Good Kinds of Friends to Have Around
By Sandy Schroeder
Everybody needs a circle of friends and family who make the world a better, warmer, more fun place to be. If you play your cards right, they may influence your choices and help you move forward with life, too.
WellandGood.com suggests most of the people that we are closest to fall into one of five categories, which Jonathan Fields defines in a recent The Good Life Project podcast. Sometimes they play more than one role in your life as friends, mentors, relatives or colleagues. Here are the ones that they say you need.
Point Counters - These are the people who show up and ask about the work you are doing and how it is going. You told them what you were doing and now they want to see results. That kind of tough love from friends, family or mentors helps to keep you on track and moving.
Cheering Group - These are your fans, the people who cheer when you win, and listen to all of the grueling details when you don't. Often they can offer words of advice or examples of what they did and how it all worked out. Just talking to them helps you feel relieved as you figure out what to do next.
Mutual Players - These are people like you who may be working with you, or hanging out with you and your friends. They are doing things like you do to work, achieve goals, and move ahead with life. It is easy to share problems and discuss issues with them because they are right there with you fighting similar battles. It helps to have them around to keep your balance as you share stories and blow off steam.
Wise Advisers - These are the people who are further along in the journey. They may have achieved what you want to accomplish. They may be family members, educators, career coaches or counselors. You wind up gravitating to the ones who seem to understand what you are trying to do.
Your Community - These people make you feel like you are part of something larger than yourself. You are comfortable around them and feel like you belong. They listen to you and often share their own stories to help you get a grip. They are your friends, family, co-workers, colleagues, and neighbors, the people who help you define your life. When the individuals in it need help, you show up, and when you need help they do the same.
If you have all of these types of friends, count yourself lucky. If you have some of them, keep looking to find all of them. When you find the right ones, it will be rewarding for both of you.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Colorado Springs, Colo.