Friends are the refuge we find in the course of our journey of self-discovery. They are the bastions we rest our thoughts and feelings on when we are too tired to carry the weight alone. It is easy to define the value of friends based on how long we have known each of them, but time is relative. Whether you’ve had a friend for a moment or a lifetime, count their presence in your life as a true blessing.
Everyone knows I love being with people of all ages, nationalities, countries and cultures. I love learning from all people, so I am open to listening and hearing without judgement. I think of myself like a child, capable of accepting all the innocence and purity that the moment offers. I trust my gut, so if someone feels off, I just walk away. For the most part, meeting new people at airports, planes, in lines at restaurants, at conferences, at social clubs, at university gatherings, at the grocery store—any place—is a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk to beautiful people on this planet!
Once I took a trip to Maui to visit my son, Kabir. On the United Airlines flight back to LAX, a slim, rather purposeful woman took the seat next to me in first class. She was not inclined to talk much, but being my usual Meera self I started talking to her and realised she was a very evolved human being! Anyway, she was clear she wanted to work on her laptop and not talk too much. But, when she took a break three hours later, she initiated a conversation about siblings, unconditional love, being a teacher and guide for anyone on the planet who might need guidance.
Finally, something in me made me ask, ‘Who are you?’ It was both a spiritual enquiry as well as a general one. She smiled and said humbly, ‘I’m Linda Woolverton and I write for Disney.’
Linda has written screenplays for Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Aida, Maleficent, to name a few! She has influenced generations of young people on the planet! I was overjoyed to meet and speak with her! Being open to all humans brings this sort of excitement to life. It is filled with love and the possibility of making another friend any moment!
As a final word on making friends, on a one-to-one level, I feel lucky to say that I tend to make lifetime bonds. My parents brought me up with so much love and trust. It makes it easy for me to foster long-term friendships. My friendships are unconditional and non-transactional. It makes for very simple and pure friendships that end up generating a lot of happiness over a lifetime. My close friends and I tend to spend a lot of time together.
The third tip on making friends and keeping friends is that you have to be able to support friends when they need your help. At that moment, you might not need anything back, but that’s okay. Help them nonetheless. One never knows when we will need their help. It’s usually the ones we have helped quietly along the way who will be waiting in the wings to help us, should the need arise. Above all, expect nothing in return for your friendship, give unconditionally, love their music and their quirks and laugh with your friends as much as you can. It all makes for a glorious life journey! Here’s to your glorious life journey surrounded by friends!
(Excerpts from 3 TIPS: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by Meera Gandhi)
