Friends and the Mark They Leave on Who We Are – ElPropósito2 min de lectura

How friendships open paths we’ve never explored

Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash

My friends are one of the greatest treasures I carry through life. They’re part of my family and, above all, the brothers God gave me one way or another. Since I was a kid I’ve built strong, deep and lasting bonds with wonderful people, especially the ones I rarely get to see. Whenever we do meet, my first thought is always "it feels like we saw each other yesterday."

In Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the seventh habit, sharpen the saw, is about spiritual, mental, physical and emotional/social renewal. It’s a habit worth practicing all the time because it gives us the chance to reconnect with ourselves, and one way to do that is through the quality time we put into our friendships.

I say quality time because time with friends may be when we feel most connected and open, free to be ourselves and say what we think. Freedom of expression is a right we’re born with, and when it’s fully lived, all our abilities come to the surface and new ideas, new ways of being and new ways of seeing the world start to take shape.

Friendship is the clearest proof that we need to connect with others. Starting or deepening a friendship takes vulnerability, and vulnerability always calls for a measure of courage that makes us better people. Trust, appreciation, affection and love are values we earn, pass on and grow with our friends. They’re the fruit we gather every time we laugh and spend time with a friend.

Like any tree we want to bear fruit, a friendship needs tending. Life gives us great opportunities and gifts, and one of the most wonderful is time. Time spent with friends is a priceless treasure. What a friendship gives us is meant to be shared, lived in the moment, enjoyed and handed down to the next generations, and that’s how it becomes part of who we are.

How do you sharpen the saw? What do friends mean in your life? Who do you love spending quality time with?

Have a great week, all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. A few resources for this week:

• Video: Brené Brown’s TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability
• Book: Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown
• Article: From Purpose to Impact, HBR. An excellent piece on how life purpose shapes our leadership and the key role coaches play in that first big step.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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