten how to love yourself. – Unknown Author

• A true friend will accept everything about you, including your flaws.

• A true friend will stick with you through the good and bad times.

• A true friend will always be happy for your successes and encourage you through your failures.

• A true friend will always meet you halfway in any situation.

• A true friend makes you feel happier, not drained and stressed.

• A true friend won’t talk about you behind your back.

• A true friend will always find it in their heart to forgive you.

TIME FOR REFLECTION – JOURNAL PROMPTS – FRIENDSHIPS & RELATIONSHIPS

Friendship is not about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life, said “I’m here for you” and proved it. – Unknown Author

Journal Prompts are given to inspire you to write freely about your life and to strengthen your friendships/relationships.

• What are some of your childhood memories?

• Who were some of your childhood friends?

• Who inspires you and why?

• Who do you want to be surrounded by?

• Who makes me feel the most loved?

• Who brings the most joy to my life?

• What old stories or memories are holding you back?

• Who do you miss the most in your life?



As you can see, friendship takes work and courage from both parties involved. Friends give us hope in life’s most difficult situations, help us to de-stress our lives, and provide affirmation of your life’s paths. Now, take another moment and reflect on what friendship means to you after reading this blog post. Then, write and send a letter to a friend who has been there for you before. Thank him or her. Tell your friend how much he or she means to you. Peace and blessings!

Believe in yourself today, tomorrow and forever!

Renew Inspiration is a participant in the Amazon, Target, Blue Host and WordPress Affiliate Programs which are advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Target.com, Bluehost.com and WordPress.com

Copyright © 2019 – Renew Inspiration – All Rights Reserved