Detoxifying Your Friendlist

There have been many times in life where I feel I’ve reached the “I’m stuck” moment. Whether it’s on a personal or a professional level. But just because you feel stuck, it doesn’t mean that there is no way out. It really helps to think outside the box, or in this case to think outside of yourself. If you can look at your own life from someone else’s perspective, it really helps to look for a solution.

A lot of the time when we turn to our friends for advice, it’s surprising how often they immediately deduce the problem and come up with a solution, even without you ever finishing the conversation. That’s because when we’re in those “stuck” moments, we are also kind of metaphorically blind. And I mean this in the way of being so focused on what is not going well or what we’re doing wrong that we simply forget to steer our focus into what can be done or should be done to get us out. Sometimes the answer is so simple, that we deserve a massive face palm.

One of the things that has been a key ingredient in getting out of these situations for me, has been to connect people with similar interests but also people who challenge me or make me question what’s around me. A good example of this, is when I’m talking about something I’m passionate about like my career. And this other person immediately points out to me that I should be looking out for more opportunities or that I’m looking for these opportunities in the wrong places.

It’s very important to live life moment to moment and be present but it is equally important to realize where you are going and how you plan to get there. And it’s been because of these “stuck” moments that I sometimes favor one way or the other. Thankfully I’ve managed to find some amazing people in this side of the pond that not only help me find my way, but also in return let me help them find theirs. Put into simple terms, I’m talking about the principle of RECIPROCITY.

At times I find it necessary to reevaluate some of the connections and friendships I’ve made over the years. I like to think of it as going into a business party and collecting everyone’s business cards. Then getting home and realizing I don’t need to have the card of professional golfer or a bird migration historian to help me achieve my goals. I like to call this process, DETOXIFYING YOUR FRIEND LIST.

I’m sure at point or another you’ve realized that a connection or a friendship stops giving fruit and becomes poison. That’s why I find it some important to take that extra step back, evaluate the people in my life and make sure that I can be the best version of me, not only for myself but also for the people around me and the people I care about. Take Robert Downey Jr. for example. He’s one of my biggest idols, and he loves to go through his contact list, deleting people he doesn’t know or doesn’t want in his life anymore whilst listening to Gotye’s-Somebody That I Used to Know. I hope you find a way to readjust your focus and attention into the things that matter in your life and that you can be the best version of yourself. If you have similar stories or any stories you’d like to share, I would love to hear about them.

Till next time folks!