Welcome to 2022! This year is going to be epic, we get to choose. I want to share my thoughts on friendship.
Friendships are important – True friendship is a blessing. I have had the same best friend since grade 8. I don’t need to mention his name, he knows who he is and he reads my blogs. We’re very different in a number of ways and very similar in other ways – likes, dislikes, hockey, football, family, fishing, and during the past few years with COVID we have continued to stay in touch over the odd socially distance cocktail in the garage on a Friday afternoon.
My wife Lisa is another best friend – I love her more every day, we have been together for almost 4 decades. We have laughed together, cried together, failed together and succeeded together, we love each other’s company (most days) and without a doubt my soulmate. I am a lucky man.
So there are many types of friendships; acquaintances, friend, close friend and best friend. There is the crazy friend, the honest friend, the long term friend, the gossipy friend, the work friend, the loyal friend and the friend you admire. Take a test – put a name(s) beside each one. Don’t think to long just do it. Interesting isn’t it?
Quality friendships are extremely important to us being and for being happy and healthy. If you have good friendships you are probably a happy person. With friendship you really do reap what you sow and friendships demand time and effort. This means you put your friends ahead of yourself sometimes. Friendships are often cemented when things are not good. Your friends are there for you. I believe this is really important. It is easy to be friend when all things are smooth and the sun is shining but what about when things are not good for your friends? Are you there for them? Available to lend a helping hand, listen, support. In tough times this is when friendships are important.
What about the importance of making friends in the business world? Absolutely critical to your success in my mind. I have long said in my career – I like to do business with two types of people – people I like and people I trust. As entrepreneurs we have all been tricked by fake friends in business. In my 4 decades in biz to many to count but that is ok, peoples true colours shine through eventually. The nicest thing about friendship’s and customer’s is that you get to choose both.
Making buisness friends it is important to try to find things we like in general, common interests, hobbies, etc. Building friendships in business takes time and I want to encourage you to do it for all the right reasons and do not make it about money.
A few tips when doing business with “so called” business friends, be cautious when you hear, “its not personal, its business” or “I am not hear to make friends” or “time is money”. Two words STAY AWAY from these people if your doing business or if you and your company must do business with them keep them at a distance. Invest in your business relationships but making friends and keeping friends is a daily activity and one you really want to conscientious of.
Over the years I have cultivated and built many life long buisness friendships – they are all people I like and people I trust and I know they feel the same way. To all of my friends, business friends, personal friends and family friends. Thank you, I am lucky to have you.
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