Who do you want to be more intentional with in building relationships?
Querida Amiga,
How was your weekend? Who did you get to spend time with?
I had the blessing of celebrating the birthday of a close amiga this past weekend. She is someone who has seen me at all of my extremes, from laughing uncontrollably until I start crying to asking probing questions until my walls come down and I cry uncontrollably. There are few people in the world who I allow to see all of who I am in its raw state. Raw meaning before I have had time and space to process and reflect to land on the life lessons that will move me forward.
Our amistad spans over two decades. Though time helps with deepening ties, our bond is not where it is today simply because we have put in time. We ask deep questions, set ambitious goals aligned to our purpose, celebrate our wins, and hold space for our perceived losses.
I would elevate three things we have committed to that have supported building this friendship and continue to maintain it. We have consciously built a relationship that is rooted in values and enhances who we are as individuals.
We are in deep relationship with ourselves first We both seek to be connected with our own mind, body, and soul. Relationships with others are a blessing and enhance life. And we are careful to not consider them a replacement for our own inner work. When we spend time together, we are not seeking for the other to fill a void in our life. Our time together is an enhancement to our self-love journey.
Our values are aligned We share many of the same values that guide our lives. We both consider spirituality our #1 value. That means we meditate together, share the inspirations and reflections that pour from our inner voice to our journals, and swap resources that can enhance our spiritual journey. We are also aligned when it comes to other values such as family/community, purpose-driven living, and travel. Our values alignment means we are often wanting to grow and expand in similar areas of our lives.
Our friendship is built with intention We don’t label everyone we hang out with as our bestie. She has that place in my life because we have had conversations to explicitly build who we are for one another. Through the various shifts life has brought our way, we discuss the changes happening or anticipated. We don’t just assume we know what the other needs, we check in on what is needed to navigate new seasons of our lives. Most importantly, we show up and follow through to support one another as we navigate these changes.
There are many other aspects of our friendship that I feel are special and have helped us to navigate over two decades of being in one another’s lives. These three aspects, in particular, have provided a strong foundation for us to thrive separately and together.
When conflict arises and communication is needed, the investment we have made in setting the intention of we are to one another, working on our personal awareness and emotional intelligence, and leaning into our values, means we have a place to return to when we may be struggling to connect.
Amiga, I wish for you to have multiple people in your life who you build with and can truly call your mejores amistades.
Quiero saber de ti. How do you consciously build relationships with others? Who do you want to be more intentional with in building relationships?
Un abrazo,
Michelle
