This can be linked to Valentines day if you wish or you could take it as it is intended for everyday life. I was sat having a coffee with friends yesterday catching up on the last few months of our lives and it struck us how much we have in our friendship, the memories we share, the times we have been there for each other and the future we have ahead of us together and individually.
This got us onto deeper conversations of talking about others we have in our lives who are there for us, those who support us, challenge us and are our cheerleaders through many aspects of our day to day tasks. We realised how lucky we are to have so many people who love us and who we love back but we also discussed how inconsistent we are with sharing our appreciation towards those people.
So yesterday as a group of friends, we talked about what we could do from now on to make sure we told the people in our lives how we felt about them. I have been conscious of this for years as I am very lucky in having friends from different countries and also a variety of ages at both ends of the spectrum and I do often find myself thinking of what would happen if those people died before I got to tell them how I felt.
Here are some ideas for showing appreciation that we came up with and will definitely try:
Write them a letter: If like me, your friends are a bit further away and you don’t get to see them face to face or even if you don’t feel able to express your feelings to their face, then write a letter telling them what they mean to you and why you appreciate them. There is nothing better than receiving a handwritten letter through your own letterbox as the handwritten aspect can help you feel closer to that person.
Spend time with them: And here we mean quality time, not just sat in the same room with one or both of you on your phones. Do something you both enjoy or treat them to something you know they will want to do. This doesn’t have to cost a lot but can mean a great deal to both of you.
Point out their qualities: You may not wish to make a big deal of telling them what they have meant to you, so just go forward and tell them their qualities from now on and link it to how they impact on you.
Say ‘thank you’: Simply thank them for being part of your life as it comes to your mind or when they do something you appreciate. A ‘thank you’ can have a huge effect on people and conveys that appreciation in 2 words.
Notice and acknowledge those who are present: Sometimes we can all be guilty of noticing who isn’t there, what they didn’t do or the negative way you were treated. However, how often do we notice those right there with us, helping us and quietly being part of our lives so make an effort to notice them and acknowledge their impact on you.
There are many more ways of celebrating love and friendship so please feel free to let us know of the ones you use by using the contact form below:
Being the Best You Can Be 
Reblogged this on Being the Best You Can Be.
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