Tonight I will be heading off on my adventure to Portugal. It’s been a real potpourri of emotion leading up to this moment. I didn’t know what level of strength I would have at this point in my grieving journey when I committed back in March but it seems David has equipped me with enough spirit nudges from afar to do this. Thank you my Sweet Love. Originally, a dear friend was to join me but some unexpected circumstances have come up in her life so she’s had to cancel. This will make for a very different trip than I expected, but I remain open to what will unfold and the variety of people I will meet. Before heading to the Festival, I will be spending a few days in Lisbon seeing a friend I’ve known since grade 7 who's had two kids since we last saw each other.Time flies.
Speaking of friendships, I’ve been talking with several different friends on this topic lately. We’ve been discussing the friendships that are harmonious in our lives, vs. the ones that seem to struggle. The common theme we agree on is that the people we are close with are the ones who view friendship in the same light.
One friend said to me, “There are friends in our lives that we hold very dear and think of often but that doesn’t always translate into a phone call or email…..and that works for both.”
We know where we stand with each other and are super happy whenever we make a connection. If it’s been awhile, we greet each other with:
“So great to hear from you! You’ve been on my mind!”
not,
“I never hear from you.”
For instance, my friend in Lisbon is someone I became good friends with in junior high and we’ve drifted in and out of each other’s lives since, without issue. We don’t pause to take anything personally when we haven’t heard from each other in awhile.
It’s an unspoken truth in these types of free-flowing friendships that we will continue to glide around our own respective worlds and bump into each other to check in when each of us are feeling called to. Two people who have the same view on friendship can create so much possibility and a much deeper connection than two people who have different views.
So here comes your coaching exercise for the week…
COACHING EXERCISE FOR YOU
Take a look at the different friendships you have in your life. To keep things easy, let’s just divide them into two categories: Free-Flowing and Struggle. Don’t be shy about writing down names. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a real person. J Now look to see which ones make you feel tangled up, guilty or unhappy. These are your Struggle friendships. Secondly, look at your Free-Flowing friendships. You should almost immediately feel a sense of ease, well-being and warmth about these friendships regardless of how often you see each other.
What you choose to do about this list is up to you. You may have some restructuring to do in the friend department or you may be simply inspired to reach out and check in with a Free-Flower.
I’d love to hear your thoughts so be sure to leave a comment below.
To your authenticity,
Love, Christine