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NEWSLETTER

Nourishing our Soul - The Power of Friendship
By Laurie Levine, Author of Spiritual Medicine

I remember always being told how important good friends are. I remember my father telling me at a very young age, that I can always count on my friends. My family may not always be there, but my dearest friends will be. The older I get the more I have seen how truly precious the gift of friendship is and it must start within me first.

If I am not a loving friend to myself, how can I be that to others and receive the love back from others?

This is one of the questions that really changed my life and allowed me to heal on a very deep level.

James House, PhD, a University of Michigan sociologist, reviewed studies of 37,000 people in the US, Sweden and Finland. In this study he found that people who had no serious medical problems but who lived along and or had few friends were twice as likely to die over a decade as people who had more social connections. Ohio State University researchers have shown that having a close circle of friends helps block stress-related declines in immune function, as measured by natural-killer cell activity.

No matter how busy our lives get, it is essential that we take quality time to spend with friends and loved ones. It is so important to let people you care about know how you feel. Contact friends you have not been in touch with and let them know how important they are to you.  Friendships do require us putting in nurturing energy in order to keep them growing and flourishing. I am constantly in awe whenever I have not seen a friend in a long time and we get together and it is as if I just saw that person yesterday. This just happened again the other day with my friend Monica who lives in New Zealand. It had been 5 years or so since we saw each other and have only been in contact once a year or so by internet. When we got together it was as if no time had gone by at all. We just started again from where we left off. This is true friendship and I am so grateful for all the wonderful friends I have in my life in Australia and in the United States. We all need each other and what a difference friendship can make in one’s life and one’s health.

Take the time to acknowledge and appreciate your friends and loved ones. We all need to hear how appreciated we are and what a difference we make to each other’s lives.

What I know for certain is that true friends want to be there in good times as well as bad ones. So many people do not want to bother others with their problems and therefore do not reach out for help. That is what friends are for. Make your life a bit easier by reaching out and asking for help when you need it.

Where in your life do you fit on your priority list?

This is a good test to see if you are putting yourself as a priority.

Just as it is so important to be a good friend to others it is just as important to be a good friend to your self. So many people treat other people better than they treat themselves.

Ask your self on a regular basis, in what ways can I treat myself better?

Maybe it is to eat more healthy foods, exercise on a regular basis, do things you love, take time to meditate, be more positive etc.

It is important to start with being less judgmental and critical and to acknowledge all the things that you do and the good person that you are.  It is interesting to me how my friends and loved ones always see me differently than I see myself. Our friends can see our true beauty and essence yet most people have a hard time seeing that in themselves.

The first step to changing anything is to start becoming more aware of the old patterns and asking your self, “Is doing this action for thinking this thought, loving myself”. If the answer is no then do something that is loving and nurturing for your WHOLE being. Every day take time to bless and be grateful for all you have in your life, your friendships and your self of course.

Remember to nourish your soul by being your own best friend first and then you can be a better friend to others.

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