What do you want from a friend? How much have you grown with your friend in two or five years?
The world-class advice goes if you want to be successful, walk with successful people. That is somewhat true. But how do you define success? We all describe our success differently. So, take the time to decide what success means to you. Then use your parameter of success to look for what you want from a friend.
A true friend can help you grow.
Allis’s good friend, Laura, is her cleaning person. She said, “Laura works with a smile on her face and takes care of my house better than I care for my children. She is open and proud of her job. She is a good friend.”
It seems Laura is proud of herself and her job, has the patience to produce superior service, and self-discipline to clean after her employer, Allis.
Pride:
Look for a person who is proud of who she/he is and what she/he does. For example, Eno is honest in sharing her strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. She is unapologetic in celebrating herself, her family/community, and her job. Also, she is humble to accommodate others with different values or lifestyles.
Eno is proud and yet asks for help. She gives anonymously to people in need — food, education, training, and jobs. Her pride embodies giving, humility, creativity, and compassion.
Try this:
Pay attention to how a person values her/himself.
Patience:
Patience is a virtue that drives our lives. Every good thing takes time and effort. For example, open your closet and pick out two pairs of pants from different brands. Turn each inside out. Do you notice the difference?
Or eat fast food and restaurant food. Did you experience the difference, and WHY? It takes time and effort to prepare food or make tailored trousers.
Do we treat waiters nicely and give them a generous tip? What happens when we get stuck in traffic? Or wait in the line for a cashier who is slow or being distracted by other customers?
