a tickle of words to create smiles

Posts tagged ‘Interpersonal relationship’

Time to Bond…

 

I had the most wonderful couple of days! I got to spend time with two phenomenal women, Mikell and Deborah. Mikell opened up her home to me as we shared our hearts. Deborah joined us the next night for dinner, when we spent time together and really got to know each other on a deeper level.

The whole experience reminded me the importance of developing deep and meaningful bonds. Two years ago, we became acquainted via an on-line life coach certification program with thirty other wonderful women. Mikell, Deborah, Carrie and I were part of a cohort of  four, in which we discussed lessons, completed a couple of team  projects, and supported each other. (Carrie was not able to join us this time; however, I am certain she will next time.)

Mikell, Deborah and I were able to really connect at a profound, meaningful level when we spent time face-to-face. The interpersonal relationship we had established with each other two years ago was greatly enhanced, as we exchanged and expressed stories of ourselves and our interests openly, honestly and with admiration for each other. It was powerful! I wish we had more time together. I am certain we will manifest more opportunities to get together. The past couple of days allowed me to appreciate and realize the value of time and energy given to develop and strengthen the bonds with others in our lives. It is vital to share time and energy in order to nurture interpersonal relationships. How have you spent your time and energy these past couple of days?

Encourage the Heart and Spirit

Affirmation, validation and appreciation encourage the heart and spirit. Whether we are receiving encouragement or giving it, our hearts and spirits fill with love and warmth. It is uplifting.

I find that the more encouragement I give, the more I receive. Imagine that. And, I find myself looking for opportunities to encourage others in their intentions, goals and dreams. If they want to try something new and/or worthwhile, I urge them to try it. And, wow, the expressions on their faces…priceless.

Sometimes encouragement is needed when we are experiencing a low moment. Encouragement may come in many forms; and, one of the best forms of encouragement is comfort for others by simply being there for them and listening. All we really need to do is attentively listen. Encouragement can be a smile, a wink or a hug. Encouragement may be the spoken or written word, art or music. Anything that moves another heart and spirit in a positive way is encouragement.

The gift of encouragement is one of the most valuable and affordable gifts we can give to our family, friends and peers. Can you remember a time in your life when you were encouraged? How did it feel? It is an amazing feeling, isn’t it? I invite you to encourage someone…anyone. I bet it will be a great experience! May God and Love bless you and encourage your heart and spirit to encourage others.

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Nurture…our hearts and our friendships with joy and love.

Nurture…feed, protect, support, encourage…our hearts and our friendships with joy and love. ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

I define nurture in this passage as: to feed and protect; to support and encourage; foster.  For our own well-being and that of the world it is important to nurture our friendships as well as our own hearts. I believe I can do both, nurture my heart and my friendships, at the same time.  Spending time with friends, socializing, eating, drinking and being merry supports and encourages love and joy in our hearts.

The hearts of our friends as well as our own hearts are being nurtured as we spend time together and simply being in the moment with each other by giving our undivided attentions to each other.  Every moment we have is a blessing that should be fully appreciated.  Sharing these precious moments with others is a great way to appreciate those moments and nurture our own hearts as well as the hearts of our friends.  Friendship is a form of love that deserves to be nurtured.

I will nurture my heart by feeding it joy and protecting it from negative feelings. I will support and encourage my heart with only those activities that I take delight. I will foster happiness in my life. This will nurture me! By nurturing me, I can nurture my friends and the world.  Self-care is so important. It is vital that we do not neglect ourselves. How are we able to take care of others when we are not taking care of ourselves? By NURTURING, feeding, protecting, supporting, encouraging, our hearts and our friendships with joy and love.

 

Friendship

Interacting with friends today reminded me of the importance of friendship and camaraderie. Relationships between people are to be valued. Friendships and camaraderie fills my heart with joy and love. I love interacting with people especially those who reciprocate. Friendship can be face-to-face or on-line. The feelings are the same (or at least for me). Although, I have to admit, face-to-face interactions do so much to nurture an interpersonal relationship such as friendship and camaraderie.

Friendship to me is the sharing of time and love with others; and others sharing their love and time with me. Friendship is interacting with others such that positive feelings are experienced by all parties involved. Wikipedia defines friendship as a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Webster defines friendship as the state of being friends; it is the quality or state of being friends. Okay, that was helpful.

How would one describe a friend, friendship and friendliness (friendly) to a child. Friends are 2 or more people of any age who get along and play together. They support and nurture each other. Sometimes friends cry on each other’s shoulders. Friends do many activities together like talk on the phone, visit together, eat together, exercise together, basically have fun and a good time together. Togetherness is key. Often friends have common backgrounds and have similar interests; but, it is not a prerequisite. Friends may admire the differences in each other.

You may be great at sports and very athletic and your friend may be great at crafting items and planning great parties. Friends can lean on each and learn from each other. Friends often know the right thing to say or do when you are down. Friends generally are good listeners. Occasionally a friend might say the wrong thing (open mouth, insert foot); however, friends are quick to forgive each other. Most of all, your friend cares and loves you. Friendship is a form of love we have for our fellow human beings that is closer association than just recognizing a face. Close friends know each other’s hearts and deeply care about your entire being.

A friend is one that is attached to another by affection or esteem. A friend is a favored companion. Friendship, amity, benevolence, brotherhood, charity, cordiality, fellowship, goodwill, kindliness, kinship, neighborliness are all related words. How can one be a friend? First of all, I believe you need to be open and loving. You need to be able and willing to give of yourself completely to another in the way of time and support. You need to be sincere and genuine with yourself and others. Honesty, trust and faith play a role in friendship. One needs to be truthful!

I believe (most) dogs are great model for demonstrating friendship with their innate friendliness and loyalty. Loyalty is a good quality among friends. Friendship is important between husband and wife / boyfriend and girlfriends. Our friends can define who we are. Birds of a feather, flock together. Your best of friends are there when you are in need. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)  You may also have fair-weather friends who are there only when things are going well in your life.

I believe friendship deeply depends on what you put into it. We are all connected, so why should we not all be friends? Being nice to one another costs nothing; but, the benefits are fabulous that start with our own hearts. I believe it keeps us positive and uplifted. Love and kindness (and friendship) keeps us in higher energy. When I think about others first, it brings joy to my heart, even more so during those times when I have let go of expecting something in return. I know I am able to be there for my friends and that is all that matters to me. This brings me joy and happiness.

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