Friendship is beautiful, essential and, at times, it also is hard work. Although friends are born from instant recognition, they remain together with soulful intents and persistent presence. To be a friend for another is to know how to be a friend to our own self. Once we know how to care for our own being, helping, supporting or caring for another becomes a second nature.
Indeed, these become who we truly are without distinction nor separation. As a creature of Love, the human being requires a constant nurturing and a continuous reminder of a sense of belonging and connection. The best friend is one whose bridge between his/her heart and another’s heart, is always present and safe. Here is a list to help you be the best friend to another with soulful thoughts and ways.
1). Listen Carefully
Many of us go through the hardship that life brings with its cortege of lessons and learnings. When these hit us, there is one person to whom we turn to find acceptance and comfort. This person is the best friend. The one who can listen without judging and provide a space for all emotions we have within to be spilt out and forgotten. The first ever quality of the best friend is listening. Remaining silent, if needed, but more so giving a space for anger, sadness, misunderstanding or else to be heard and expressed. Listening is the best friend’s best tool and the leadership’s best asset.
2). Understand Soulfully
To understand is to master detachment. It is the space where the intellectual melts into the emotional and where although the pain may not make any sense, it requires a space to be expressed. With understanding comes humility and integrity. These are the tools used by presence to stand as a pillar on which your friend can lean, find comfort and regroup for the time needed. Be willing to ask questions that invite your friend to share the situation so that the discomfort finds a way out and the sorrow, worry, fear or anger finds a place to be heard. Respect the space in which your friend finds himself/herself to be and provide constant reminders of understanding and heartfelt moments for the time being.
3). Care Endlessly
Kindness is a vast landscape where the mind can easily finds itself being lost. To care is first and foremost to provide what someone needs. Kindness is caring with a twist of selflessness. It is opening a door where another can walk and ask for something he or she truly needs without judgment. It is love given without return, expectations nor demands. It is pure presence for comfort, compassion and relieve.
4). Offer Humbly
Offer your advise, when asked. Give your opinion if requested. Share your thoughts when demanded. When thoughts, opinions or advise are asked, be humble in your delivery and let wisdom speak louder than bare judgment. Remember that your life is only one side of the story, not the whole Truth. While t may provide a new insight for your friend, it remains only a perception. It is nothing for him or her to be embodied as a Truth. Provide space for wisdom and remember that sometimes, wisdom is silence.
5). Love Truthfully
The Truth of Friendship is Love and as so, Love is the first space that provides your best friend with room for peace and comfort. Love unconditionally, selflessly and beautifully. Share a moment to be you so that another can be himself or herself around your own presence. Follow your heart and allow your friend to know that it is safe to follow his or hers.
The Beauty of friendship blossoms through the hardship that transforms the relationship into the most amazing strength and the most powerful connection. These demands tremendous moments of trust and faith. When you let these moments to be, each of them brings the most amazing blessing to which smiles, feelings of closeness, thoughts of possibilities and beliefs in the goodness of Life are the main ones!
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Aline Hanle
Founder at Conscious Catalyst
She helps you harness the power of the mind through the Infinite Greatness that lies in your heart. Her blog Modern Mystic contains many soulful inspirations.
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What would we do without friends!!! #4 can be a hard one! haha!! wisdom is silence!!
Have a pretty day!
Kristin
Hi Aline,
Love the tips, especially listening. Few listen. Those who do, become unreal friends, because they can be much more compassionate.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan Biddulph