Last weekend I took a trip to South Florida to invest in Friendship. This is a relatively new concept for me, as I’m a pretty severe introvert. If you’re scoffing right now, I get it. I am really friendly, and I don’t mind being the focus of attention when I’m speaking in front of a large crowd or leading a workshop. But alone is my natural state.
Alone is how I re-charge my body, mind and spirit. So, in my 20s, I convinced myself that I didn’t really need friends. Then I started having babies, and I “didn’t have time” for friends. All the while, my heart was longing for a kindred soul to solve all the puzzles that float around in my head. Just because I’m uncomfortable with crowds, and cocktail parties make me want to go lie down, doesn’t mean that a few like-minded persons aren’t EXACTLY what my soul is craving.
However, like my friend, Shasta Nelson, says in her delightful book, “Friendships Don’t Just Happen!” They take attention. You must make room in your heart and your schedule. Friendships take tending—like a garden. This is the point where my natural tendency towards solitude has withered most of my past connections.
So, on the eve of my 55th birthday this month, I vow to Put Friendship First, which coincidently happens to be our bi-weekly theme. When I have an epiphany, it magically becomes our new theme—you’re welcome!
Aren’t you glad my brain is always working overtime? That makes one of us.
The Power of Sisterhood is worth taking the time to foster; that’s what G.P.S. was built upon. The power of sisterhood is akin to the Power of the Pride, albeit slightly less furry. A pride of lionesses succeeds, because they know they are all working together toward a common goal—survival. And isn’t that exactly what we are doing as humans? We are all trying to give our families, and ourselves, a chance to survive and thrive. But we can’t do that all alone. We can’t build meaningful connections from our couch. It takes time and attention to build your Pride. And that’s where we can help.
Girl Power Station was built on the simple concept that WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER! We can accomplish more. We can have more fun and heal our wounds better, together. Last weekend, I cleared a couple of hours to go paddle boarding with my Volleyball Goddess, Ligia, and that was after the whole weekend of sun, fun and margaritas in South Florida with my dear friend, Lisa. That’s a lot of friendship tending for me, and it made me SO HAPPY! You, too, can Put Friendship First in lots of ways. Please try a small step toward connection by putting Friendship on your TODO list, and then drop me a line at terri@girlpowerforgood to tell me all about it!
XO
Terri
