Who are Your Friends? (+ my story)

There was a time in my life when I didn't have real friends. When I didn't know what it feels like to have people in your life who genuinely care for your well-being and happiness. I didn't know what it feels like to have people in my life who support me no matter what, who I can trust to be there when I need them.
A few years ago I had friends and many of them, but these relationships were superficial- most of these people are no longer in my life now because I realized that they weren't the positive, inspiring and supportive connections I want in my life.

When I realized this, I spent a period of time feeling lonely. I wasn't going to settle for meaningless relationships. And then, slowly but surely, I searched to find people who shared my values, people who I still have in my life. Until you know what you can experience by actually experiencing it, it is hard to convince ourselves that what we want is out there. But let me tell you, it is! And sometimes this means setting limits on the "toxic" relationships in our lives, to create space for meaningful ones. Now I know what it feels like to have people who you truly feel connected to and people who genuinely care.

It is important to never settle for less than what we deserve. If we are investing our effort and dedication into relationships, we must spend our time with dedicated people.

And how do you know if a relationship is meaningful? You will know that a person is positively impacting your life when after you spend time with them, you feel energized and free to be who YOU are. Real friends don't expect you to be anyone else other than your true self.

One thing I learned about finding real friends is that they don't just simply appear. Waiting for the perfect friend might keep you waiting forever. We need to consciously go out and do what we love, follow our passion and immerse ourselves in the environments that we want to be in. When we follow our passion, we attract passionate people.

Another thing I've learned about creating meaningful relationships is that after we meet those people who we "click" with, it is our responsibility to show that we care. Simply said, be the friend that you want to have.

When I realized how blessed I am to have meaningful relationships in my life, I make sure to let those people know how much I care about them. 

Blessings,

Julie