Be Your Own Friend
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A few weeks ago an impromptu collaboration on Twitter led to the creation of this meme: I enjoy and appreciate the many self-other love and growth loops in my life, and I think there is a lot to be gained from internalizing that you get to be your own friend. It's simple but not always easy: treat yourself how you want your friends to treat you. See the good in who you are and what you do. Take good care of yourself. When you're your own friend, your friendships are resilient because you can give and receive the truth about growth areas and mistakes and shortcomings. You appreciate everyone's courage and vulnerability for receiving each other's perspectives. You take your friends' feedback seriously, but you are the final authority on your choices. You don't outsource your sovereignty to your friends, that's not their responsibility. Being your own friend is the ultimate port in the storm of life. Other people may at times judge you and misinterpret you and hurt your feelings. Your friendship with yourself is the solid ground that lets you support yourself when emotions are heightened and ruptures occur. You can relax in any environment because you've got yourself. You get to enjoy the longest, deepest, and most intimate friendship of your life. Announcement: I am hosting Look At My Projects September on Twitter! To participate, simply talk about and share at least one of your projects in September. You can do this on any social media or offline. If you have made or done something interesting, then it's worth sharing :^) |
@strangestloop
During a Gamification Conversation, I helped a startup founder create a framework of rules, rewards, and accountability for the area of his work that gave him the most resistance. This framework made him visibly excited - he was glad to have a lighter perspective on the work that was so heavy to him that he frequently avoided it. Towards the end of our conversation he asked why I was doing this. What's important to me about this offering? I feel most fulfilled when I give something that...
I stand alone on the balcony overlooking the backyard, leaning against the railing, thinking of nothing in particular. The door creaks open. "It's tiiiiiiime," my friend tells me. I walk inside towards the room where a dozen people await my arrival. Murmurs and declarations of "yes" greet me as I breach the circle. I stand at the center and am rewarded with louder yeses. I move towards someone, then someone else. Silence. Back to the center. "Yes," affirms the chorus. Okay, here. I hold my...
Hello! In the throes of a lower mood I try to remember how much I have to be grateful for, how much I have in my life that is worth celebrating. Today's newsletter is me doing that! It's remarkable how simple and effective this practice is at shifting my mood from gloom to bloom. Here is my gratitude list: Receiving appreciation for The RAMP Mindset and the dots method on a video call. Running into some new connections at a friend's birthday party. Hearing Nine In The Afternoon on the radio...