Here's a look at some of the reasons those bonds between best friends are so important.
1. They offer us comfort. This is one person who knows all the details of our life and they still like us anyway. Even when we don't see them for a long time, it's like we saw them just yesterday. We can pick right up where we left off. There's no awkwardness or filling in the blanks, we can "cut right to the chase."
2. They offer us connectedness. Everyone, frogs and humans alike, fear being alone. DSo whether your best friend lives next door or several time zones away. We know they're there for us. All we have to do is pick up the phone. Best friends give us a sense of connectedness when we're feeling like we're floating all alone in space. They keep up grounded and give us a sense of belonging.
3. They give us unconditional support. Best friends are the ones we call no matter the day or the time because we know they'll be there for us. Best friends have seen us at our best, and cheer us on...and they've seen us at our worst and are there to comfort us and give us strength. We can always be ourselves with our best friends.
4. They give us a self-esteem boost. And how couldn't use one of those every now and again? having someone in our lives who thinks we're important and have value, boosts our self-confidence and our self-esteem.
5. They give us honest opinions. We can count on our BFF to be totally honest with us. There's no B.S. Because they know us so well, they can "tell it like it is" and, for some reason, the truth (no matter how unpleasant it might be) doesn't seem to sting as much when it comes from our best friend. Why? It's because we know deep down that they have our best interest at heart.
6. They give us a fresh perspective. Since everyone is different as sees things in our own way, having a best friend gives us a new way to look at an old problem. Often, best friends are ones who give us that "ah-ha" moment when we're feeling stuck.
7. They teach us life lessons. When we do have a problem with our best friend, we are more likely to confront them and work it out, than we are with a stranger or someone we're not close to. This helps us to prepare for those times when we need to face a difficult situation head-on. This is a skill that they teach us and we have it for life.
8. They give us loyalty. We know we can trust our best friend to not spill our secrets to the world. This is loyalty. Best Friend = Built-in trust. A loyal friend will be on your team no matter what. You can trust them with your life.
9. They help us with personal growth. Best friends give us the opportunity to grow and to become better. They often inspire us without even knowing it. When we share experiences with them, we learn can learn other ways of doing things. We get stuck in old routines and hearing how a best friend does something different that what we usually do, shows us new and often better ways of attacking either a problem or even a simple chore. Best friends can teach can teach us a lot! And, lastly,
10. They are the best sounding board. Sharing experiences with our best friend gives us an opportunity to can help us normalize our experiences. No matter how embarrassing or disgusting or terrible an experience is for us, we can share it with our BFF and know that they'll help us see it in a new light. fear and discomfort are diffused when you share them with your best friend.
Best friends give us a great deal and can, according to several studies, help us live longer and more meaningful lives. There's no single definition that completely covers everything a best friend is. It will be different for each us. I hope you'll take time today and honor your best friend. Let them know how important they are to you. And since it's Friday, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a beautiful weekend. I hope you get to spend a little of it with your best friend. I invite you all back on Monday but until the, stay safe.
Peace.