Raising Responsible & Resilient Teens
Most of us would say that we want friends. We want, even hunger, for those deep connections. Friendships are part of an emotionally healthy life. Friendships allow us to laugh, to keep perspective on life, and to be encouraged to grow. So what is going on if as adults we don’t have any of those relationships? Here are 4 honest reasons why you don’t have friends. [Read more…]
It happened when my daughter was still in the church nursery. She was barely talking, and she was already mentioning her two “friends” by name. I was caught off guard by my daughter’s strong desire to find friends. But what started off as cute antics has grown. Those girls are still all friends 11 years later. And fortunately, no one still bites each other any more! Deep friendships are something most of us long to find. Friends can make life so much more fun and the hard times more bearable. Other times our friendships can be a source of great personal anguish. So how to know when to keep or fire that friend is a survival skill we should all attain. It will help us to draw and treasure the right friends and walk away from people who will drain us.
For years I have taught a class where we complete a support team exercise. Everyone writes down the people in their support system. When I say support team, I want you to think of people who give into your life, whether it be thru encouragement, sharing some great advice, making you feel safe or just sharing fun times. This is your support team!
It always saddens me when I see people struggle with this exercise or simply have no one to put down. This shouldn’t be. Everyone needs someone in their corner. So today, I want to talk about why it is so important to have a support team. Later in the week, I will share some ideas on how to build or strengthen your support system. [Read more…]
