It doesn’t take much effort to highlight the faults in ourselves and in others. For whatever reason, negative thoughts are easy to come by. I know what I like and I know what I don’t like, so naturally I am quickly able to identify the things that don’t fit my preferences. When I focus on trying to welcome a new person into my life (or day), however, I am able to look beyond what I prefer and see them for who they are. When I focus on being kind, patient, and welcoming— who they are is who they are, and that’s just fine with me.
If your friendship is dependent on perfection or minimal mistakes, I believe you are misunderstanding what it means to be a true friend. My mom and dad both set an amazing example of what it means to be a friend. A friend is someone who sticks by you, even if the world is against you. A friend does not abandon you when you make mistakes— they stand with you. A friend holds you accountable and sets the standard, but they don’t make you feel less than or devalued during low seasons. A friend is there for you and believes in you. They give you the strength and the vision when you have none.
Years ago, I told my sponsor I didn’t have a ton of faith in the work he was recommending that I do. Without hesitation, he said “That’s OK, I have enough faith for both of us.” This principle is essential to friendship— when my friend doesn’t have faith in themselves or faith in the process, I have enough for both of us. It will carry us through and if we fail, we fail together.
Don’t ever hesitate to be a friend. It will change your life and you might just change their life, too.
Have a great week,
Neal
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
TIB RAISE 3 X 10
CALF RAISE 3 X 15
LEG CURL 3 X 10
PETERSON STEP UP 3 X 15
SINGLE LEG SPLIT SQUAT 3 X 10
1 MILE RUN
