Episode #26 Cultivate Close Friendships
When it’s all said and done, the most memorable and meaningful investment we can make is a constant choice to truly connect with the people around us. This week, Dr. Michael Brown and Casey Greenawalt revisit one of our all-time favorite concepts: life is all about relationships.
Show Notes
I want to become the kind of friend that I am seeking for myself.Dr. Michael Brown
Three Problems
- Even though people are what matter most, our tendency is to spend our lives focusing on profession, prosperity, position, and performance.
- We often invest more energy in gaining friends than in becoming friends.
- It is all too common to have many contacts and connections but very few close friends.
Three Principles
- We are as close to other human beings as we choose to be.
- The four essential ingredients of close friendships are time, transparency, talking, and togetherness.
- The four stages of friendship are acceptance, affirmation, accountability, and authority.
Three Practices
- Make a list of the characteristics you most desire in a friend, then evaluate yourself honestly: “How am I doing in each of these areas?”
- When friendships don’t feel as close as you want them to be, identify which essential ingredient is lacking.
- Determine which stage best characterizes each of your friendships, and take steps to take each friendship to the next level.
In This Episode
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