Holding on to that "ZING!"
After binging a few Tidying Up with Marie Kondo episodes (anyone else?) I started to think about not only material items that no longer brought me joy but people as well.
I started to think about my friendships. Friendships can be hard, and moving around a lot or growing in new ways can sometimes put a bit of strain on those friendships. But when a friendship is strong, full of love, encouraging, and above all, built upon mutual respect, it will grow into a lifelong friendship.
Does anyone have that friend that you don’t talk to for months, call out of the blue and pick up on a conversation as if you saw each other yesterday? Do you have friends that you can spend 24/7 with and never get tired? Do you have friends that you both agree you might die if you spend 24/7 with them? Friends that you can sit with on the couch, do nothing and call it a good night? Friendships that involve laughing back and forth at inside jokes or relatable memes until your bellies ache?? Friendships are unique, special and should ultimately spark JOY 🌟
If you have friendships that feel draining, exhausting, tiresome, cause you a lot of stress or are point blank-toxic, I ask that you take a hard look at that friendship. That’s not how a good and healthy relationship should be. It’s taxing on your physical and mental health and is not bringing you joy.
While I watched people on Tidying Up struggle to let go of personal items and things that no longer brought joy into their lives, I empathized with them. It’s hard to let go of material inanimate things, let alone human beings. I have been surrounded by beautiful, insightful, encouraging and down to earth people recently that have truly brought joy into my life. I have felt loved, appreciated and built up when I’m talking or spending time with them. Marie says that when you hold an item that brings you joy you get a “zing!” feeling. When a good friend sends you a message or gives you a call, you should get a “zing!” feeling.
I have also been on the other side where I didn’t feel heard. In those sorts of toxic friendships, I felt belittled, disrespected and used. It’s not a good feeling, and it drains you until you have nothing left. People don’t often change with the drop of a hat and start to put others first. It’s a hard truth but it’s beneficial to be real about that. When I ended these toxic friendships, I was able to focus on my healthy and positive friendships. I was able to give because I was full. You can’t pour from an empty cup, just like you can’t be your best self when you don’t have the best people encouraging you to get there.
I am so grateful for the friendships I have kept and held onto in my life. I am so grateful for a platform that has allowed me to share my thoughts, insights and learn new ideas from others. I have made some invaluable friendships from this platform. I hope you surround yourself with people that bring you pure joy, that help you reach your goals and set even bigger ones! I hope you surround yourself with people that are there if you need to vent, or need a place to stay. I hope you surround yourself with people that see the best in you, people that want to make you smile, and people that give you that “ZING!” feeling.
With all my love,
Bree
