7 Things Your Best Friends and Best Clients Have In Common
Friends are truly our chosen family. Since I was a child, I’ve loved the experience of making friends. Back in high school, my twin sister, Lynn, used to ask me, “Hey, who is your friend of the week?” Even then, I loved meeting people and making new connections. I still do.
As an adult, I’ve given a lot of thought to the purpose and meaning of friendships. I’ve spent time reflecting on how friendships have enriched and challenged me, and what I’ve learned about myself through these relationships. The powerful lessons that friendships teach us about ourselves help us to grow. But friendships are the relationships in which the choosing is often – though not always – most clear and conscious. Understanding why we choose the people in our lives gives us strength and insight about our own lives. This move toward self-awareness is a fundamental need. We crave this kind of understanding, this deepening knowledge of ourselves and our place in the world. Friendships give us a sense of belonging to something larger than our solitary lives. If this is something that interests you, I invite you to check out my book, Why I Chose You.
In business, nearly all major companies have a board of directors. The purpose of this group of individuals is to advise and to counsel, in order to support the health and growth of the company. It occurred to me, that we have the same ability to decide who sits on our “board.” My chosen best friends named our group the “Dream Team.” These select friends became each other’s trusted advisors. We guide each other and support each other’s professional and personal growth. We are each other’s support system. We cheer each other on, and we carry each other through painful times.
I’ve found that we may have a similar relationship with our best clients or customers. These are the clients we chose to do business with and want to invest our time and energy in. These are some ways in which our clients resemble our best friends:
1) We are passionate about our clients and we have a desire to help them.
2) We love spending time with our clients. They give us positive feedback and support.
3) We have trust and respect for our clients, and they also trust us to provide guidance and advice.
4) We develop a deeper relationship with our clients. They are like family.
5) We make our best clients a priority. We would drop everything to help them.
6) They are understanding. Our clients are always patient while we help find the best solution for their challenges.
7) They believe in us.
All relationships present us with opportunities for growth and change within ourselves. Friendships are especially good at revealing certain aspects of ourselves that we’re proud of, ones were not so proud of, and things about ourselves that we didn’t even know we possessed. The more of our true selves that we put into creating and sustaining healthy, balanced, trusting, diverse friendships, the more we may experience the soul-stirring love that comes from a sense of community.
Happy National best friend day to those I get the pleasure of sharing my journey with. I appreciate you and cherish our time together!
Who are your best friends? What have your friendships taught you? And who are your best clients? Why do you cherish them?