Friendship - The better part of one's life

Friendship 

Usually when we think of work life balance, we think of prioritizing between Career and Family. We hardly think of friendship as a priority. 

How do we know it? How often have we moved an official or family appointment to accommodate a friends visit or to attend an important event in a friends life.

For first time in a while, I prioritized a friends appointment over other ones. Recently I traveled 9 hours up and down, to spend just 1 hour with a friend to attend his son's marriage. Both of us felt very happy we met today. We had lunch together. I greeted the newly married couple. Shared some funny stories from the past. Really enjoyed the brief time together.

I almost missed it due to my other priorities, till another friend reminded me of what is really important in life. The friends you made, while you were a teenager or as an young adult in college, when you had no professional identity of your own, is the most precious of all friendships.

I am happy I did this trip. And when I came back, this video below, between Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah, came up on my YouTube feed, like telepathy.

https://youtu.be/CNBxIhxHHxM?si=cZ_ahSgIwha5LuhQ

I could connect all the dots. Enjoy the video.

Here are three tips to add zest in your friendships 

If you have not met your old friends in a while, leverage every opportunity to meet them. A marriage, an alumni meeting, a common friend coming to your city.

Call them on a periodic basis. Keep them as "Agenda less courtesy calls". You don't need anything from each other except company.  

Check how are they doing? And if anything is troubling them? When I went through tough times despite having hundreds of friends, I only called a few friends. Friends who were regularly checking on me.

The idea we build trust by asking for help, not just offering it, is a powerful reframe on vulnerability.

And your friends will be there for you, your work will not forever.

And I'm eternally thankful to those friends for their time and advise which pulled me out of tough times.

Friends are the true assets in ones life. Hope all of us realize it on time and invest in these beautiful friendships.

Stay blessed 

Nash Narasimhan Tupil