Embracing Not Changing is a four-part series, which focuses on embracing yourself, your family, your significant others and your friends for who they are.
Friends are awesome for many reasons. The best part of it is that we actually get to choose who they are and sometimes, we like to spend more time with them over anyone else.
It may even be easier to confide in them, knowing they won’t scold you or rat you out or get in trouble because they’re not your parents.
But that doesn’t mean there’s never going to be a time when you won’t wish they had a different kind of personality or that you see what they’re lacking in and are ambitious to change that.
Here are some things to keep in mind, in order to fully accept and love your friends.
#1. No matter what their family is like, don’t talk bad about them, even if it’s true.
No one chooses which family they’re born into and even if their parents or siblings are the worst or mistreat your friends, don’t spout out negativity.
Doing this will only condone or give them the impression that it’s okay to constantly talk down about your family members.
For the vast majority of cases, family members aren’t truly bad in nature. Most of the time, their good intentions aren’t executed properly and it can have a bad outcome.
So keeping that in mind, instead of encouraging your friends to talk bad about their immediate family members, focus on looking out for your friend’s best interests.
#2. Stay away from meddling.
Though it seems like this applies mostly to dating, it could be applied to anything really.
You may have good intentions about it, but if they decline, you need to respect that and step away from it instead of pushing it until they give into what you want them to do.
Meddling is a form of wanting to change your friend or their life based on what you think is best, and most of the time, it probably isn’t the best for your friends.
Unless it’s a toxic situation, embrace your friends by being there as moral support and by taking action if they ask you to do so.
#3. Don’t expect them to fill a void role in your life.
I have friends who I consider to be like my sisters and brothers, but they can never replace my biological brother and the place he has in my life.
Sure, they may care for you, but having a friend who is like a sibling is different from someone who is biologically related to me.
Treat them as companions and don’t expect them to fill a role that doesn’t pertain to them. If you have a biological sibling, don’t expect your friend to replace them.
Friends are a blessing but you need to keep in mind that they’re not in your life to replace your parents, your siblings or any familial relationship.
#4. No gossiping!
Embracing a person takes love and acceptance towards them for their strengths and their flaws. Gossiping does the exact opposite.
When you gossip about someone, it is normally centered around their weaknesses, what they’re lacking in or criticism, and is a form of betrayal.
It certainly says a lot about your character more than the person who is being gossiped about, and it also speaks volumes as to the condition of your relationship with your friend.
What are some other ways we can embrace and love our friends for who they are?
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Reflect & Refresh 