Friendships

Where are you on the friendship, associate, and deep relationship scales? Do you feel that these interactions are necessary? Do you take time from your busy schedule to cultivate connections? Do you believe that good relations boost your productivity?

The purpose of this post is to have the reader assess and/or reassess:

• The value of friendships and relationships to you

• The transactional interfaces and to determine if these are what you need currently
  

• The need to cultivate enhancing friendships

• How friendships strengthen your life and add to your productivity

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A Harvard 85-year-old study related that "the most important thing that brings us happiness

in life is positive relationships, and friendships are a huge component."

The Harvard Happiness article refers to three kinds of relationships:

Harvard happiness expert: There are three types of friendships—here's why you need them all (msn.com)

• Utility friendships: These are based upon business and are transactional.

• Mutual admiration friendships: Each person experiences pleasure through their interactions.

• Enhancing friendships: These dealings have a mutual interest that unifies them and motivates them to improve each other's situations.

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In "The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You," Arthur Brooks suggests that an unfilled social life occurs when one has more deal-making friends than "real friends."

How to Make Your Friendships Deeper - The Atlantic

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I agree with these two insights above about friends. All of us have deal-making friends. Usually, their deal includes our finances, time, car, energy, and ingenuity - with little effort on their part. They think that their tactics are covert. Yet, if friendship is important and valuable, we will evaluate what we tolerate and whether we build anything emotionally or physically with anyone.

Proverbs 18:24 reminds us that a person who has friends must show friendliness; there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

I realize that long-term friends mean more to me than earlier. I treasure having outings with them. Sometimes, I travel to other cities to see them, talk or text on the phone, schedule a Zoom meeting, bake pound or pineapple upside cakes, pray for their request, or send an e-gift. These are some of the ways that I show myself friendly. When two good friends passed away in 2014. I realized that their connectivity to my life was gone forever. This was and is still sobering. So, I want to utilize every opportunity to interface with them when possible.

Be intentional about friendships and relationships. Time passes quickly in all of our lives.

Good intentions run out of gas. Procrastination swings us asleep like a hammock. Promises are

empty until they are completed. Regret is an expert thief. Don't allow these things to catch you off guard.

Calls to action:

• Begin your reassessment challenge today.

• Reach out to someone who has been on your mind, but you haven't made the connection yet.

• Purchase "Fully Persuaded Faith" on" https://www.marilynnjames.com for insights on praying with your friends and relatives. Live Abundantly highlights how one can succeed.

Reach out to my email: giftmakesrm5@gmail.com to let me know how you actualized this post.

Blessings...