29 Days Of Self-Care DAY TWENTY: CREATE FRIENDSHIPS.
Create Friendships.
One thing we've noticed as we've aged is how much our friend circle has become smaller. And it's not a bad thing. Dynamics change, people change, lifestyles change and with those changes comes a natural shift in your social circle.
Besties become strangers, ride or dies fade away, or you start fading away from a relationship without even realizing it. While it can be heartbreaking or startling, we firmly believe that it happens for a good reason. When we are younger, we often set unrealistic expectations for our friends because we just don't know better. We don't always understand what happens as we become adults, what happens when you find partners, or when you start building an empire or family. Our abilities in relationships change. Responsibilities take presidency, but sometimes we can't always recognize that or accept it. We tend to play the blame game instead or punish our friendships for 'failing' to show up for us in the ways we expect, even if we don't show up for them in the same way. A touch hypocritical don't you think?
This doesn't have to be the end result though- when we strip away our expectations and start to allow and accept others as they indeed are, not how we want them to be, it will enable true, genuine and often lifelong relationships to grow. Unsure of where to look? Get out into the social world and start meeting people who have similar lifestyles or interests. We can create close bonds when working through mutual challenges. We can nurture daily hellos into sharing of life moments. The regulars at your gym can become adventure buddies. The friendly faces you see at your work networking events can become an addition to your regular ladies night.
Our world can be a very lonely place, and if we aren't careful, it can reach into your mindset and become a health risk. Prevent isolation by keeping an open mind and heart, while extending the olive branch to those friendly faces you see during your day to day routine. Invite a gym buddy to your next potluck dinner. Jump in on that #girlgang group hike next weekend. Get out there! Smile and ask questions. Take the chance. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Thanks for reading amigos, stay tuned for DAY TWENTY ONE of our 29 Days of Self-Care Series!
xo
Kris