Posts Tagged ‘Friendship’

I received a phone call last night from a friend I hadn’t seen in many a year. And yet it was as if we’d spoken only yesterday. What I love about this friend is their honesty. That’s always been a fine quality in their life. They carry no airs or graces. They are fragile, humble, and always encouraging.

And that’s when I reflected on what traits are those that I have discovered in what I would call a true friend. Here are  five for you to ponder and measure yourself against as a true friend.

Continue Reading…

When it comes to building successful relationships with others it basically comes down to one thing – respect.

And that respect is reflected in the way we relate to the other party. If you or I enter into the relationship with one thing in mind – ‘what can I get out of it?’ – you will soon find that you are building on some shaky ground.

However, if we approach the relationship from the viewpoint of how can I bring benefit to that other person – then you have immediately created an environment whereby a relationship can be developed. In simplistic terms, it’s more about the give rather than the get.

We cannot force others. We must not manipulate. Love says that we must accept people for who they are and provide them time and an environment where they can grow and develop.

‘Iron sharpeneth iron’ speaks of two strong individuals coming together – and through their interaction there is a spark and there is a further sharpening as two minds meet with a common sense of giving at the centre of their interaction.

Continue Reading…

I have in the first month of this year attended two funerals. One for a friend who was a few years older than myself, and who had lost a five year battle with cancer, and the other for a friend’s child who died full-term in the womb of his young mother. Both were sad events, but we were all comforted by the fact that we know that both now reside in heaven.

Apart from the services that were both amazingly beautiful ceremonies, I was moved by the richness of the friendships that were evident at both, along with the communication and support that surrounded each of the events.

Friendship is so important if we’re ever to live a rich life. Without true friends – those whom we can depend on in both the good and the not so good times – we are poor indeed.

Friends provide us the support we need. They gird us and they goad us. They draw out the best and encourage us to be better. They provide the strength in our weakness and the light in our darkness.

Continue Reading…

Some people spend their entire lives developing a legacy that can be passed onto future generations when they are dead and gone. I see the value of that in one sense, but may I suggest that it is far better to develop a heritage that can be enjoyed by both you and your offspring while you are still alive?

One of my open secrets as a parent was to develop businesses that I could operate with the aid of my children.

So today, after spending four hours with my family working on our business, and not simply in it, revealed to me yet again as to how rich I am at my current stage of parenting.

Continue Reading…

What is it that makes an old shoe so attractive?

Comfort is the first word that comes to mind. Another is a knowledge that the shoe has travelled along a similar road as yourself, and so therein lies a sense of relatability and understanding.

What a joy to be able to sit in the company of another without uttering a word, and yet knowing each others thoughts. There is no need to impress, no need to boast and no need to prove anything at all.

Continue Reading…