pictures. Place them in their best light.
Friends are valuable. It’s important to lift them up and show off their strengths rather than cut them down and point out their flaws. Friendship is an opportunity to celebrate another person. The goal is not to keep them in your shadow.
Who are your best friends? Why do you like them? How do they treat you? Do they make you feel good about yourself? Write about the characteristics of the best friends you’ve had in your life. Then journal for awhile about what kind of friend you think you are to others. Are you a good friend? What do you do to put your friends in their best light? Do you stick up for your friends, or are you really only around if there is something they can do for you?
Some people are takers in friendships and some are givers. You want to lean toward the giving side. Don’t worry about ending up with nothing. When you give yourself to others you very seldom end up bankrupt. Kindness has a way of multiplying and enriching your life, not taking away from it. It isn’t a chore to be a friend. It’s a gift. Put your friends in their best light, and you will be surrounded by beautiful images.
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Bob Dylan is not depicting an ideal friendship in this excerpt from the song “Positively 4th Street,” released in 1965. Do you know someone like this? Do you see yourself in this song?
Loyalty is a much sought-after trait for friendships, and it is not that easy to find. On a scale of one to ten, how would your friends rate you in the loyalty department? It’s actually more important to be loyal than it is to be on the winning side all the time. Do you agree with that statement?
You don’t become a good friend by accident. You have to practice it just like you practice many other aspects that build your character. Get in the habit of helping your friends when they are down or if they need a hand. If your friend is moving into a new home, put on your work clothes and offer to pitch in and help him. When your friend goes to the hospital for surgery, visit her and keep her company.
You are well into the action phase of this book, so it’s time to get to work. Make a list of things you can do during the next week that would be helpful to your friends. Follow through with at least five items on your list before the week is over.
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There is a reason why the last two days have highlighted song lyrics as quotes. Millions of composers have used friendship as a subject to inspire their music. Poets, novelists, dancers, and painters have also depicted friendships. Relationships with others, both good and bad, are a common thread that holds humanity together. You choose whether you will create a strong and lasting strand or whether you will be a corrosive and withering cord that could snap at any moment.
Today you get to be the poet. Write a set of song lyrics, draw a picture, or find another artistic way to depict the kind of friend you would like to be. If you have some musical talent, you might want to compose a tune. Try to find an inspiring way to describe how you view friendship in your life. After you have completed this exercise, keep the end result nearby and refer to it often. You don’t ever have to share it with another person, but you should use it as a reminder to live up to that goal.
Strive to be the kind of friend Carole King describes in the quote above. Be a beacon of light when your friends find themselves in darkness. Be a source of hope and peace rather than discord and distain. Let your friendship be a happy tune, not a dismal picture. Let it be a rousing dance, not a mournful ode.
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