With yesterday being International Women’s Day, it seemed fitting that I write a blog about women. I’m blessed to constantly be surrounded by amazing women who cheer me on, encourage me, support me, dream with me, trust me and love me. I’m equally blessed to cheer them on, encourage them, support them, dream with them, trust them and love them. There are many lessons God has taught me in life, but one of the most valuable lessons I learned was the need for good female friendships.
“Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses… swapped back and forth and all over again.”
– Michelle Obama
Here are the type of female friends to surround yourself with:
The Cheerleader
These are the girl friends that celebrate with you when great things happen, and encourage you when things are not so great. You don’t have to wonder about any hidden motives, back-stabbing, or jealousy from these women. They love you and are not threatened by your successes. They don’t gloat when you experience set-backs. They don’t feel the need to rain on your parade because they have a parade of their own that you’ll be showing up to cheer for as well. Some of the common things you’ll hear from them are, “I’m so happy for you,” “I’m so proud of you,” “You got this,” “You are amazing,” “I know you can do it,” “I believe in you,” and other words of affirmation. Majority of your friends should be in this category.
The Adventure-Seeker
The Adventure Seeker Friends are not just the ones that will go skydiving with you or go backpacking across Europe with you; these friends will do random things like go to brunch with you wearing pajamas or take fun pictures with you like this one on the left (I’m the second one on the right… it took us several tries to sync up our jumps! 😂). These women bring spontaneity and extra zest to your life. Having spontaneous, adventure-seeking girl friends keep away monotony from a daily routine, help you to be more flexible to change, increase your creativity by breaking down mental blocks, help reduce stress by helping you take a mental break, and increase the fun factor in your life. Since adventure-seekers may not all be available at the same time, it’s best to have more than a few of these fun and spontaneous women in our Contacts List.
The Confidant
These are the friends that you can trust with the most vulnerable parts of yourself. There are less of these women in your life because of confidential things you share with them (and vice versa). In fact, I can count on one hand how many of this type I have in my life. It’s not that I don’t trust other people, but when it comes to the deepest parts of my soul, there are only a handful of women that I can confidently say I feel safe to lay my entire heart and guts out on the table with. You never have to worry about whether or not they will judge you or use any information against you. If you tell them any highly-sensitive information, you can trust that they will keep it confidential without you even telling them not to say anything.
The Straight Shooter
This is not the same thing as women who are brutally honest and don’t care about your feelings. These women are the ones who will speak the truth in love and you have no doubt in your mind that they have your best interest in mind. I have several straight-shooter girl friends that I can go to for objective feedback and advice, and I’m glad I can be the same to them while feeling loved, safe, and not judged. Even though this can be painful and awkward at times, these female relationships are necessary in helping us become better versions of ourselves.
The Mother-Figure
These are women that are older and wiser than you. These women have a wealth of knowledge and experiences that you don’t have because you haven’t gone through their season yet. It’s so easy to neglect these mentor friendships because Ageism is so prevalent in our society. But having one or two of these wonderful women in your life will help you to grow in your appreciation for the older generation as well as keep you humble. She’s nurturing, loving, patient, and she will be able to share stories that might leave you wondering why her life hasn’t been made into a movie yet. If your mother is one of your best friends, consider yourself blessed.
A lot of times, you will have friends who are more than one of the types listed above which is great! Having these five types of women in your life will enrich it in a way that no money, romance, or fame ever can!
With Gratitude,
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Jheni Solis Wellness 