We may have more “friends” than ever thanks to social media, but we’re often missing the deeper connection of true friendship. Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, Founder of GreenGate Leadership tells us more.
In his book Simple Habits of Exceptional (But Not Perfect) Parents, Ken describes friendship as, “Life is a team sport and having even one or two good friends on our team boosts us in countless ways. Friends give us our first experience of loving connection outside our families. Showing us the goodness in the world, genuine friends confirm our spiritual impulse to reach beyond ourselves with kindness and hope. Friends share love, support, acceptance, understanding, positive challenges, constructive criticism, a variety of perspectives, and endless inspiration. Friends buoy one another through turbulent times, giving nurturance that, for the fortunate, will last a lifetime. Bearing witness to one another’s lives across the years, friends become the coauthors of our shared life stories, helping us remember, make sense of, and cherish our time here.”
Some skills to work at to foster deeper friendships are:
- spending time together in person
- listening without interruption
- showing sincere interest over time
- taking turns
- accepting differences
- respecting personal boundaries
