When you first meet someone and realizing that you two mesh well, have you ever sat down and thought of what exactly draws you to someone else? 

Maybe it’s a joke they made or something you had in common. Maybe you both share the same music taste or grew up in the same town. For some reason, you just balance each other out. 

We often think of this in romantic settings, but have you ever stopped to think about what specifically draws you to those in your friendship circles?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have a ton of friends from all walks of life. Coworkers who then turned into friends, childhood friends, college friends, and so much more. On top of that, the beautiful thing is that most of these friendships I have still kept alive, regardless if there was some separation because of how life happens. 

While I enjoy the company of my friends, how we show up for each other, and many other things, I’ve grown to appreciate my friendships more for reasons outside of this.

Everyone you come across should always serve as a mirror to you. They mirror back to us both our strengths and weaknesses, that with some reflection, can get us to where we would ultimately want to be. It’s almost like having a guide, which is such a cool thing. 

When I think of my friends and the connections I have with each of them, I’m grateful to think of the many ways they are mirrors for me. 

There had been a lot of occasions where I used to shame myself on not liking something my friends were into or not meshing with a group of people. It would have been very easy to move away from people who didn’t think like me, and move towards people who do.

I used to grow frustrated and think that others were the problem and that was why I wasn’t getting along well with them. I would often think that sometimes I just couldn’t find the “right” group of friends because no one was on the same page as me.  

While this can be beneficial to some degree in terms of compatibility, what is there to learn from people who all think the same way you do? 

We all have something to learn from those closest to us, so if there’s something within a friend’s personality that doesn’t always sit well with you, maybe start to get curious about it. 

I often times am the friend that likes to go to bed early, stay on schedule, and make whatever decisions were the most responsible. While this seems like a great thing, it also sometimes makes me very uptight and irritable. Thankfully, I have friends that remind me that it’s okay to not be on routine all the time and to just wing it and have fun in life. They’re also there to show me that I can choose to relax and not think too much about things. 

Friendships like these are some of the most important ones to keep close, because they really do help us find the balance we need in life. 

I am all for working hard towards your goals and achieving success, but if you’re not taking time to enjoy yourself during the process, how is it going to feel getting to the end goal?

The last few weeks on the blog have talked a lot about different factors in friendships, and just like anything we face in life, there is no one path to successful friendships. We may face bumps in the road, or meet some friends that didn’t serve us in the best ways. Regardless of where you may be in your friendships, remember that above all, each person you have in your circle is a mirror of you.

They’re there to show you things about yourself you may not realize, things you’d want to improve, and to show us the importance of balance.